Voters in the Inland Empire’s 47th Assembly District have a rematch to consider. Two years ago, legislative staffer Greg Wallis prevailed over Palm Springs Councilmember Christy Holstege with an incredibly small margin of victory: 84,752 to 84,667. The contest is likely to be just as close this time around. Two years ago, we gave the nod to Wallis for his moderate social views coupled with a more fiscally conservative orientation. Holstege certainly offered some moderate stances, including skepticism of California’s ability to pull off a single-payer healthcare system and a resistance toward Proposition 13 reform (saying, “the voters have spoken.”) But then, as now, Wallis clearly has the ideas needed to help move California in a better direction. Take, as a basic example, the high-speed rail boondoggle. It should’ve been built by now, but remains a decade away and more than triple, even quadruple, the original cost. It doesn’t take much more than common sense to know when to throw in the towel. Holstege told our editorial board in a written survey, “While there have certainly been some cost overruns with the [California High Speed Rail] project, it has generated thousands of good jobs and billions in economic benefits already.” What this implies is that Holstege is willing to waste billions of taxpayer dollars if it means creating some jobs. “Completing this project is throwing good money after bad when we have more important basic programs that need funding: K-12 schools, homelessness reduction, crime prevention, and actually fixing the freeways and roads most people actually use day to day,” responded Wallis. It’s just one issue, but it gives key insights into how they think through public policy. Holstege’s willingness to set funds on fire for questionable ends has also been seen at the local level. As a member of the Palm Springs City Council, she championed a proposal to create a universal basic income scheme for city residents identified as nonbinary or transgender. California needs thoughtful leaders who can be counted on to use good judgment. On that score, Wallis is the easy choice. On education, he has a balanced view of how to improve education in California. “I support fast-track programs for new teachers and for reducing the student debt of teachers who dedicate themselves to serving in disadvantaged communities,” he’s argued. He also supports school choice. On housing, he understands well what the problem is and how to resolve it. “For decades, the state made it harder to build new housing, and it’s still extremely difficult to build housing on the scale we need,” he wrote in an endorsement survey. “The first step is real CEQA reform.” He can generally be counted on to vote against the excesses of the supermajority. At the same time, he’s been anything but a hard-right ideologue. He’s proudly pro-choice on abortion and a supporter of the LGBTQ community. While Holstege might have some good ideas, we see no need to oust Wallis and encourage his re-election.