William ''Will'' Crocker Jr. is a fitting opponent to state Rep. Demetrius Atsalis in the 2nd Barnstable District. Crocker's family roots go all the way back; he knows the Mid-Cape district's major players and the issues from his longtime job as radio newsman; and while laboring under every challenger's disadvantage of not having a record to tout, he has shown a grasp of the nuts and bolts of legislative work and has approached the job in a proactive, organized way.

That said, we believe the four-term Democrat Atsalis has earned continued support.

Not much separates Crocker and Atsalis on local issues. Both want affordable housing, better jobs and more money for Cape schools. Both recognize the hit homeowners are taking with rising insurance rates. Both oppose the wind farm in Nantucket Sound.

But given his four terms, Atsalis has a little better idea of what is politically and financially possible.

Over the years Atsalis has brought home bacon in the form of bonding authorization for the new technology building at Cape Cod Community College and the yet-to-be-built community center at the Kennedy Rink.

He has signed on to the idea of creating a state-managed catastrophic event fund, based on the successful Florida model, so insurance companies don't need to buy as much expensive ''reinsurance.'' Atsalis composed and presented a comprehensive state education aid reform that includes an option for using median income instead of property valuations. Crocker's redistribution plan, announced Wednesday, would strip money from urban schools, a proposal that defies political reality.

The Hyannis Mets field, the Kennedy Museum - ''people come to me'' when they want state money for local projects, Atsalis notes. He also deserves credit for the new elder-abuse-reporting bill he authored.

Crocker supports his party's call to roll back the state income tax to 5 percent. His take is that private-sector job growth is the answer, in part by reforming the Cape Cod Commission. Tax cuts put money in the pockets of working people, he notes.

Atsalis isn't the hardest-working legislator in our coverage area. He does not, in our experience, use his position to discuss broad issues of governance and policy, or exert visible community leadership. His work has been more reactive than proactive. When he gets in trouble, as he did with the timing and documentation of his charity golf tournament, his explanations don't always satisfy.

Crocker's strongest campaign plank may be the value to the process in having more Republicans on Beacon Hill. For voters, it's the classic trade-off: Giving up an insider's knowledge and experience for the goal of vigorous debate and political balance.

The 2nd Barnstable District is better off retaining Demetrius Atsalis.