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A wide range of candidates from Maryland's District 3 gives voters an array of names to pick on Sept. 14 to send through to the general election.

Incumbent Sen. Alexander X. Mooney of Urbana faces no Republican challenger, so his name will appear on the general election ballot. He will face one of two Democrats: Don DeArmon and Ronald N. Young, both of Frederick.

Young rises above his opponent, so Democrats would be wise to send him to face off against Mooney.

Young carries with him an impressive range of public service, starting in 1970 as a member of Frederick Board of Aldermen, then 16 years as mayor beginning in 1974. He also worked in the Maryland departments of planning and natural resources for 10 years, and volunteered for numerous nonprofits and committees.

His knowledge of state bureaucracy means he knows how to work the system, a trait that can only benefit District 3 voters.

His campaign platform is diverse. Maryland needs to build its economic base and create more jobs, but do it in a sustainable manner. The state needs to analyze how it spends education dollars to ensure students perform well, not just in the sciences, but the arts as well. He also wants to reinstate full funding of the transportation fund to local governments.

But the way in which he would approach these issues is paramount. He believes the state needs to take a horizontal view to the challenges it faces instead of vertical, meaning that the issues are all connected to each other.

Improvements in transportation, for example, can expand the economic base by easing transit and making it easier for companies to do business. And the better graduates our schools can turn out, the better the workforce for will be for those companies.

DeArmon has 30 years of experience on Capitol Hill working for various members of Congress, and without question understands the political landscape and the way legislation works.

But he is running for one primary reason: to fix Interstate 270. While no one would consider the highway appropriate for the traffic it handles every day, voters would be wise to choose candidates who have more depth in their platform.

Young has that depth, and would be better equipped to challenge Mooney in the general election for the state senate seat.

District 3A

Democrats in District 3A for the House of Delegates do not have a contested primary. The two candidates — incumbent Galen R. Clagett and Candy O. Greenway, both of Frederick — will make it through the primary.

Three Republicans are running for the nomination: Patrick Hogan, Chris Huckenpoehler and Chuck Knapp, all Frederick residents.

Scott Rolle, former Frederick County state's attorney, filed for office but dropped out after the deadline, meaning his name will appear on the ballot even though he has stopped campaigning.

Of the three remaining candidates, voters would be wise to pick only Hogan, who was elected to the seat in 2002 but lost to C. Sue Hecht in 2006. Hecht is not running for re-election.

Hogan, director of development for the YMCA of Frederick County, lists his key issues as job creation and economic growth, reduced spending and lower taxes, reducing traffic and supporting education.

His top priority, though, is the economy and creating more jobs by making Maryland more business friendly though lower taxes and reduced regulations while not harming the environment.

Hogan is intelligent and speaks knowledgably on the issues. He wants to take a comprehensive look at the budget to determine what can be cut and what needs to stay.

Silence regarding his opponents should speak volumes.

District 3B

Democrats in District 3B for the House of Delegates do not have a contested primary. Only Paul Gilligan of Burkittsville entered the race, so he will appear on the ballot for the general election.

Republicans have a choice between Michael Hough of Brunswick and incumbent Charles A. Jenkins of Frederick. They would be wise to remain with Jenkins.

Jenkins is a Realtor and was a member of the Frederick Board of County Commissioners for three years before being appointed to the District 3B seat in January. He wants the state to address illegal immigration, become more business friendly, and improve transportation, extending one of the big issues he ran on for commissioner four years ago.

During that campaign, Jenkins called himself the "Roads Commissioner" and said he would work to improve transportation. As an example of his commitment to fixing traffic, he pointed to his first motion as a commissioner to add a transportation planner to the county payroll who could analyze traffic impacts of land-use proposals before commissioners changed plans.

And within two years of becoming a commissioner, Jenkins was chair of the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board, a federally mandated body that plans for regional transportation projects.

Experience matters. As a former county commissioner, Jenkins understands how state legislation can affect counties and would represent the district well.

Next week: District 4.