Exterior of the New York State Capitol on Wednesday, April 7, 2021, in Albany.

Presidential election years bring the noise, color and fury, but whom we send to Washington is far from the only choice we’re making on Nov. 5. Don't overlook the importance of selecting the lawmakers who represent our interests in the state Capitol.

Among the legislative races in the Capital Region, we're weighing in on two that look particularly competitive: The contest for the 44th Senate District, which covers Saratoga County along with Niskayuna and Schenectady; and the race for the 107th Assembly District, comprising Bethlehem, parts of Columbia and Washington counties and most of Rensselaer County, though not Troy or Rensselaer.

The 107th is pretty evenly split among Republican, Democratic and independent voters. Chloe Pierce, a Democrat, is challenging incumbent Assemblyman Scott Bendett, a Republican. Though both candidates talk about prioritizing policy over politics, Ms. Pierce has the better approach for making that a reality.

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In an interview, Ms. Pierce said she sees her potential role as an assemblywoman as “not to push a Democratic agenda but to be a voice for my district.” And she’s already shown a willingness to buck the Democratic establishment: She ran against her party’s endorsed candidate in the primary — and beat him.

She’s unafraid to say when she thinks the Democrats are wrong on policy, too: She says she wants to tweak........

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