This editorial appears in the Oct. 13, 2009, Yakima Herald-Republic.

The race between incumbent Micah Cawley and Mary Place for a seat on the Yakima City Council is unusual for this fact: Neither has ever lost.

On Nov. 3, that will change.

Place first ran for office in 1997 and even held the ceremonial post of mayor. But in 2005, she decided against seeking re-election and devoted her time to caring for her son, Chris, who was battling a rare form of skin cancer. Chris died in February 2008, leaving behind a wife and two children.

Though still grieving for the loss of her son, Place said recently in an interview with this newspaper that it was time for her to move on with her life. That's why she decided to run again.

The two-term councilwoman knows many of the issues still facing the city -- from gang violence to the need for creating new jobs. She also knows the pitfalls of seeking new economic developments for the city after her experiences with the massive legal costs associated with locating a Walmart superstore in Yakima's West Valley.

The 66-year-old Place is also conversant on infrastructure needs for Yakima and the surrounding community, including the proposed transportation projects set for Interstate 82 and Terrace Heights. She even expressed a desire to bring the likes of Microsoft to the Yakima Valley. That's a wish few wouldn't want to come true.

But in terms of building a compelling argument for her return to public office, Place brings few fresh ideas to the table. While Cawley still has to iron out a few wrinkles in his council-performance portfolio, we see no reason to send the one-term councilman packing.

There is something about Cawley that we like. He expresses himself well even when he is confronted with apparent contradictions in his votes -- he recently advocated for tougher city code enforcement of dilapidated homes but argued against getting tough on homeowners who park multiple vehicles in their front lawns. He defended the parking-in-the-front-lawn vote by saying many residents are afraid to leave their cars in the streets for fear of vandalism. Not the most persuasive argument, but one that merits consideration.

And his stance on considering tougher code enforcement does speak to Cawley's track record of questioning city staff members about how they perform their jobs.

The 25-year-old Cawley has also shown an independent streak when it comes to a much-maligned regional aquatic center (he favors it) and for being the deciding vote in appointing the council's first Hispanic member earlier this year.

We also find his support of law enforcement steady and supple -- Cawley says he helped to add seven new police officers to the force when funds were freed up after the regional library broke away from the city. Even in the face of heated criticism leveled at police Chief Sam Granato, Cawley has been unflagging in his support for the chief. Cawley said the decline in the rate of major crimes in the city speaks well of Granato and his handling of the department.

Cawley does bring a refreshing and sometimes provocative voice to the council. We support his bid for re-election and urge voters in Yakima to do likewise.

* Members of the Yakima Herald-Republic editorial board are Michael Shepard, Barbara Serrano, Spencer Hatton and Karen Troianello.