Rich Murray wants your vote, and we think you should give it to him.

The Republican Party sure has brought forth a fine slate of candidates for House and Senate seats in southern Minnesota Of them, Murray is the most engaging and has the business skills we feel are needed to represent House District 27A.

The incumbent, Robin Brown, does an excellent job with constituent services and connecting with local leaders, but from seeing how Murray has door-knocked as much as Brown has and has campaigned as much as she has, it is clear Albert Lea will get someone who works just as hard as Brown has — and yet lives in Albert Lea.

In fact, Murray has lived in Albert Lea all his life except during his time in the U.S. Army. He is a veteran.

Brown is a member of the teachers’ union. In the next two or four years, this state and its teachers union will need to craft better ways to approach education funding. Brown has many good ideas, yes, but can be limited by her loyalty to the union. Murray can see those new ways to reform education and has more knowledge of the subject than we imagined. He takes clear stances. He has sensible answers.

Murray is not going to toe any party’s line. He is not Tom Emmer. Murray will fight for the local government aid that is seriously needed in Greater Minnesota.

Murray, a financial adviser, understands the economy on local, regional and worldwide scales. He will fight for jobs and understands the importance of incentives to attracting companies to Greater Minnesota. More importantly, he understands that fostering the growth of existing companies will bring jobs, too.

Yet he argues the importance of quality of life to grow those small businesses — funding social services, early childhood education, roads, bridges and trails.

It is refreshing to see a candidate who comes across as bipartisan, in the way that Republican Dan Dorman did.

Vote for Murray when you go to the polls Tuesday.