Second District Democrats are fortunate to have candidates who are strong on the economy or with labor, on women’s rights and civil rights, on the complex issue of health care and the simple injustice of underfunding education. And they are especially fortunate to have a candidate who is strong on all these issues. Sean Faircloth has served Maine and his community extraordinarily well while also serving Democratic ideals that have fired his campaign for Congress and made him his party’s best choice on June 11.

Like three of his fellow candidates, Mr. Faircloth has experience in the Legislature, where he served in both the House and Senate. And like two candidates, he has economic-development experience in devising, rallying community support and finding the funds for the Maine Discovery Museum – a grass-roots success that was not possible without his energy and dedication. His legislative success with the R&D Tax Credit, for Maine companies investing in research and development, and the Healthy Start bill, his work on bills to protect the environment, women’s rights and workers’ rights and his support for teachers and labor give him a broad constituency and give voters a clear sense of where he stands on the issues.

A gifted speaker, Mr. Faircloth brings excitement to politics and leaves no doubt of what he expects from his party. At the Democratic convention last weekend, he said, “The American Revolution did not end in the days of the founding fathers. Our enduring revolution is dedicated to the ideal that walls of injustice must be broken down; it is the mission of Democrats to face each wall of injustice and break down each wall. … Democrats, when at our best, lead the revolution.”

The Democratic primary race is especially close this year, in part because of the high quality of the candidates. State Senate President Pro Tem Mike Michaud brings not only the support of labor, but long experience in the Legislature, where he is a respected leader. State Sen. Susan Longley has campaigned on the desperate need to reform the nation’s health care system, a belief that reflects her successful work as a lawmaker. State Sen. John Nutting’s work on reshaping the state’s school-funding system deserves praise from the rural districts that were especially helped. David Costello, who has experience in state government and in international development, showed skill in pressing the party to adopt a single-payer health system to its platform.

But the surprise of the race has been Lori Handrahan, the youngest of the group but who also has experience in international development. She has run a smart, spirited campaign with the clear-eyed wonder only possible for a person who has left a place and then returned to find it much worse off than remembered. In addition to a doctorate from the London School of Economics, Ms. Handrahan has experience in Washington, where she has worked in the fields of human rights, women’s rights and reform of U.S. foreign assistance. She could be an important part of the future of the Maine Democratic Party.

Sean Faircloth’s achievements and his ideals make him the party’s strongest choice now. Democrats would do well to choose him in the primary.