It certainly was a long, hard-fought and grueling campaign, but with Election Day just days aways, polls indicate that Democrat Jerry Brown has a solid lead over Republican Meg Whitman in the race to become California's next governor. Although, both candidates at one point or another fell into the trap of focusing on each other’s weakness, Brown deserve the position --- again! --- of being the Governor of California.

There are numerous reasons Brown deserves to win this race. I have outlined some of Brown’s accomplishments throughout his extensive political career. They are not in order of importance, and by no means is this a complete list.

Why Jerry Brown Should Win

1) Past California Gubernatorial Experience – in terms of exeprience, it doesn't really get much better than this. Usually when a person is running for political office, they have never held it. However, in Brown’s case, he's already served two terms as the state's Governor - from 1975 – 1983.

During that time he:

• Reduced taxes and built up one of California’s largest surpluses
• Initiated the California Conservation Corps, the Office of Appropriate Technology, the Native American Heritage Preservation Commission and the California Commission on Industrial Innovation
• Signed into permanent law the California Coastal Protection Act and California Worksite Education and Training Act
• Established the first agricultural labor relations law in the country
• Enacted collective bargaining for teachers and other public employees
• Established the country's first building and appliance energy efficiency standards, which made California the leader in solar and alternative energy.
• Appointed more women, Asians, Latinos and African-Americans to high government positions than any other chief executive.

2) Mayor of Oakland – Oakland is rated one of the poorest cities in the US. However, when Brown was Mayor of the city, her made some outstanding changes. Among his accomlishments there he:

• Made Oakland one of the top ten greenest cities in America
• Increased police force by 25 percent. While he wa mayor, the murder rate dropped 24.6 percent, while total crime went down 13 percent.
• Turned the 1928 Fox Palace into the Oakland School for the Arts and a live music venue
• Founded two schools, the Oakland School for the Arts and the Oakland Military Institute, which has graduates studying in Yale, Vassar, Stanford, West Point, UCLA and UC Berkeley.

3) Impressive Accomplishments – I chose a series of other fact I found that helped me gain a better understanding of Jerry Brown. These following accomplishments distinguish him as an effective leader rather than a corrupt one:

• Exposed President Nixon’s use of falsely notarized documents to improperly earn a large tax deduction, and drafted and helped pass the California Fair Political Practices Act.
• Brown personally argued before the state Supreme Court and won against Gulf, Mobile and Standard Oil for election law violations (Brown vs. Superior Court).
• Restructured the California Arts Commission so that it was composed of practicing artists and increased funding by 1300%. 
• Brown again practiced law in Los Angeles and in 1989 became chairman of the state Democratic Party. He resigned that position in 1991, expressing his disgust with the growing influence of money in politics, and sought the 1992 Democratic Presidential nomination. During that campaign he refused to take contributions larger than $100 and used an "800" number to raise funds.
• Led delegations to China and the Soviet Union, studied Spanish in Mexico, spent six months in Japan studying Japanese culture and Buddhism, worked with Mother Teresa in India at the Home for the Dying and traveled to Bangladesh as a CARE ambassador of good will during the devastating floods of 1988.

There is a reason Brown won the majority vote for both the position of California Governor and Mayor of Oakland. He understands California and its issues, having been born and raised here. There is a value in heaving already worked in the government, and in knowing the process as well as the people.

Get out and vote! This midterm election is too important to not send in your ballot.

Reach Reporter Evelina Weary here.