Former U.S. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler is running for state lands commissioner.

Diligent and honorable are two words that come to mind when thinking of U.S. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, who is leaving office after 12 years.

Although we frequently disagreed with her positions on national issues, she was a stalwart ally to the Lower Columbia River’s towns, ports and industries. She deserves thanks.

Realistically, it seldom matters which way one of the 435 voting members of the U.S. House comes down on the big bills that preoccupy the national news media. Even Herrera’s vote to impeach President Donald Trump made no tangible difference in the outcome, even while serving as a powerful, principled gesture — one that cost her the Republican nomination to run for re-election in November.

What does matter very much is how well individual House members advocate for the needs of local citizens. They do this by becoming knowledgeable about the issues that affect our ability to succeed, and then by building alliances with other members to obtain the funds and legislation needed to achieve goals.

Herrera did this in ways big and small. She did a good job working with Washington’s congressional delegation, including Democrats, to obtain funding for vital projects like small-port dredging. She helped cut through red tape to allow a more sensible balance between managing abundant marine mammals and struggling salmon runs. She hired and supported staff members who proved invaluable in helping residents navigate through the labyrinth of Social Security rules. She succeeded in bringing Veterans Administration services closer to the people who need them. And the list goes on.

We in Washington’s 3rd Congressional District have been fortunate in our congressional representation in recent decades. Herrera’s predecessor, Brian Baird, was inspiring and preeminently helpful, succeeding for example in creation of the Lewis and Clark Historical Park and its expansion to Pacific County.

Any congressman or congresswoman has to work with the political situation of their times; much depends on whether they find their party in majority or minority. Political skills coupled with close attention to the consensus views of constituents can make a U.S. House member effective even when in the minority.

Representative-elect Marie Gluesenkamp Perez will be a rookie member in the U.S. House’s minority party next year. To succeed, both for herself and for us, she needs to launch herself into an intense course in local and regional issues. The potential new Interstate 5 bridge between Vancouver and Portland will be key to Clark County residents and has rippling benefits/impacts throughout Southwest Washington, but is of secondary importance in Pacific County.

Here, Gluesenkamp Perez must quickly learn the basics of such complex topics as fisheries, offshore wind energy and transmission, the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, invasive species and much else. She will succeed by spending time here and listening, and then articulating our needs to her colleagues. She won a close election, winning outright only in Clark and Pacific counties. If she hopes to win again less than two years from now, we need to see attention and results.

These are challenging times for anyone in Congress. Serving there does not seem to be enjoyable. But it is an important privilege to be the voice for Southwest Washington. We hope Gluesenkamp Perez succeeds at least as well as her recent predecessors.