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There are few surprises in the race for Prince George's County executive.

The two front-runners are former Del. Rushern Baker, who has failed in two past bids for the office, and Sheriff Michael Jackson, who has been touted for years as the heir apparent to term-limited County Executive Jack B. Johnson's throne.

And, just as when Johnson was first elected in 2002, the hospital system remains on financial life support, county schools still rank at the bottom in the state, shortages remain in public-safety staffing, the county's image continues to suffer from well-publicized blunders, high-end commercial development is still lagging and crime — albeit at the lowest level in decades — is still the second highest in the state. So it's not astonishing that the same issues prioritized nearly a decade ago are still the main talking points.

Jackson, too, is strikingly similar to candidates past. The county native is well-known throughout Prince George's, and — like Johnson — is extremely personable and a fixture at community events. Unfortunately, like many candidates before him, Jackson lacks a specific strategy for addressing problems. He cites his long-time connections through family, friends and politicians as a means to resolving issues, but is unable to say what the solutions would be. And given the ongoing questions over whether county leaders engage in pay-to-play business deals and contracts for supporters, too many insider friends isn't necessarily a good thing.

In addition, Jackson's ongoing finger-pointing regarding the 2008 raid on the home of Berwyn Heights Mayor Cheye Calvo only boosts his status quo image. Calvo's home was raided by the sheriff's SWAT team when a package of marijuana was delivered to the home. In the course of the raid, Calvo's two dogs were shot and killed, and the mayor was later deemed an innocent victim in a drug-delivery scheme.

Jackson continues to defend his office and blames the police department for failing to do a proper preliminary investigation before asking the sheriff's office to conduct the raid. He insists it was not his office's duty to check information before conducting the raid but goes on to state that his office has changed procedures to ensure it does more preliminary work in the future.

Jackson has broken the mold at times in his career, such as starting the Domestic Violence Unit in the sheriff's office and providing deputies for school security, but remains vague about his county plans. He insists schools and economic development will improve but provides few specifics, explaining that his five-year strategy will be announced after he's elected.

Baker, however, is noticeably different — a welcome change of pace.

In the 2002 election, Baker spent much of his time defending his controversial push to disband the dysfunctional elected board and temporarily replace it with government-appointed members. In 2006, his focus turned largely to crime. Today, he possesses a well-rounded strategy that addresses the many challenges facing Prince George's.

The former delegation chairman has a thorough understanding of the legislative process and knows how to build consensus among lawmakers. He plans to use that insight to quickly forge a resolution on the county hospital system, in part through a partnership with the University of Maryland Medical System, and push for tax credits to help spur development at Metro stations.

He plans to be fully engaged in school system efforts, opposes furloughing teachers, supports retention bonuses and believes that with significant collaboration between the county executive and school leaders, education priorities — not politics — will become the focus.

Baker has never been a fan of the Tax Reform Initiative by Marylanders (TRIM), the voter-imposed property tax cap that he believes hinders the county in its quest for higher bond ratings, which in turn allows money to be borrowed at a lower rate. Under county legislation, property taxes cannot be raised without voter approval; however, lawmakers have circumvented the law by implementing other increases, such as state fees. Despite his stance on TRIM, Baker believes lawmakers need to focus on reinstilling trust instead of changing the legislation.

Baker is not without missteps, however. His recent revelation that the nonprofit organization he led, Community Teachers Institute, suffered financial shortfalls that prevented it from getting a $50,000 audit required to file proper tax forms is understandable given the tight economy, but a concern nonetheless.

In addition, Baker emphasizes the importance of government transparency but declined for weeks to say who provided him with a $206,000 donation earlier this year simply because he wasn't yet required to do so under state law.

However, Baker is able to admit when mistakes are made and grow from them. He acknowledged that his reaction to initial questions about the donation was poorly handled and now provides disclosures every 60 days, even though they are not required.

But Baker's greatest strength lies in his determination to do what is best rather than to do what is easiest. As other legislators stood at the roadside gawking at the imploding school board in 2002, Baker made an effort to stabilize the system, despite the protests it sparked outside his office. Many criticized his decision but offered no alternatives to resolving the problem.

Prince George's needs clean, open, accessible and responsive government, and among the candidates, Baker provides the greatest promise for the county's future.