We feel confident in endorsing two of the three candidates in the House District 27A race.

Incumbent state Rep. Shannon Savick has proven an ability to have clout within her party and draw funding requests and pilot programs she champions. She is from Wells but has made connections in Albert Lea and has been highly visible in the district’s largest city. Meanwhile, the Republicans have put forth a viable, knowledgable candidate in Peggy Bennett, an Albert Lea teacher. She, too, has been all over the place, is easily approachable and is respected within her party.

Independence Party candidate Tom Price has been noticeably absent from key debates. We realize he lives near Alden and drives to St. Paul for employment, but having time off near elections is crucial for letting the voters gather key information before making choices in the voting booth.

Therefore, and to be clear, the Tribune endorses Savick and Bennett but not Price.

Often with endorsements, the Editorial Board not only makes an attempt to find why people should vote for candidates but we also seek to discover why they should not vote for the candidates. We mull the issues but also the personalities, their history in the community, their experience, their motives and, to a degree, the leanings of our readers.

In this case, we have the rare situation where we find no reason for readers to vote against either candidate. We find they are both quite qualified, likeable, open-minded and talented. They are both good listeners, too.

We find the primary reason people should vote in this race is based on their specific political preference. If a voter favors DFL Party stances, vote for Savick. If a voter favors Republican Party stances, vote for Bennett. There are a few areas where they buck their party view, but, in general, it’s that kind of a party-divided race.

It’s quite likely Gov. Mark Dayton will win a second term. What’s unknown is whether the DFL Party will return its narrow majority in the Minnesota House of Representatives. District 27A is yet again one of those districts on the partisan teeter-totter and could fall either direction, which is why there has been so much outside spending by both parties.

District 27A voters would have to look at their decision not merely based on the skill, experience, viewpoints and personalities of the candidates but whether they feel the DFL should have a majority in the House or whether the Republicans should take control. Their vote could be crucial in deciding that.

It’s also a factor in whether District 27A wants a candidate of the same party as the governor or one who is the opposing party. Voters will have to ask themselves: Which way would serve the district best?

The Tribune Editorial Board does not favor Republicans or Democrats. Naturally, we make our endorsement decisions on nonpartisan factors.

As such, we put our mark behind Savick and Bennett and leave the true endorsement to the voters. We urge voting-age resident to get to the polls on Nov. 4.