Susan Fagan and Pat Hailey have crisscrossed the wheat fields of the 9th District in recent months, talking to constituents, rallying support and trying to highlight their differences.

After all of that campaigning, the differences remain a mystery. Because an inch of daylight does not appear to exist between them, The Daily Evergreen declines to endorse either candidate.

However, we would like the winner of the November election – whomever it may be – to remember one of the district’s most underrepresented voting blocs: the students of WSU.

Because many students are registered in their home district, the full voice of the student populace is often muffled. Once elected, a 9th District representative could easily ignore the students’ marginalized and apathetic voice. They could cast votes undermining higher education and not have to face the students who are most affected. This is especially troubling because the state Legislature will soon begin drafting a new budget for the 2011-2013 biennium. If the cuts of the previous budget are expanded, Washington schools will once again be forced to do more with less – a sacrifice they should not have to bear again.

What’s good for WSU is good for Washington. WSU helps turn out the next generation of builders, thinkers and leaders for this state, and handicapping this institution sets the state up for failure.

Both candidates tout themselves as “fiscally responsible,” which is a charming and antiquated statement. However, when “fiscal responsibility” gets in the way of education funding, it is not very responsible. Espousing tired political rhetoric like this helps politicians get elected in the conservative communities of Eastern Washington, but it does not dictate their actions in Olympia. Students should demand reassurance from their elected leaders that their education remains protected.

The students who descend on Pullman every fall help make the 9th District what it is. Merely representing the agricultural interests of this community is a disservice to the estimated 17,753 students of the Pullman campus. The 9th District representatives are elected to act on behalf of the students of WSU, as well as the agricultural and business interests of the region.

Students who are registered to vote in the 9th District should go to the polls on Nov. 2 and cast their ballot for the candidate who will keep our interests at heart. If you are not registered to vote in Washington, you can still register in person by Oct. 25 at the County Elections Office in Colfax.

No matter who wins, the 9th District’s new representative can expect the students of WSU to commend them when education is treated like a priority and to denounce them when education is neglected.