South Carolina voters face the same major choices for governor on Tuesday that they did four years ago, but this is an extraordinarily different race. Nikki Haley was elected in an extremely tight race for a Republican running in one of the country’s most Republican-dominated states. She edged out Democrat Vincent Sheheen with less than a 5 percent margin of victory in 2010 but is far ahead in the polls this time.

Four years ago this newspaper’s editorial page recommended a vote for Sheheen based in large part on his impressive record of leadership and accomplishment in the state Senate and in part because he had better ideas for improving the state’s economic climate and education system. He brought 20 years of outstanding service in the Legislature to the race while Haley had one of the thinnest records of anyone seeking the Governor’s Office. She had produced very little in her six years in the Legislature at that point.

Sheheen is the best choice for governor in this 2014 race, too. Unlike the governor he is not a natural on the campaign trail, and is far from an exciting politician. But Sheheen is a serious leader who is able to get things done in his understated way. He also continues to be a strong consensus-builder in the Senate, and his achievements of the past four years should have South Carolina voters eager to see what he could accomplish in the Governor’s Office.

While acknowledging that Haley has followed through on her pledge to work hard to bring more jobs to South Carolina, this editorial page cannot overlook serious lapses of executive leadership over the past four years that continue to leave questions about her ability to put this state on the right course.

South Carolina’s unemployment rate has improved considerably under Gov. Haley, and she deserves credit for creating a more business-friendly image for this state. Unlike her predecessor Mark Sanford, she intuitively understands the mechanics of economic development. She also deserves credit for putting Bobby Hitt, the former manager for corporate affairs for BMW Manufacturing, in the top role at the state Department of Commerce and helping give that agency a more focused mission.

However Haley has muddled through some aspects of being a leader in the Governor’s Office. She waited until this year, her fourth in office and the one in which she was seeking re-election, to come out with a substantive plan for education funding and reform. Her ideas were good ones although they can use a little tweaking, but three years were lost in this critical area.

In some other areas of executive leadership the governor has been a failure, too. This editorial page and, indeed, Gov. Haley have consistently argued that South Carolina’s governor should have more executive power so that person can manage state government. With increased responsibility comes increased accountability, and Gov. Haley has tried to dodge some significant problems on her watch.

What should be fresh on voters’ minds are the problems at the state Department of Social Services exposed in last month’s comprehensive examination by the independent Legislative Audit Council. DSS deals with some of the most vulnerable people in our state, and none are more vulnerable than children who endure abuse and neglect in their homes. The state audit was a blistering look at an agency that has failed miserably at protecting some children who come through Child Welfare Services.

Gov. Haley reached all the way to Hawaii to bring in the DSS director, and from the beginning there were rumors of low staff morale and a questionable approach to handling many abuse complaints. Haley stood by this agency head even in the face of increasingly sharp criticism from state legislators, and a resignation didn’t come until months before the LAC issued its findings.

The upshot of the audit was this: Child welfare caseloads were excessive and inequitable from county to county. Children were falling through the cracks, and many investigations were not being started within the time frame required by state law. DSS had too few caseworkers, and the turnover for a three-year period exceeded 65 percent. Children have been dying from abuse and neglect in this state, and the agency that should be protecting them was in turmoil.

To the delight of many hard-right conservatives, Haley has refused to expand Medicaid under President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act. She has contended that the state needs to focus on delivering care to the state’s poorest, and there’s certainly nothing wrong with that approach. Her refusal to expand Medicaid, however, has real consequences for hundreds of thousands of South Carolina residents and will harm many hospitals, particularly those in rural areas.

South Carolina has left federal dollars on the table and has missed out on having 100 percent of these costs covered by the federal government for three years, and 90 percent thereafter. In addition to denying health insurance to many people, the governor has deprived the state of the jobs that could come from such an expansion — 44,000 according to one study.

Haley also has failed to help our state, which has some of the worst and deadliest roads in the country, come up with a realistic plan for addressing the overwhelming needs for roads and bridges. As it stands our state has a shortfall of at least $1.5 billion a year as far as the eye can see when it comes to repairing a crumbling infrastructure and providing for the expansion needed to accommodate economic development.

Robert St. Onge, who was Haley’s hand-picked leader of the state Department of Transportation until he was arrested earlier this year on a drunken driving charge, once said his job was “to manage the decline of the state highway system.” That should not be the goal of any transportation leader — or the state’s governor.

Sheheen has served his state well in the Senate. He has been a leader in pushing for education improvements such as expanding 4-year-old kindergarten so especially this state’s less advantaged students will be ready to succeed in school. He has been a leader in pushing for ethics reform, as has Haley. He also gets much credit for getting a bill through the Senate to abolish the antiquated Budget and Control Board and give the state’s governor the authority needed to run state government through a Department of Administration.

South Carolina voters have many reasons to give Sheheen a chance by voting for him on Tuesday. He has solid record of accomplishments, a keen understanding of education and a proven ability to work with legislators regardless of their party affiliation.