Voters in the 23rd House District will send a strong representative to Hartford no matter who wins the Nov. 6 election.

Seeking his third term serving the district that encompasses Lyme, Old Lyme, Old Saybrook and Westbrook, Rep. Devin Carney, R-Old Lyme, has proved himself a solid but pragmatic fiscal conservative with a strong record on environmental issues.

Democratic candidate Matt Pugliese, 36, is seeking to unseat the 34-year-old Carney. Pugliese lives in Old Saybrook, where he chairs the Old Saybrook Economic Development Commission.

For a first-time candidate, Pugliese has a strong grasp of the issues confronting the state and region. He is the managing director and executive producer of the Connecticut Repertory Theatre at the University of Connecticut.

Pugliese’s background would make him a strong advocate for the importance of arts, culture and tourism, both for quality of life and as an economic driver. When it comes to ways in which the legislature will look to trim expenses, such advocacy would be important for this region.

The Democratc strongly advocates for electronic tolls as the best way to pay for the state’s major transportation needs, a view this newspaper shares.

And he makes a good case for the importance of finding a path to paid family leave as a way for Connecticut to be competitive in a tightening job market.

But while Pugliese is an attractive candidate, Carney deserves re-election. Most fundamentally, he shows up, with a 100 percent voting attendance record in 2018.

Unlike many other Republicans, Carney, the ranking member of the Transportation Committee, does not reject tolls outright, but instead calls for the state to proceed cautiously. Carney will not support a toll plan that disproportionately places the burden on Connecticut drivers and businesses. Placement of tolls would be critical, he adds.

This is exactly the kind of measured, deliberative approach Connecticut needs as it debates this issue.

Carney has been a champion for protecting open space and an advocate for the solar industry, seeing its importance to creating jobs as well as cutting fossil fuel use.

He considers calls to eliminate the state income tax as impractical, but said the emphasis has to be on finding savings and holding the line on, and potentially cutting, taxes.

It’s a tough decision, but we give the nod, and our endorsement, to Rep. Devin Carney.

The Day editorial board meets with political, business and community leaders to formulate editorial viewpoints. It is composed of President and Publisher Timothy Dwyer, Executive Editor Izaskun E. Larraneta, Owen Poole, copy editor, and Lisa McGinley, retired deputy managing editor. The board operates independently from The Day newsroom.