For 32 years, the name on the door of the 16th District representative in the state House of Representatives was Laughlin, first the late Charles and then his widow, Susan.

When Mrs. Laughlin retired, the expectation was that the victor in the 2004 race to fill her seat might end up holding it for a very long time.

Times change.

Democrat Sean Ramaley won that election but, with two terms under his belt, he decided to run for the state Senate this year in the district previously represented by Gerald LaValle, who is retiring. Which brings us to the two first-time candidates for the Democratic nomination to seek the House seat: Robert Matzie, a long-time aide to Mr. LaValle, and Donald Despines Jr., a railroad engineer who is new to government and politics.

Since there is no Republican on the ballot, the Democratic nominee is the heavy favorite to win the House seat in November.

Mr. Despines, 29, of Economy, is a 2000 graduate of Washington and Jefferson College who has worked for Norfolk-Southern Railroad in the last six years. His goal in running for office is to find a way to trigger economic development in the district, particularly the areas that suffered the loss of steel. A more vibrant local economy is his key to finding ways to offer tax breaks for senior citizens, provide more comprehensive health-care coverage and improve schools.

He has the support of three railroad unions, but he is not informed enough on issues facing the state and is not well-known in the district, which contains both affluent Allegheny County suburbs and old Beaver County mill towns. It includes Aliquippa, Ambridge, Conway, Baden, Crescent, Harmony, Bell Acres, Bellevue, Leet, Leetsdale and parts of Economy, Franklin Park and Ross.

Mr. Matzie, 39, of Ambridge, is better-known. For 14 years, he was the aide in Sen. LaValle's Beaver County office. He is well acquainted with the issues in the Beaver portion of the district, particularly in Ambridge, where he served a short stint as mayor.

He does not sound like a candidate, however, who will cut a fresh trail in the Legislature. He favors the health-care plan recently adopted by the House but fears Gov. Ed Rendell's earlier iteration of the plan was too expensive. His answer to questions about the state's property tax system is to wait and see if the revenue from new casinos can provide adequate relief.

We agree with his opposition to calls for leasing the turnpike to a private company, but we don't share his worries about what would result if the size of the Legislature were cut. He is too concerned about the so-called rights of smokers and tavern owners to protect the health of all other Pennsylvanians with a statewide smoking ban.

If residents of the district were happy with the representation provided by the Laughlins and Sen. LaValle, they probably will be happy with Mr. Matzie. Although we'd rather see Robert Matzie espouse more progressive ideas, his knowledge of the district and experience in working with constituents gives him the clear edge -- and the Post-Gazette's endorsement -- over Mr. Despines for the Democratic nomination.