In the race for the 6th Congressional District seat in the United States House of Representatives, Lawrence County residents have viable candidates to choose from. When the smoke cleared, however incumbent Bill Johnson, the Republican, earned the nod to return to Congress for another term.

Although Jennifer Garrison, the Democratic candidate, and Dennis Lambert, the Green Party candidate, bring some good ideas to the table, it is Johnson’s record during his previous term working with colleagues from both sides of the aisle, the desire to keep Americans safe both domestically and abroad, working diligently on the regulations being sought by the Environmental Protection Agency, and finding solutions to create jobs in our region.

For those reasons, we feel Johnson is the best candidate to serve the people of the 6th District for another term.

Lawrence County is fortunate to have three strong economic options with the roads, rails and river as potential opportunities to continue the upswing felt over the last several years. The Water Resources and Reform Act was signed into law in 2014 can benefit Lawrence County’s ability to increase exports using our river system throughout the region. This legislation provides for funding and infrastructure to ensure our river system continues to be an economic asset.

Additionally, Johnson has shown his work in the military has served him well and gives him a voice on domestic and international threats that we are realizing today with ISIS and the Ebola outbreak.

Coal for our region is an essential component, whether it is through mining or transportation on our rail system. Johnson has a strong record of working to stop the “war on coal,” to ensure it is still a viable industry in the future.

Garrison, a former Ohio state legislator, has many of the same stances as Johnson in regard to coal, jobs, and modifying the Affordable Care Act. Lambert, a resident of Lawrence County, feels the focus should be on renewable energy, veterans’ rights and a significant increase in the minimum wage.

On Nov. 4, the voters of Lawrence County and the 6th Congressional District for the House of Representatives should re-elect Bill Johnson.