There's no question the legislature will have its hands full, as it has to deal with a large budget deficit. This area needs the proper representation and leadership to help fight for and protect services and funds that are currently in place.

That's why we're encouraging Sen. Grace Schwab not to appeal the state Canvassing Board's recent decision and let Sen.-elect Dan Sparks focus on doing the job voters elected him to do.

This was such a close race that "razor-thin margin" still isn't an appropriate definition to describe the final result.

We don't think the board made the right decision. How can someone assume that particular candidate likely would have received votes, and then award it to them?

Would it be safe to assume that the people who voted for the late Sen. Paul Wellstone also voted for Sparks, the DFL candidate? Maybe.

However, all we're doing is assuming. We don't know for sure if that's what the voters decided. Neither did the Canvassing Board. That's why it was wrong for the board to award more votes to Sparks. The votes shouldn't have counted. Period.

However, this community needs to throw its support behind Sparks and move on.

We're less than a month away until the legislature reconvenes. If we don't decide who will give Austin and Albert Lea adequate representation in the Senate chamber, we might miss out on an opportunity or have needed funds taken away.

Schwab should not appeal the Canvassing Board's decision and should recognize that Sparks is the certified senator for our district.