With two very qualified candidates vying to fill Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata's termed-out seat, either former Assemblymember Wilma Chan or Assemblymember Loni Hancock would make an effective representative for the Ninth District. Both tout an impressive record of experience in the capitol, but the choice boils down to addressing the issues directly and getting things done-both of which Chan has demonstrated.

Before her term was up in the Assembly in 2006, Chan proved her ambition and leadership ability in the legislature. Not only was she the first woman and the first Asian American to serve as Assembly Majority Leader, Chan also had more than 40 of her bills successfully pass.

But it's not all about quantity, it's also about quality. Undaunted by uncharted territory, she debuted legislation to cut dangerous levels of lead in faucets, an issue that merits attention but had not been seriously considered before. Yet she remained cognizant of top concerns in voters' minds. Notable accomplishments in those areas include starting a lobbying effort to expand preschool funding by $100 million and introducing legislation to provide health care to 800,000 uninsured children.

When asked about Chan's impressive performance in the assembly, Hancock claimed that the success of a legislator is not entirely dependent on ability to pass legislation and that Chan's legislation mainly concentrated in limited areas. Though this point is valid, Chan's focus on tackling priority issues, such as healthcare, education, and the environment, illustrates her understanding of the urgent problems California faces. A few of her bills may merely be community morale boosters (e.g. School Nurse Day), but her record of legislation that was signed into law still overwhelms that of her opponent in these crucial areas.

Hancock presents herself as a comparable challenger for Chan. Hancock's history of service to Berkeley should not go unrecognized, having served as the city's first woman mayor. Currently, she represents its residents in the Assembly. We can count on Hancock to persistently stand for the right causes, whether it's staunchly fighting against the installation of 5,000 slot machines in San Pablo or championing the integrity of the democratic process through campaign finance reforms. Her positions as the regional director of the Department of Education in the Clinton administration and the Chair of the Assembly Natural Resources Committee could also help her tackle two issues that matter to her the most: education funding and environment.

But her proposals for various cross-district improvements, from the lack of jobs to preparing the next generation for the future, lack specificity and mostly revolve around the umbrella term "green economy." While environmental friendliness is key in light of the global warming crisis we face today, there are other equally substantive issues at stake.

Hancock also repeatedly mentioned the key endorsements she's garnered as a one of the major factors that sets her apart from Chan. While a vote of confidence from other trusted officials and organizations does carry significant weight, a candidate should be judged on past achievements.

This is where Chan's viscerally tangible actions warrants more credit, as she is able to cite more specific instances of her contributions to the state. For example, when asked about how she combated rising higher education fees, Chan mentioned holding up the budget and refusing to approve it until the legislators were heard.

Chan has other feasible plans for countering cuts made to the UC system. She delved into other sources of the problem, calling for audits of the Cal grants program and of administrative practices beyond the no-brainer tax reform that we can only hope would allocate more funding to education, which is the most common solution mentioned by the other candidates. We can expect Chan to extrapolate these practical approaches beyond the scope of education in order to address the immediacy of a range of issues.

Expanded resources for pushing more effective bills accompany a position in the senate, an asset that can best be maximized with Chan's drive and progressive mindset. Vote for Wilma Chan for State Senate.