Sinclair would present a credible challenge

The Republican battle to challenge Democratic U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen in November includes a traditional candidate and one billing himself as a “new Republican.”

Island County Auditor Suzanne Sinclair is the former – experienced as an office holder and political activist, reciting a mostly party line. Larry Klepinger, a Bellingham real estate agent and former educator, is the latter, offering a host of out-of-the-box ideas.

Our recommendation comes down to polish and a track record in public office. In both, the edge goes to Sinclair.

She is well-versed in the wide range of national and international issues Congress wrestles with, and favors a return to the fiscal conservatism that seems to have been lost by the GOP. Her manner is direct and confident, and she would be a credible challenger to Larsen.

While she mostly follows the standard GOP talking points, she does favor tweaking the Patriot Act to better ensure unwarranted invasions of privacy, and is critical of the Bush administration’s lack of preparation for the aftermath of the Iraq invasion. She understands that one of the keys to fighting terrorism is building stronger relationships in the Middle East.

Klepinger, too, is an interesting and seemingly capable candidate. His ideas challenge conventional GOP thinking: He supports eliminating income taxes on active-duty military personnel and businesses that make less than $10 million annually, putting a 1-2 percent tax on consumer goods or cutting foreign aid to fund health care needs at home, and moving the United Nations to Africa where he says it could better focus on international health issues.

Trouble is, many of Klepinger’s bolder ideas seem unlikely to gain traction in Washington, D.C. The priorities of most 2nd District Republicans probably are better represented by Sinclair.

A third candidate, Glenn Coggeshell of Camano Island, has no public-office experience and doesn’t appear to have the temperament to serve effectively in Congress.