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In the partisan Guilford County commissioners at-large race, voters can choose two from a field of five candidates with varying experience levels and philosophies.

Incumbent Democrats Paul Gibson and John Parks are being challenged by Republicans Larry Proctor and Wendell Sawyer. Also on the ballot is Libertarian Paul Elledge.

Both Parks and Gibson have served two nonconsecutive terms on the board. In the 1980s, Sawyer was a state senator. Proctor is seeking his first elective office but is a member of the appointed Guilford County Planning Board. Elledge is a first-time candidate.

While Gibson, 62, has taken a leadership role on the oft-contentious board, Parks, also 62, seldom contributes. That's particularly troubling since he prevailed in a lengthy court battle with former commissioner Trudy Wade for the contested seat. Although he's knowledgeable on issues, his reticence to speak up doesn't serve constituents well and precludes re-election.

Gibson, on the other hand, gets our endorsement. He's been a strong backer of the county's strategic planning initiative and has addressed divisive issues that put county and municipal governments at arm's length.

Of the challengers, Proctor, 61, is our choice for the other at-large seat. Being on the planning board since 2001, including three consecutive terms as chairman, has provided valuable experience and exposed Proctor to countywide issues. As the owner of a small business, he shares and will voice concerns of a large segment of the local business community.

Although Sawyer, 57, may come across as merely a perennial candidate, he raises relevant questions about fiscal accountability. His call for itemization and transparency in budgeting is worth the board's attention.

Elledge, 30, espouses the Libertarian mantra of individual rights and a view that government has its hand in too many things. That philosophy does not translate well in addressing pressing local government obligations.

Even though Gibson and Proctor are at odds politically, there is agreement. For example, both favor Guilford's proposed quarter-cent sales tax again on the ballot this fall after failing last spring. They see it as a way to lessen the tax burden on county property owners and pick up tax revenue from out-of-towners shopping here.

It's important that at-large commissioners have a broad overview of county needs. Unlike representatives of protected districts, they answer to a larger, more diverse constituency. Gibson and Proctor should do that well.