During his four terms representing Maine’s 1st Congressional District, Tom Allen has demonstrated the ability to stick with an issue and to bring about small changes when giant steps fail. He has been tireless in his determination to make prescription drugs more affordable and to clean up the air that Mainers breathe. He should return to Washington to complete this and other work.

Last year, Congress passed a far from perfect Medicare reform bill. Working with others, Rep. Allen immediately set about fixing the deficiencies. He has sponsored legislation that would simplify the current Medicare drug card program, which immediately confused seniors with its myriad of choices and contingencies. He would also rewrite the drug law to allow the importation of drugs from other countries and would permit the government to negotiate lower prices.

Rep. Allen has worked for years to change laws allowing old power plants and factories in other parts of the country to continue to operate well beyond their expected life spans without installing new pollution-control equipment, sending air laden with mercury and other pollutants to Maine. Through his efforts, support for such measures has increased among both Republicans and Democrats. He has also helped to secure funding for land conservation projects in Maine despite stiff opposition from his Republican colleagues.

Though supporting the No Child Left Behind Act, he was instrumental in adding provisions that took into account the needs of small, rural states such as Maine. He has worked to spur job growth in Maine by gaining federal support for research and development projects, especially in the realm of biomedical and marine research. He has also worked to lower health care costs, in part because rapidly increasing costs have put a brake on business growth.

If there is one area where constituents would question the Portland Democrat, it is in his decision to give up a seat on the House Armed Services Committee. Keeping the seat would have given him a stronger voice in impending base-closure decisions and in directing defense dollars to Maine.

His challenger, Republican Charlie Summers, has made this decision the primary reason for unseating Rep. Allen. It does not rise to that level.

Mr. Summers’ views on social issues such as abortion and stem cell research are moderate and mirror those of most southern Maine residents (as well as Rep. Allen’s). But, he strongly supports the Republican push to make all the Bush administration’s tax cuts permanent and to increase defense spending despite a growing deficit.

Rep. Allen, who sponsored a thoughtful alternate resolution on Iraq that would have allowed weapons inspectors more time there, will continue to provide a moderate voice to counter the rightward tilt of the House of Representatives.