In 2002, when Rep. Tom Stevenson last had a challenge on Election Day, the Post-Gazette said in endorsing him that he was "a seasoned, diligent and reasonable Republican. ..." Unfortunately, that seasoning has come more to resemble the coloration of a career politician, as the unreasonable events of July 7 last year showed.

Mr. Stevenson voted that day for the notorious legislative pay raise. Although he ended up not taking the raise, and co-sponsored the bill to rescind it, his objection was really about process and legality. He did not like the way he was treated in his party caucus and felt he was misled by the leadership's claim that unvouchered expenses were constitutional.

But, tellingly, he did not object to the pay raise itself. He thought the amount was fair because it was pegged at half of a congressman's salary. That lack of empathy for the public's outrage makes his subsequent embrace of reform, as put forward by the Jefferson Reform Movement in the state House, all the more unconvincing.

In his five terms in Harrisburg, Mr. Stevenson, 53, of Mt. Lebanon, has been diligent but unspectacular. Voters can depend on him to seek some remedy on property taxes, but then both his opponents want to do that, too. In the absence of a qualified challenger, Mr. Stevenson might be forgiven his pay-raise vote -- but that is not the case.

Two other Republicans are seeking the party's nomination in the 42nd Legislative District, which comprises Mt. Lebanon, Green Tree, Rosslyn Farms, Thornburg and parts of Scott and Bethel Park. A Democratic candidate, Matthew Smith, is unopposed in the primary.

Mark Harris, 21, of Mt. Lebanon is a college student who will soon graduate with a political science degree from George Washington University. He has taken part in a number of political campaigns for Republicans and was the statewide youth coordinator for the Senate run of former U.S. Rep. Pat Toomey. Mr. Harris also has his own Web page design business.

Although he is obviously bright and has the young reformer's zeal on the pay raise, what he lacks is much experience of the real world. He has learned the right-wing script flawlessly -- cut taxes, reduce budgets, stress local control -- but has little clue how these simplistic nostrums might actually play out.

Fortunately, Daniel A. Hackett, 49, of Mt. Lebanon does not lack for the experience that lends itself to the practical business of being a state legislator. Mr. Hackett operates his own business as a financial planner and certified public accountant. A keen tennis player, he is the director of the annual United States Tennis Association tournament in Mt. Lebanon.

With both his undergraduate and master's degrees from Robert Morris College (now University), Mr. Hackett preaches fiscal responsibility both for individuals and government.

In keeping with his credo, he is highly critical of the pay raise -- "working people didn't get raises of 16 to 34 percent" -- thinks WAMs ("walking around money") are a type of government corruption and is opposed to the "go along to get along mentality" in Harrisburg. He believes that the present system of property taxes is inherently unfair but well understands that the solution involves some sort of tax shifting.

In short, the promising candidate in this race is Daniel A. Hackett, whom the Post-Gazette recommends to Republican voters as their best choice in the May 16 primary.