The leaves are turning, the air is becoming brisk and winter is approaching. Yes, election season is in full swing, and it’s all leading up to Tuesday. Both campaigns are turning up the heat in the state and election coverage, and it’s everywhere you turn.

While the presidential race is highly important, there is another very important election that affects the students of UW-Eau Claire. No it’s not the U.S. Senate race, nor is it the race for Congress between Rep. Ron Kind, D-Wis. and Republican challenger Dale Schultz.

I am talking about the race for State Assembly between incumbent Rob Kreibich, R-Eau Claire, and Democratic challenger Jeff Smith.

While state races do not get as much press, they are very important. Decisions made by state government have more of a direct impact on peoples’ lives.

State government decides where to repair roads, how much to fund public schools and for students, how much the university system gets in state funding. Just because the race has not received much press coverage doesn’t mean that students should not vote in this race.

Kreibich has been in the State Assembly for the past 12 years and served on the higher education committee during that time. Over those 12 years, tuition has gone up more than 150 percent and funding for the university system has been slashed.

The last budget funding for the UW System was cut by about $250 million and has been cut by more than $400 million over the last few budgets combined.

Is it fair to blame Kreibich for this? Maybe not, but considering his district includes Eau Claire, with more than 10,000 students, it does raise the question of why Mr. Kreibich has not fought harder to do more for student issues.

Also, while the Assembly does not set tuition prices themselves, when they cut that much money from the system, tuition goes up.

In a recent Spectator article, Kreibich also stated the need for legislators in the state to stop their partisan bickering and work together to do a better job of serving the people.

This is all well and good except for the fact that he has voted along Republican party lines more than 99 percent of the time.

He also has supported Republican wedge issues like the proposed ban on same-sex marriage and the Constitutional amendment to allow carrying concealed weapons, both of which are derived to divide the public.

Why isn’t he working on issues that bring people together and help out the state as a whole, instead of dividing us into groups?

We can do something about this, however.

Smith is running on a platform of improving education and healthcare, lowering property taxes and working across party lines to get the job done in a way that best represents the citizens’ interests.

As it relates to the students here at this university, he has spoken of the need to stop gouging state support for universities so our campuses can remain healthy institutions of higher learning. He believes this is an important step to stop the costs of rising tuition, which is pricing many students out of higher education.

He also wants to bring more high-paying jobs to the area. This helps students when they graduate as well.

He is a small business owner and understands the importance of having livable-wage jobs.

There are many John Kerry and Russ Feingold supporters on campus. If you support them, why not support Smith? For the most part, he holds the same values as Kerry and Feingold and can put those values to use in serving the people of the Chippewa Valley.

This can only happen if all Democratic party supporters get out and vote on Tuesday.

Young voters as a whole do not get out to vote nearly as much as other age groups. We wonder why issues that pertain to seniors and middle-class families get all the focus. It’s because these age groups get out and vote, therefore politicians have to keep these people happy to get re-elected. I guarantee that if we as young Americans show up to the polls this election, our voices will be heard loud and clear.