Rep. Tom Saviello, U-Wilton, likes nothing more than to get in his pickup truck and tool around his district. That district, encompassing some of the most economically distressed towns in the state, is badly in need of help, from economic development to social services. There are unemployed people in the district, working people whose low wages don't pay the bills, elderly citizens who can't afford prescriptions as well as food, children who can't learn because they are too hungry. Saviello, it seems, knows almost all of them.

For three terms, Saviello (who began his tenure as a Democrat) has represented well the generally conservative, rural values of his community. He has been re-elected by large margins and, while his unenrollment as a Democrat has tempered his power in the Statehouse, he nevertheless played a key role among rural caucus members in opposing the school consolidation mandate.

While we don't agree with his opposition to consolidation, his district faces distinct challenges in making it work. And his interest in education extends to the crucially important role community colleges can play in helping shift local economies to be more responsive to current labor demands. Saviello says that if re-elected, he plans to continue efforts to help his constituents become the kind of educated workforce the economy now demands.

Saviello's challenger, Democrat Maxine Collins, declined to be interviewed by this editorial board in a joint meeting with Saviello. So we don't know how she stands up next to the guy she's trying to defeat. We do know that, from her answers to questions on the Project Vote Smart Web site, she's a fairly typical mainstream Democrat who's not averse to raising taxes.

Tom Saviello has done a good job representing his district. We endorse his re-election to the Maine House of Representatives.