Judy Peavey-Derr’s impressive public service resume includes time on the Ada County commission, the Ada County Highway District commission and, currently, the Greater Boise Auditorium District board.

It gives her results-oriented experience that not even 10-year Senate veteran Elliot Werk can match. Peavey-Derr gets our endorsement.

Werk is well versed on the key issues facing the Legislature, and the Democratic incumbent deserves credit as an early backer of a ban on texting while driving. But Peavey-Derr would bring a pragmatic voice to the GOP caucus on some key issues. She’s concerned about higher education, willing to re-examine sales tax exemptions, open to local-option taxes and flatly opposed to requiring women to undergo an ultrasound prior to an abortion.

Peavey-Derr also says, correctly, that local government needs a stronger voice on legislative issues. And she has the background to make this happen.

JOHN GANNON, SUE CHEW

In two low-key House races, we’ll give the edge to Democrats with legislative experience.

John Gannon, who served in the House from 1990 to 1992, came across in his editorial board interview as a strong advocate for local school board autonomy and tighter ethics rules. Rep. Sue Chew, a six-year incumbent, is among the most soft-spoken members of the Legislature, but she has a solid command of health and welfare issues, and is working on strengthening Idaho’s anti-bullying law, an effort that stalled in the House in 2012.

“Our View” is the editorial position of the Idaho Statesman. It is an unsigned opinion expressing the consensus of the Statesman’s editorial board.