Democrats have choices in four area Indiana House of Representatives races, while Republicans have choices in two.

District 3 Democrats

This is an easy choice. Incumbent Charlie Brown faces newcomer Bryan Bullock for the Democratic nomination. There is no Republican candidate.

Bullock, an attorney with an office in Merrillville, has been a crusader for civil rights. He is to be commended for that. However, he misses the mark on regionalism. "I'm really not necessarily a fan of all these regional authorities," Bullock said. Wrong attitude. Uniting as a region is necessary to advance causes important to everyone in Northwest Indiana.

For Brown, that includes pushing for a teaching hospital and trauma center in Gary that would go along with the expansion of the Indiana University School of Medicine there to a full four-year program. The expansion was authorized by the Legislature in the current budget, although the money hasn't been released because of state revenue shortfalls.

We endorse Brown.

District 11 Democrats

Cy Huerter is the only Republican candidate in District 11.

For the Democratic contenders, this race is, as much as anything else, asking the voters to second-guess whether a more business-friendly depreciation schedule for major industries was a smart move.

Dan Stevenson, the incumbent, was a strong promoter of House Bill 1858, which granted additional property tax breaks to the state's refineries and steelmakers. It's not hard to guess who that applies to. Stevenson's opponent, Paul Krizman, calls it the "Dan Stevenson tax" because it meant shifting more of the tax burden onto homeowners.

But Stevenson correctly points to the results of that legislation -- tens of millions of dollars of capital investments into the region's steel mills, and the $3.8 billion expansion of Whiting Refinery. All that work means job creation on a massive scale, an indication that HB 1858 was smart after all.

We endorse Stevenson.

District 13 Democrats

There is no Republican on the ballot in District 13. On the Democratic side, however, there are two well-known candidates.

Now in his 40th year, incumbent Chet Dobis is one of the two most senior members of the House. He was sworn in the same day as Speaker Pat Bauer, one of the most powerful men on the political scene in Indiana. Dobis is no political lightweight, either. He's the acknowledged dean of Northwest Indiana's legislative delegation.

Dobis has been instrumental in a number of major regional initiatives, including the formation of the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority, the Illiana Expressway, the expansion of Gary/Chicago International Airport, the push to extend commuter rail service to Lowell and Valparaiso, and more.

Hardaway is a Merrillville Town Council member and sees the pain some communities are suffering because of the tax caps and Lake County's frozen levy. Dobis has an answer for that, too. Perhaps it's time for a small county option income tax that could be used solely for public safety, he said.

Dobis has easily earned his chance to become one of the longest-serving state representatives in Indiana history.

We endorse Dobis.

District 15 Democrats

John Malan and Timothy Downs are vying for the Democratic nomination, but how seriously are they competing? Malan sent us a note saying he couldn't meet with us because he was looking for a job in Wyoming, and Downs didn't respond to our calls.

We offer no endorsement in this race.

District 15 Republicans

Incumbent Don Lehe voted against the Illiana Expressway, but he did so knowing it would pass even without his support. His vote was simply to show his constituents that he was listening, he said. OK, we'll buy that, especially after he further explained that he has been telling constituents there will be plenty of opportunity for public comment on the Illiana before it is built.

Lehe has shown concern for Lake County issues, not just for the vast areas of his district south of the Kankakee River.

Opponent Art Anderson is colorful and has strong opinions about what's right and wrong. But while his abrasive attitude can get results in a small town, a large legislative body like the General Assembly requires a candidate who can negotiate well to advance his agenda in a legislative setting.

We endorse Lehe.

District 19 Republicans

Fran Katz said she's running because her boss was tired of hearing her complain about Lake County politics without doing anything about it. Fair enough. But while Katz kept hammering her point about corruption in Lake County, we didn't see enough evidence of solid ideas for changing the culture of corruption she complained about.

Dan Klein didn't show great personnel skills as Crown Point's mayor, bouncing from one controversy with a department head to another, but he deserves credit for starting the Shared Ethics Advisory Commission and supporting a number of regional initiatives.

We endorse Klein.

District 19 Democrats

Dennis Meeks favors government living within its means. He said of the Regional Bus Authority, "The reality is if you don't have the money, you can't provide the service." But how can the government shirk its duties to care for the downtrodden, including people who need public transportation -- not just for its environmental benefits but because they can't afford any other means of getting around?

Shelli VanDenburgh, the incumbent, has served her district well. She suggests making local government reforms without a referendum. "We need to just write the legislation and make it happen," she said. We like that no-nonsense attitude.

We endorse VanDenburgh.

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