There are five contested Chautauqua County Legislature races in the greater Jamestown area.

We once again endorse David Wilfong in District 11. Wilfong isn’t particularly active in legislative affairs, but the Jamestown Republican was true to his word to listen to his constituents to sell the Chautauqua County Home. His opponent is once again Robert Whitney, a former county legislator who would not vote to sell the home. Wilfong should remain in the legislature.

In District 13, Joseph W. Tickle, the endorsed Republican and Conservative party candidate, has said very little that we can find. His opponent, incumbent Democrat Thomas Nelson, has been very vocal in the legislature in recent years despite his position in the minority. We note specifically his efforts to seek spending and tax cuts as part of this year’s budget as a reason he should return to Mayville.

We endorsed Billy Torres for District 9 two years ago and do so again this year. Torres has shown himself to be a solid voice in the legislature. Phil Landy, his Republican challenger, declined to answer questions initially before later accepting – a move that makes one wonder how he will vote on the legislature when no one but his fellow Republican lawmakers are whispering in his ear. Torres has, in our view, earned another term.

In District 10, Republican Jamie Gustafson is challenged by Democrat Julie Jackson-Forsberg. Jackson-Forsberg endorsed the sort of budgeting that we have been calling for over the course of the past couple of years by taking a harder line on new positions funded by the county budget and looking for possible spending cuts rather than voting for budget increases each year.

District 12 pits incumbent Republican Elisabeth Rankin against Fred Larson, a former Chautauqua County attorney, Jamestown City Court Judge and Chautauqua County legislator and regular contributor to The Post-Journal’s guest essays page. Rankin has done a fine job in the legislature and we give her credit for being willing to have a give-and-take on county budget issues. More legislators could learn a lesson from Rankin, in our view, and we would endorse her were it not for her opponent. There are two reasons to vote for Larson, in our opinion. First, Larson went against many in the Democratic Party and voted to sell the Chautauqua County Home, a decision that shows Larson will make difficult decisions rather than going with the crowd. Second, one may not always agree with Larson’s opinions, but they are always well researched and thought-provoking. He will bring a legislative focus on industrial development and an eye on the county Industrial Development Agency that has been lacking since Larson left the legislature. Voters should return Larson to office.