Burlington’s state congressional election this year has turned out to be a much more exciting and contentious election than usual.Pitted against one another in the Chittenden 3-4 district that includes UVM’s campus are Progressives Chris Pearson and David Zuckerman and Democrat and former president of the UVM student body, Kesha Ram. The narrative of this election has pitted the Progressives as a block versus Kesha. Campaigning together, Pearson and Zuckerman have effectively painted the terms of the voters’ support as favoring the Progressives as a team or Kesha alone and in opposition. But this is not necessarily the decision voters are forced to make. For one, there will necessarily be two slots filled in this election, so if Kesha wins, she will serve with either Pearson or Zuckerman. Each candidate is running, technically, on his/her own and it is possible to support any combination of the three candidates. With this thinking in mind, The Cynic has chosen to support a ticket consisting of Kesha Ram and David Zuckerman. Because there are very little, if any, policy differences that these candidates share, we have concluded that a Zuckerman/Ram representation will bring the best mix of character into representation. As a long-time member of the senate, Zuckerman has a proven record of positive experience under his belt – having played the role of driving many exciting policies by leveraging his unique position as a third party candidate with the ability to tip close votes for or against either major party. Zuckerman also has shown a dedication to local politics and industry as a committed member of the Vermont legislature and an organic vegetable farmer. In many ways he represents what many have come to view as an ideal of Vermont citizenship.Kesha, on the other hand, more directly represents the student population here, and has a record of tenaciously fighting for principles of social justice. Deciding who to endorse was certainly not an easy choice, however. We do think that maintaining a third-party presence in the state is an important step for democracy, and we maintain doubts about Kesha’s ability to maintain her independence when caught in the workings of a major, national political machine.Furthermore, some of her past dealings with The Cynic in her capacity as SGA President make us wonder about her ability to restrain herself from abusing official powers. Nevertheless, we believe in her potential and feel strongly enough to break up the Progressive team of Zuckerman and Pearson to get Kesha’s voice into the state house.If she proves to be successful in this arena, it is possible that we may provide a stepping-stone to greater office for a woman who will almost certainly continue to fight for the kinds of liberal causes that are supported nearly universally in this community.