Among two strong Democrats, Baer stands out in District 18 primary | Our view

Treasure Coast Newspapers Editorial Board | Treasure Coast Newspapers

Editor's note: This recommendation has been updated to correct a typo.

RACE: U.S. House District 18, Democratic primary

TERM: 2 years

CANDIDATES:

Lauren Baer, Palm Beach Gardens

Pam Keith, Palm Beach Gardens

KEY ISSUES: Lake Okeechobee discharges and Indian River Lagoon restoration; health care; gun laws; President Donald Trump; income inequality

RECOMMENDATION: Democrats face a choice between two strong primary candidates in the race for the congressional seat currently held by Republican Brian Mast.

Both Lauren Baer and Pam Keith are experienced attorneys with impressive resumes who say they will advocate for a cleaner Indian River Lagoon, access to health care and common-sense gun policy.

Both are critical of Mast's votes to repeal the Affordable Care Act, and both say he has been too complacent in the face of chaos created by President Donald Trump's administration.

Baer is a foreign policy expert who served as a senior adviser to secretaries of state Hillary Clinton and John Kerry. She worked for the Obama administration from 2011 to 2017 and now works for a global strategy firm founded by former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. Baer grew up in District 18, and her great-grandparents founded the retail chain Baer's Furniture.

She said her years in government taught her how to find common ground among diverse interests.

"Numerous times, I sat in the Situation Room, and at the end of the day you need to be able to bring folks together with different viewpoints ... and come to a point of getting the job done," Baer said.

MORE: Why does TCPalm's Editorial Board recommend candidates?

Keith is a former naval officer (a JAG, or attorney in the Judge Advocate General's Corps) who more recently worked as an attorney for Florida Power & Light parent company NextEra Energy. She ran for U.S. Senate in 2016 and has been a full-time political candidate since 2014. Her father was a diplomat in the U.S. Foreign Service.

Keith is the more animated of the two candidates, and she vows to use her fiery approach to stand up for residents struggling to get ahead economically.

"They feel like they're being ignored by the people in Washington who spend a lot of time congratulating each other," Keith said.

Keith rightly pointed out that the 2016 election showed voters want something different. And while both she and Baer are strong critics of Trump's brand of "different," Keith said she represents positive change.

MORE: When will TCPalm's Editorial Board candidate recommendations publish?

If elected with enough other Democrats, Keith vowed to work to impeach Trump.

"Every president of the United States should be taken seriously and literally, and if we have one that cannot be, he should be impeached," Keith said during an interview with the Treasure Coast Newspapers Editorial Board.

Bear had a more reasoned response to the question of impeachment. She recognizes how divisive such proceedings would be and is cautious about heading down that path without ironclad evidence.

"The first-and-foremost thing that we need to do is ensure that (Robert) Mueller's investigation be brought to its full and final conclusion," Baer said. "And only then should Congress take up the issue of impeachment."

She said more Republicans should defend Mueller's investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election (and any ties Trump's campaign might have had to it).

"The rule of law is a nonpartisan issue," Baer said.

Their stances on impeachment illustrate the difference between the two candidates. Keith is positioning herself as a bold change-maker; Baer is an understated, articulate policy expert.

There are merits to both approaches, and we understand the allure of brazenness in this political age — but we believe this split district will ultimately be better served by the latter.

While both candidates are strong, we give Baer the edge.

TCPalm’s candidate recommendations are decided collectively by its editorial board. Recommendations are based on nonpartisan criteria that prioritize the best candidates for our local community.