Gov. Jim Doyle has spent the last four years working hard for the state of Wisconsin and deserves your vote come Nov. 7.

Embryonic stem-cell research and the gay marriage ban are two issues that are imperative considerations when electing the next governor. During his time in office, Mr. Doyle has successfully maneuvered various policy decisions on both of these topics, as well as demonstrated his strong opposition to legislation put forth by the Bush Administration.

Support for embryonic stem-cell research is something that significantly differentiates Mr. Doyle from gubernatorial candidate U.S. Rep. Mark Green. Mr. Doyle has shown unwavering support for the potentially life-changing research in ways that constituents can't afford to ignore. Alternatively, Mr. Green, though in support of adult stem-cell research, does not support the most promising of embryonic stem-cell research. Under Mr. Doyle's leadership, Wisconsin's WiCell was chosen as the country's first National Stem Cell Bank and funding for the Wisconsin Institutes of Discovery was approved.

The state gay marriage ban is yet another issue that Mr. Doyle has fought against, vetoing a bill similar to the constitutional amendment that voters will decide Nov. 7. Though he has no say in the amendment's outcome, Mr. Doyle has steadfastly expressed his opposition to it, unlike Mr. Green.

A University of Wisconsin graduate, it is no surprise that education is another issue at the forefront of Mr. Doyle's campaign. He has paid continuous attention to the dilemma of how to keep UW schools affordable and accessible. Mr. Doyle does deserve his share of criticism for axing $250 million in state funding for UW in his first biennial budget, but he did work hard to restore some of the funding cut by the Legislature in his most recent budget. Unlike Mr. Green, he recognizes that out-of-state students' tuition supplements that of in-state students and helps maintain UW's reputation and standards of excellence. Despite tuition hikes, the cost of a UW education is still on par with other Big Ten schools, and we are confident that Mr. Doyle has students in mind when revamping the university's budget.

It is evident that after inheriting a $3.2 billion budget deficit, Mr. Doyle is no stranger to managing important economic duties while weighing the interests of his constituents. Mr. Doyle succeeded at starting to rein in the economic mess in the beginning of his term without raising taxes. Hundreds of thousands of new jobs for Wisconsinites have been created under Mr. Doyle's watch.

Mr. Green, also a UW graduate, has pledged to be a strong supporter for the university. But given Mr. Doyle's obvious ability to make change and his overall genuine concern for the state of Wisconsin, we feel he is the right choice for governor.