Come Nov. 3, Whitman County 9th District voters will have a decision to make.

Candidates for the House of Representatives open seat have different backgrounds. They also bring different experiences to the table, but their longtime residence in the 9th District and nearly identical ideologies on hot political issues have some voters perplexed.

In the approaching Whitman County General Election, Republican Candidates Susan Fagan and Pat Hailey have similar ideologies that surround Olympia. These include agriculture, the economic climate, health care and education.

Fagan said experience sets herself and Hailey apart.

“I drove a combine when I had to,” she said. “I drove trucks, I bailed hay, ran for parts, worked with bankers. I worked with the U.S. Senate for 15 years and for the last 10 years for Schweitzer Engineering (Laboratories).” Though Hailey acknowledged the political ideologies of herself and Fagan are quite similar, she said there is no replacement for her experience in the education field.

“Experience and knowledge are important,” Hailey said. “I own a farm in the 9th District, and I’ve worked in education – there’s no substitute for that. I’m a business owner, an employer, and I deal with regulations, fees, taxes and rules every day.” With the economy struggling, the financial climate remains on the forefront of political agendas.

“The economic climate has an impact on every student at WSU and residents in Pullman,” Hailey said. “It will be my highest priority. As we bring health care back to Olympia, it would be to allow people to have more choice.” Fagan said spending more than Washington state has is one reason for the economic crisis.

“We need to live within our means,” she said. “We don’t need to spend more than we have. We need to save money for a rainy day.” Fagan also said the government can’t fix the problem. She believes private enterprises can fix the problems by increasing jobs.

Education is another hot topic in Olympia, especially since the budget restrictions. Hailey, who has worked in the North Franklin School District for 10 years, characterized education as a top priority.

“The No. 1 issue this year is the budget,” she said. “I’m used to dealing with budgets. I deal with them every day. I’ve dealt with education funding as well.” Hailey also said education funding will directly impact WSU. The government obtains funding for education through taxes. To fund WSU properly, the economy must be fixed first, she said.

Another major issue in Washington state is health care, Fagan said.

She said half of the uninsured people in the state are 19 to 34, and the policy has 53 mandates which means there is a lack of coverage.

“People (ages) 19 to 34 don’t need the same coverage that I have,” Fagan said. “They need coverage to protect them from accidents like skiing or snowboarding. They need insurance that addresses those.” Also, Fagan said she was encouraged this past year after seeing how much cooperation there has been between the Democrats and Republicans.

Whitman County voters will decide Tuesday on the candidate they feel is best to represent them by an all-county, mail-in ballot voting election.