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The tight economy has put an increased focus on the General Assembly, with Prince George's County lawmakers trying to address critical problems such as the record rate of housing foreclosures and seeking additional state funding to lessen the impact of county budget shortages that are affecting everything from education to public safety.

The ongoing dire financial situation makes selection of the county's state representatives more critical than ever. The following candidates represent those who are best qualified to make the most of available resources, collaborate to effect needed changes and possess sound strategies to improve the county.

The Gazette did not endorse in Senate districts 21, 22, 25 and 27 or in delegate districts 21 and 22 where seats are uncontested.

District 21, Delegates

Constituent area includes College Park and Laurel.

The District 21 delegation deserves another term. Incumbents have presented a unified front in handling the issues important to their constituents, including stronger protection for domestic-violence victims, foreclosure assistance and the environment.

Joseline Peña-Melnyk of College Park has helped put an end to panhandling problems in Laurel and helped secure funds for community advocacy groups. Ben Barnes of College Park has also been strong, sponsoring legislation to help domestic abuse victims.

While not as prolific as her counterparts, Barbara Frush of Beltsville spent her fourth term focusing on Chesapeake Bay protections and working on legislation to help senior citizens.

Challengers Devin Tucker, Brian McDaniel and Bryan Walker lack the necessary experience to warrant replacing such productive incumbents.

District 23, Senate

Constituent area includes Bowie and surrounding unincorporated areas.

In 2006, voters were almost evenly divided between Douglas J.J. Peters of Bowie and Bobby Henry of Bowie, with Peters winning the Senate seat by 570 votes. Both men are highly qualified for the seat, but Peters has been a leader among the county's delegation, has been an effective senator and deserves to be re-elected.

Peters authored laws that include requiring home sales contracts to include a maximum interest rate and preventing students younger than 16 who are chronically truant from getting a learner's permit to drive a vehicle.

Challengers Darrell Carrington of Bowie and Mike Anderson of Upper Marlboro lack sufficient plans and experience.

District 23A, Delegate

Constituent area includes northern Bowie and surrounding unincorporated areas.

Voters must select two in this race and the first choice is obvious: Incumbent James Hubbard of Bowie has been a leading advocate for the district. He serves as assistant majority leader in the General Assembly, has been a staunch defender of the Chesapeake Bay and has worked to improve health care for seniors.

The second seat — vacated by Del. Gerron Levi, who is running for county executive — should go to Bowie City Councilwoman Geraldine Valentino-Smith because, as a former nurse and lawyer, she has the most elected government experience and knows best how to get things done in Annapolis due to her experience as a health care advocate.

Of the other five contenders, Nicole Williams of Lanham and Lisa Ransom of Bowie are strong contenders, but lack Valentino-Smith's legislative experience.

District 23B, Delegate

Constituent area includes southern Bowie and surrounding unincorporated areas.

Incumbent Marvin E. Holmes Jr. of Kettering has long pushed for development around Metrorail stations and filed legislation in 2008 to create a task force to bring the first state agency to Prince George's County, which contributed to the governor's recent decision to move the Department of Housing and Community Development from Anne Arundel County to Prince George's. Holmes, who has 35 years of private-sector experience working in housing and development, also plans a continued focus on bullying prevention and addressing the problem of repeat drunken drivers.

His challenger, Robin Breedon of Bowie, a part-time professor and former radio host, lacks the legislative experience and solutions needed.

District 24, Senate

Constituent area includes Capitol Heights, Fairmount Heights, Glenarden and Seat Pleasant.

Del. Joanne Benson of Landover has a long history of strong service and deserves to be elected state senator. Her achievements include strengthening laws to prevent children from buying tobacco products, and, just as important, there have been no red flags about her ethical judgment.

Incumbent Nathaniel Exum of Capitol Heights, on the other hand, continues to make upsetting decisions, such as his effort to repeal campaign ethics laws that prevent developers from contributing directly to County Council candidates. In a county where rumors about pay-to-play business deals are rampant, ethics laws should not be weakened.

Both candidates have similar plans, but diverge on a solution for the Prince George's County Hospital Center, which has suffered financially due to a large number of uninsured patients. Exum wants to close the hospital, rebuild a smaller version and work on getting federally supported health clinics. Benson advocates making the center a teaching hospital to lower costs by making use of younger doctors and interns.

Both candidates have strong ideas, but Benson has been an effective lawmaker and brings a much-needed clean slate for the district.

District 24, Delegate

Constituent area includes Capitol Heights, Fairmount Heights, Glenarden and Seat Pleasant.

Benson's decision to run for the state Senate created an opening in this race, and highly qualified candidates stepped forward, with 10 people running for the three available seats.

Incumbents Carolyn J.B. Howard and Michael L. Vaughn of Mitchellville deserve re-election, with newcomer Tiffany Alston joining the team.

Howard of Mitchellville has done significant work to help homeowners facing foreclosure and has been an advocate in trying to protect consumer's personal information. Vaughn has been an advocate for minority-owned businesses and a watchdog on the housing industry.

Alston of Mitchellville wants to ensure the county gets a fair share of educational funding and plans to use her experience as a real-estate attorney to assist in housing issues.

District 25, Delegate

Constituent area includes District Heights and Morningside.

The incumbents — Aisha Braveboy, Derrick E. Davis and Melony Griffith — are the right choices to represent the district.

They have all been effective and support more public transportation options, specifically the Purple Line, and helping homeowners in foreclosure.

Mitchellville resident Davis, the chairman of the Economic Matters Committee, wants to devise a state energy policy and better inform residents of available electricity suppliers. Braveboy of Mitchellville has co-sponsored legislation to help homeowners in foreclosure and secured funds to improve the Largo High School track. Griffith of Upper Marlboro advocated for a change in the state's real taxable income calculation, which gave Prince George's County $18 million in aid.

Challengers Michelle Wright, Erek Barron, Antonio Faunteroy and Davion Percy lack the necessary experience.

District 26, Senate

Constituent area includes Forest Heights, Fort Washington and Oxon Hill.

With one Senate term under his belt on the Judicial Proceedings Committee and a previous term as a delegate for the district, incumbent C. Anthony Muse of Fort Washington has been effective at bringing in money for south county road improvements and deserves to be re-elected.

For his next term, he has set his sights on economic development by securing funding for the county's economic development corporation, which works to attract and support businesses.

Muse lacks signature legislation from his first term, but has the experience and strategy in place to continue to make gains for his district.

Albert Chatmon, who lives in Fort Washington and owns an insurance company, has a commendable commitment to youth service and outreach, but lacks leadership experience and concrete plans.

District 26, Delegate

Constituent area includes Forest Heights, Fort Washington and Oxon Hill.

Voters choose three representatives in District 26. Two of the three incumbents — Veronica Turner and Jay Walker — have strong advocacy records and should remain in office.

Turner of Camp Springs has advocated for seniors and minority businesses, and is known for her vote-garnering ability. Walker of Fort Washington has focused greatly on schools, such as helping pass a bill that mandates physical education classes in elementary schools.

Incumbent Kris Valderrama of Fort Washington has been weak in the General Assembly, constituent services and community engagement. Newcomer Sidney Gibson of Fort Washington has a strong business strategy that includes a focus on capturing the economic benefits of Base Realignment and Closure changes, and better oversight of programs that impact minority-owned and small businesses. Gibson, who has served on the county's Business-Education Alliance and as president of the South County Economic Development Association, deserves the third seat.

District 27A, Delegate

Constituent area includes Accokeek, Brandywine, Clinton and Eagle Harbor.

Incumbents James E. Proctor Jr. of Accokeek and Joseph F. Vallario Jr. of Upper Marlboro deserve re-election to the two District 27A seats.

Proctor, vice chairman of the House's Appropriations Committee and a former county principal, has a solid record of securing funding for the district's schools and is an important advocate for south county resources.

Vallario, who has served nine terms and chairs the Judiciary Committee, has been a valuable sponsor of victims' rights legislation and better rehabilitation of offenders. He must beware of resting on his laurels, however. His planning for the district is weak and his work as a defense attorney raises conflict-of-interest concerns, illuminated by his opposition to proposed stricter penalties for child sex offenders and drunk drivers.

Percel Alston — a former county police officer, co-chairman of the legislative committee for the Maryland State Lodge Fraternal Order of Police and former president of the county FOP Lodge 89 — has solid plans to address public safety, possesses legislative experience and is a good contender for the seat.

However, Vallario's experience and effectiveness give him an edge over Alston.

Republican challengers Mike Hethmon and Antoinette "Toni" Jarboe-Duley are unopposed in their primary and will automatically move on to the general election.

District 47, Senate

Constituent area includes Bladensburg, Cheverly, Colmar Manor, Landover Hills and Mount Rainier.

Since being appointed in 2008 to replace the late Gwendolyn Britt, incumbent David Harrington has been an effective legislator, getting 10 of his 20 sponsored bills passed ranging from environmental issues, education, health care and preventing human trafficking.

His top challenger in the Senate race, Dist. 47 Del. Victor Ramirez, chairman of the county's law enforcement subcommittee, has been effective but on a smaller scale, sponsoring financial aid for community college students and co-sponsoring legislation supporting domestic violence victims and protecting homeowners facing foreclosure.

Both have strong ideas, but Harrington's career continues to stumble over ethical concerns. Last month, he was criticized for providing incorrect and incomplete information on financial disclosure forms. Four years ago, while serving on the County Council, he came under fire for using county-issued credit cards from 2002 and 2006 for personal items and failing to reimburse the county in a timely manner. He paid for the items after the controversy was covered in the media.

Given the negative reputation overshadowing Prince George's politics, Ramirez gets the nod over Harrington. Although Ramirez has not been as accomplished, he remains an effective lawmaker with a clean record.

District 47, Delegate

Constituent area includes Bladensburg, Cheverly, Colmar Manor, Landover Hills and Mount Rainier.

Voters choose three representatives in this district, and incumbents Jolene Ivey of Cheverly and Doyle Niemann of Mount Rainier should definitely return for another term. The third incumbent, Victor Ramirez, is running for the district's Senate seat.

Ivey, a Realtor, has advocated for better services for seniors and domestic violence victims. Niemann, an assistant state's attorney, successfully sponsored legislation that provides homeowners at risk of foreclosure with a mediation option, and he continues to push for road funds for municipalities.

Of the eight other challengers, newcomer Wanda Shelton Martin of Lanham has the strongest grasp of the issues and deserves the seat. The program coordinator for the Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit Wider Opportunities for Women has worked with unions and the U.S. Department of Labor to provide job training for women. She favors raising the tax on alcohol and tobacco, better monitoring of developers and improved vocational training.