In the 41st District Senate race, voters have two respectable candidates to choose from in November’s general election: state Sen. Steve Litzow (R-Mercer Island) and first-time candidate Lisa Wellman, a Democrat.

The Reporter endorses Litzow — a longtime legislator who will keep seniority in the Senate.

This is a critical time for a number of important issues that are very important to Mercer Islanders, including education and transportation.

During the upcoming Legislative session, lawmakers will need to find a way to fully fund basic education, as ordered by the Supreme Court in its 2012 McCleary decision.

In addition, city of Mercer Island officials and legislators are still grappling with how to maintain Interstate 90 access for Island residents.

As an education-policy leader who serves as chairman of the Senate Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee, as well as a member of the Transportation Committee, among others, Litzow’s leadership and insight will be crucial to navigating these complex issues.

Wellman’s pitch to voters rests on her criticism of Litzow. While Wellman provides a detailed outline of what she feels Litzow has not accomplished, her goals of what she would tackle in Olympia are vague. Wellman needs to be able to clearly articulate what specific goals she will tackle — and how — if she is to gain more voters.

However, we believe that Wellman’s experience as an educator and CEO strongly qualify her for a position in the state Legislature. Wellman’s education, business background and her current service on the Washington State Public Works Board gives her a universal understanding of how systems and procedures work, which would help guide her decision-making in the state Senate.

We encourage Wellman to bid for a different legislative position in the future against another political newcomer, not a seasoned senator.

While Litzow won the Mercer Island Reporter Editorial Board’s endorsement over his opponent, Litzow still has room to improve.

We believe that stronger actions on his part as a legislator are needed. The senator needs to more strongly and persuasively seek and support meaningful compromises to fully fund education, while allowing districts such as Mercer Island to locally support enhancements to those basic requirements.

What voters are looking for is an equitable funding proposal that is sustainable and delivers the highest quality of education to our most important resource, our children.

Nevertheless, we believe voters will benefit most from the award-winning senator, who brings a vast amount of experience working on issues with the state Legislature to the position.

Contact the Reporter’s Editorial Board at editorialboard@mi-reporter.com.