The voters of House District 84 have been well-represented during the past six years by Democrat Ed Finch. A retired teacher and 11-year veteran of the SAD 49 board (which includes the towns of Albion, Benton, Clinton and Fairfield), Finch says that "education is my life." And he's made education the focus of his work in the Statehouse, where he has been an informed and thoughtful voice on the Education Committee during a time of great change.

Finch is being challenged in his bid for re-election by political newcomer Miles Ranger, a Republican. Ranger is a real estate agent and has been involved in economic development efforts in Fairfield. His policies are largely an echo of the Maine Heritage Policy Center's conservative positions on taxes, with a few forays into more radical proposals such as "suspend the gas and diesel tax." Ranger doesn't say how the state can do that and still manage to pay for upkeep of our deteriorating roads and bridges.

While Ranger has it right that more jobs in the state will lead to a healthier economy, he doesn't offer a vision for how to get there beyond cutting taxes. Finch is right when he points to education as Maine's ticket to economic prosperity. Combine a more educated workforce with targeted state investment in emerging technologies as well as cuts in the income tax, and Maine will be able to move into a more prosperous future.

Ed Finch gets that, and we endorse his re-election to the Maine House.