Though incumbent state Assemblyman George Plescia may be heavily favored to win the historically Republican 75th District’s vote, Democratic challenger Karen Heumann is more worthy of the position.

Heumann, a self-proclaimed moderate and the more mainstream candidate of the two, is running on a platform centered on increasing funding for education, exploring possible transportation alternatives and ensuring environmental protection.

While all of these issues are important to the district, her progressive stance on education in particular is most encouraging. With an “education is our future” mentality, Heumann fully recognizes the growing trend of cutting funding for education to provide for other programs in the state budget, and has proposed numerous plans to increase state revenue so as to lessen the blow of the budget cuts to university campuses across the state.

With four children in the public school system, Heumann has a vested interest in making sure that education becomes a top priority for the legislature. Plescia, on the other hand, proposed a bill that would have reduced the funding education receives from lottery revenues by 10 percent, a ludicrous proposition when the educational system finds itself in increasingly difficult financial times.

In addition, Heumann, a small-business owner, will be a valuable and unique voice in the legislature to improve California’s small-business economy. Her goals of reforming business regulations and establishing incentives for job creation are sensible and can only help the state.

Heumann is endorsed by the Sierra Club, the California School Employees Association and the California Nurses Association, among others. Vote Karen Heumann for the 75th state Assembly District — up against an incumbent in a historically conservative district, she’s going to need all the help she can get.