We wish Laurie Smith had decided to retire after 16 years as Santa Clara County sheriff. But her challenger in the June 3 election, Kevin Jensen, does not inspire confidence that he could handle the highly political job. We are making no recommendation in the race.

The county sheriff should be a convener to solve problems. Smith has been good at meeting budgets in lean times, but she does not work well with other law enforcement agencies, and her department is not seen by other professionals as well-managed.

Jensen, a likable retired captain from the department, sets priorities of collaborating with others and raising the deputies’ level of law enforcement professionalism. But county officials and others who have worked with him say he’s prone to telling people what they want to hear rather than taking a stand. His support is mainly from the deputies and correctional officers he will supervise and from tea party and gun rights advocates.

We hope Smith will retire rather than run again in four years. Taking on an incumbent is a huge task, but an open seat will attract a range of qualified candidates to give voters a real choice.