Thanks to a mid-session resignation, voters in South Portland, Cape Elizabeth and Scarborough have the chance to go back to the polls and vote, just nine months after the last general election.

The job they will fill on May 10 in state Senate District 7 is far different from the one they filled in November. Instead of electing a state senator with time to develop an agenda, they will be electing someone who will have to take tough votes and broker hard compromises on dozens of important issues right away.

The clear choice for voters who are looking for someone who can step in and represent their interests is current state Rep. Cynthia Dill, a Democrat from Cape Elizabeth. Dill is a three-term incumbent in the House, who has at times grabbed headlines for her clearly articulated and outspoken views. What gets less attention is her solid work on a range of legislation, including her effort to bring high-speed Internet to unserved areas of the state.

If elected to the state Senate, Dill would bring a wealth of experience to the job and would not need to be schooled on the finer points of the issues that will be coming her way for votes — not in a few weeks but on the first day after being sworn in. The same cannot be said for her opponent, former state representative and South Portland City Councilor Louis Maietta.

Maietta served at the State House in 2003 and 2004, but readily admits that he is not up to speed on some of the nuances of fast-moving legislation.

Dill is, and would be ready to represent the interests of her district from Day One. She should be given the chance to do so.

 


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