On Tuesday, we offered our endorsements in half of the Southern Nevada Assembly races. Today, we make our recommendations in the other half.

In District 13, two-term incumbent Republican Chad Christensen faces Democrat Adam Taylor and a Libertarian candidate. Mr. Christensen is a reliable fiscal conservative, but he has been plagued by ethical questions surrounding the misuse of campaign funds. The 32-year-old Mr. Taylor, meanwhile, is a high school government teacher who exhibits a genuine desire to serve the district. He favors streamlining the teacher licensing process to make room for professionals from other fields and imposing accountability on a "per-school" basis." We prefer Adam Taylor in District 13.

Four-term Democratic incumbent John Oceguera is running against Libertarian Nathan Santucci in District 16. Mr. Oceguera is a North Las Vegas Fire Department battalion chief whose tenure in Carson City has been unremarkable. He seems unable to articulate a vision or agenda, despite chairing the Assembly Transportation Committee. On the other hand, Mr. Santucci, the self-described "director of covert activities" for Penn & Teller, offers voters a clear and cogent philosophy of being "fiscally responsible and socially accepting." This district is heavily Democratic, but Mr. Santucci is articulate and informed and is a third-party hopeful who deserves a fair hearing from District 16 voters. We recommend Nathan Santucci.

In District 18, six-term Democratic incumbent Mark Manendo, a public relations professional, faces no serious opposition from either his Republican or Independent American opponents. Mr. Manendo's family has lived in the district for 25 years, and he says he bases his legislative agenda on what his constituents request. He has been passionate about pushing legislation to toughen laws on drunken drivers and favors using any budget surplus for one-shot transportation projects. The Review-Journal recommends a vote for Mark Manendo.

Two-term incumbent Joe Hardy, a Republican, faces Democrat Art Lynch in District 20. Mr. Hardy, a family physician, was one of the few Assembly Republicans who voted for the record 2003 tax hikes, but cites his support last session for property tax relief and a DMV rebate as evidence of his commitment to fiscal responsibility. He favors eminent domain reform to protect property owners and investigating the use of toll roads to generate additional funds for road construction. Joe Hardy is the obvious choice.

In District 21, Republican Bob Beers -- no relation to the Bob Beers who ran for governor and serves in the state Senate -- is running against Democrat Richard "Brian" Keene for the open seat being vacated by GOP incumbent Bob Seale. Mr. Keene, a 20-year military veteran, is a Clark County School District administrator whose idea of educational reform is to allow active teachers on the School Board. Mr. Beers, a graphic designer, favors limits on the growth of government spending, merit pay for teachers and more vocational education in local schools. He opposes the creation of a "dependent class." Instead, "you try to bring people up." Bob Beers gets our endorsement.

Republican incumbent Scott Sibley decided against running for re-election in District 22, leaving newcomers Lynn Stewart and Ruben Urias to square off. The 30-year-old Mr. Urias, a UNLV law school graduate and former law clerk, describes himself as a "pro-business Democrat" who decided to run because he "loves politics." He's eager, well-spoken and has a future in public service. But Republican Lynn Stewart is our choice. A retired Boulder City high school government teacher, Mr. Stewart has the life experience and conservative political philosophy to best serve District 22.

Residents of Assembly District 23 will have to choose a new representative thanks to the retirement of Speaker Richard Perkins, a Democrat. Steven Grierson, a Republican who manages Clark County's specialty courts, is running against RoseMary Womack, a Democrat who sells real estate. Ms. Womack seems to have an endless appetite for creating government "programs" to "fill a need." She vows to be an ardent advocate for seniors and the disabled, if elected. Mr. Grierson, however, believes the existence of a state budget surplus means we're overtaxed. He favors reforming public-sector retirement benefits so they don't eventually bankrupt the taxpayers and believes breaking up the Clark County School District would help student achievement. Steven Grierson is the pick.

One-term Democratic incumbent Susan Gerhardt faces GOP challenger Michael Smith in District 29. Ms. Gerhardt, a former corrections officer, spent much of her freshman session advocating for law enforcement issues. But as a former public employee, she has no interest in holding the line on public-sector benefits or pensions. Mr. Smith, a microbiologist, understands that money won't solve all our educational problems. He would prefer, instead, to implement policies that give teachers more autonomy in the classroom. He favored the late TASC proposal to limit government spending and would divert any state budget surplus to the road construction or the state rainy day fund. We urge a vote for Michael Smith.

In District 41, Democrat David Parks has served five terms and is seeking a sixth. His challenger is Bob Wong, who served a single term in the Assembly 15 years ago. Mr. Parks can in no way be described as a fiscal conservative -- and while favoring more state spending on education, Mr. Parks has no idea what taxpayers can expect from their investment. "I'm not an expert" when it comes to accountability, he demurs. Nevertheless, Mr. Parks is a dedicated, thoughtful lawmaker who takes a live-and-let-live approach when it comes to social issues. David Parks gets our endorsement.

In Districts 14, 17 and 19, we offer no recommendations. Democrats in Districts 11, 15, 28, 34 and 37 have no opposition.