It’s not often that local elections for House and Senate candidates present voters with such significant choices. This year is the exception. Four area House members from the county’s delegation are stepping down, there’s a competitive race for the Senate prompted by controversial and unpopular actions of an incumbent, and the county’s embattled state’s attorney is stepping down at the end of her first four-year term.

The details are provided in a front-page story in today’s Addison Independent, but it’s worth noting that incumbent Reps. Matt Birong, D-Vergennes, Peter Conlon, D-Cornwall, and Amy Sheldon, D-Middlebury have served multiple terms and were all chairs of influential committees. Conlon headed the House Education Committee, Sheldon chaired the Committee on Environment and Birong led Government Operations and Military Affairs. Herb Olson, D-Starksboro, elected not to seek re-election after a single term.

In the county’s Senate race, three Republicans are vying for two seats in the Aug. 11 primary. They are: incumbent Sen. Steve Heffernan of Bristol, Andrew Klein of New Haven and Andrea Treadway of Orwell. The two who prevail will take on Democrat incumbent Sen. Ruth Hardy of Middlebury, and Leicester Democrat Hannah Sessions.

There’s also a Republican primary race for Sheriff, with no Democrats filing before the May 28 deadline; and a race for High Bailiff between incumbent Dave Silberman, D-Middlebury, and Cornwall Republican Steve Willson. Middlebury’s Peter Bevere, a former Addison County deputy state’s attorney and current deputy prosecutor in Rutland County is the lone candidate so far in the race for the county’s state’s attorney.

With Vermont facing tough challenges in the years ahead, it’s imperative Addison County send its best and brightest to Montpelier, knowing that they too could lead committees that shape tomorrow’s legislation. To that end, the citizens’ duty is to learn about the candidates, get to know them personally by attending candidate forums and other events where the candidates listen to your concerns, and encourage friends and neighbors to do the same. The more we all know, the more likely it is the best candidates will prevail — and the state will be the better for it.

Angelo Lynn