It looks as if we'll have lively races, maybe even tight ones, in three of the big contests in our area in November: the re-election bids of Rep. Tim Bishop, Sen. Ken LaValle and now, Assemblyman Marc Alessi.
What a refreshing turn of events it will be from the past several years, when local candidates frequently faced weak opponents or no opponent at all. A national sense that incumbents are vulnerable seems to have re-energized local parties, which appear determined to make every race a close one.
Perhaps there's no bigger sign of the times than the early, aggressive campaign New Suffolk resident Regina Calcaterra is waging against veteran Sen. LaValle (R-Port Jefferson). Two years ago, Suffolk Democrats didn't even run a candidate against Mr. LaValle, choosing instead to devote virtually all of their resources to getting Brian Foley elected on the South Shore.
Now they're running a viable candidate who's been determined to get her name and platform out there. She has not been afraid to speak out on hot-button issues, even when her opinion isn't wildly popular -- such as her eagerness to condemn Mr. LaValle, who's been in office since the 1970s, for his vote against gay marriage.
Mr. Bishop (D-Southampton), meanwhile, has been targeted by a Republican National Committee that sees him as vulnerable for a change. Conservative groups have helped put Mr. Bishop on the defensive, crashing his events and making their voices heard. Among them are local tea-partyers featured in our story on page 3. Throw into the mix a slew of Republicans looking to run against him, including the grandson of former President Richard Nixon, and it seems Mr. Bishop will have his hands full this year.
The latest development is a GOP push to have Dan Losquadro, the county Legislature minority leader, square off against state Assemblyman Marc Alessi (D-Shoreham). Although it's not the first time his party has courted him for the race, we wouldn't be surprised to see Mr. Losquadro -- who has another year left in his term -- take party leaders up on the offer this time. If the 2009 elections are any indication, it's not a bad time to be a Republican on the ballot.
It's no knock against any of the three men hoping to keep their seats this year. Each has been endorsed by this newspaper in the past. But it's good to see them get some competition.
When voters go to the polls on Election Day, they deserve a real choice. It's looking as if this is the year we'll have choices across the board.