Grant County faces a win-win situation in the state House District 59 race.

The seat has drawn two contenders with experience in dealing with the issues that concern rural communities. Voters will need to decide between Republican John Huffman, the incumbent by virtue of his appointment to the post last year, and Mike Ahern, his Democratic challenger. The hard-fought race comes in a year that has produced only a few such ably contested state races. Where other districts go begging for more than one strong candidate, we find two seeking the post for the district that covers more than half of Grant County.

Both Huffman, a radio station owner from The Dalles, and Ahern, a Madras businessman and longtime community volunteer, would bring to the post abilities that would represent rural communities well.

Ahern is likely to receive quite a few crossover votes, especially in Jefferson County, thanks to his record of service there. He has served on the Jefferson County Court and dealt with many issues shared by Grant County – budget cuts, water resources, economic woes, and inflexible state bureaucracies, to name a few. He wants to restore the state’s efforts to aid rural economies, something that was undercut in the last Legislature.

If elected, he could help provide a rural perspective within the majority party – something that is sorely needed. He says that perspective has been miserably represented in District 59 for many years, and he feels that having yet another rep from the Columbia Gorge only continues that situation.

We agree Grant County’s needs were largely ignored during the tenure of the previous officeholder, who vacated the seat when he moved out of the state in 2007. Indeed, if Ahern were running against former Rep. John Dallum, it would be an easy call to endorse Ahern.

That said, Dallum’s successor has proved to be more than just another politico from The Dalles. Since taking office, Huffman has plunged into the issues and worked alongside our Republican state Sen. Ted Ferrioli to press for solutions to rural problems.

Huffman took office at a challenging time, and had to learn the ropes in a special session that dealt with tough budget issues. He says he learned a lot of lessons in that time, and also gained critical information and contacts that are helping to guide his service in Salem. He has shared those experiences not just at home in The Dalles, but in numerous visits to John Day and other communities in his district.

In his travels, he has shown a grasp of the economic challenges facing Grant County and Eastern Oregon, and he clearly has studied up on the energy, water and development issues that will be crucial to our ability to survive and thrive in the future. He has shown considerable dedication to the job in his first year in office, and we’d like to see what he can do with a full term.

Both candidates have been highly visible in Grant County, appearing at forums and community meetings. We believe voters would be well served by either candidate, but we give the edge to Huffman and urge voters in Western and Northern Grant County to do the same. – SC