Nonetheless, The Salt Lake Tribune Editorial Board believes Davis's two terms in the Senate and his track record give him a slight edge over his challenger.

Oliver, a former teacher and administrator who has returned to the classroom to act as a mentor, naturally is concerned about crowded classrooms and the state's failure to have a long-range plan to fund education.

For that reason, she is troubled by a recent income-tax cut, although she likes the concept of a flat tax. She also would vote against vouchers. She helped establish a charter school that was initiated by the juvenile justice system but believes some charters need more oversight.

Oliver, 66, would support a partnership between schools and the juvenile justice system to keep children out of trouble. She believes volunteers are vital in crime prevention programs; she has volunteered at Decker Lake youth detention center for five years.

Davis, too, opposes vouchers, and he would support the Jones/Mascaro legislation to help fund education by eliminating tax breaks for large families.

He agrees with Oliver that services for the elderly must be protected. He has sponsored bills to give property tax relief to seniors and serves on the Legislature's Committee on Aging. That is important in District 3, which has the oldest population in the state, outside of St. George.

Davis, 61, believes the Legislature micromanages and underfunds schools and does not respect the expertise of educators. He opposed the income-tax cut and dual income-tax system and does not support a flat tax. He sees a fully funded education system as a better economic development tool than a tax cut.

A public-information officer for Valley Mental Health, Davis has supported a health insurance pool for the uninsured and opposed cutting Medicaid vision and dental benefits for the poor, disabled and elderly.

Although Oliver has much to recommend her, we would return Davis to his Senate seat.

* SENATE DISTRICT 3 comprises parts of South Salt Lake, Murray and Midvale and small sections of Holladay and Salt Lake City.