In the race for 44th District state Representative, Position 1, incumbent Democrat Hans Dunshee is being challenged by Republican Larry Countryman.

While we commend Countryman for getting involved and working to make his community better, we support Dunshee who has served the 44th District well as a legislator for the past 12 years.

Countryman is a small business owner who has served three terms on the Snohomish City Council. He has also served on the Snohomish County Charter Commission and Snohomish County Arts Commission Board. Dunshee is a former small business owner who has been representing the 44th District since 1996 and is the vice chair of the House Appropriations Committee and serves on the Appropriations subcommittee on Education and on the Capital Budget Committee.

The candidates differ on a number of items including education, transportation and the budget. When it comes to expanding higher education opportunities, Dunshee supports a branch campus of the University of Washington in a centralized location while Countryman doesn’t support a branch campus of the UW, preferring instead the idea of making Everett Community College a four-year institution. The candidates have significantly different views on transportation. Countryman believes that too much is being spent on mass transit and the state should take the emphasis off of mass transit and put more emphasis on existing road projects. Dunshee supports mass transit and is willing to look at the possibility of more toll roads (such as I-520 and I-90) which would free up state money that could be used elsewhere. When asked what budget cuts they would support to help deal with the projected $3.2 billion deficit, Countryman said he would have to see the budget before he could suggest any cuts while Dunshee suggested a number of areas that could be cut to help deal with the deficit.

We endorse Dunshee because we believe his experience and vision for the future will serve the 44th District well. He has accomplished much in his 12 years as a legislator and will be able to accomplish much more in the next two years. On the issues that matter to residents of the 44th District, Dunshee is the best choice.

For more information about Dunshee, go to his Web site at www.hansdunshee.com. Countryman does not have a Web site.

To contact a member of The Marysville Globe/Arlington Times editorial board — Stuart Chernis or Scott Frank — e-mail forum@marysvilleglobe.com.