Some people want change, others are more inclined to stay the course.

Great thing, our right to choose.

Auburnites will decide Tuesday between two mayoral candidates with sharply divergent personalities and skills.

Pete Lewis, the two-term incumbent, brings a steady hand and experience to the job, with a promise for better days ahead for a recession-bitten city.

Lewis’ fiery rival, Haugen, brings a different point of view and a no-nonsense way of doing business. She cherishes her blue-collar, working-class ties to the community, questions the status quo and champions the cause of the forgotten.

The two might be different in many ways, but are unmistakably passionate about the city and its people. Each carries a certain bravado about their work.

In the August primary, Lewis won handily, taking 47 percent of the King County vote to Haugen’s 27. Lewis emerged with 72 percent of the vote in Pierce County, of those residing in Lakeland Hills, compared to Haugen’s 14.

The Reporter’s Oct. 15 debate – a lopsided Lewis victory, in my opinion – drew an estimated 140 people, a majority of whom were the older set and representative of both camps.

The young vote remains up for grabs – and a point of emphasis for each campaign.

And just where the rest of the scattered primary votes wind up also is an unknown.

In addition, many businesses owners do not live in Auburn and won’t decide this race.

Essentially, voters face an important choice. Before they sign and seal their mail-in ballots for Tuesday’s general election, they should consider one important question: Who is the most qualified to handle the job?

Lewis has the experience, resourcefulness and ties to get things done.

While critics claim little has been done to resuscitate the downtown, Lewis points out that progress – however slow – has been made.

Lewis said his priorities would include building up the business base so the City could lower its reliance on property taxes.

“If we are going to find our way out of the economic crisis we are in … we must find a way to bring our income up, not by raising taxes but by bringing in business,” Lewis said.

Haugen offers a different approach. She doesn’t support any new building downtown, but wants to work with what is available now.

“I think that people in City government should not be involved in tearing down buildings and bringing in developers to rebuild things,” Haugen said. “Let’s work real hard with what we’ve got … ”

There are other differences. Lewis covets ties with regional government. Haugen does not.

Haugen, a retired Boeing worker, says she has what it takes to do the job. Lewis, the former banker, has kept the city on solid financial ground. He understands budgets, networks and partnerships.

While Lewis has done many things, there are those who suggest he hasn’t done enough to correct Auburn’s problems – from its dilapidated downtown to worn, congested streets. Lewis is not without his weaknesses, his failings or his opponents.

While Haugen has been critical of the mayor, she has yet to come up with reasonable solutions. She has played an important role as a dissident voice on the City Council. She is not without her limitations or her controversies either, however, including a volatile temper and the less than honest answers she gave police when they asked her what she knew about a trespassing incident last year onto the Burlington Northern Santa Fe trestle.

At the debate, Haugen had the opportunity to clearly define and offer remedies and strategies to move the city ahead in the next four years. She did not. Lewis, on the other hand, stood firm and steadfast. He was clear in his message, detailing what he has done and what he has failed to do.

From my perspective at the debate, Haugen was sincere but overmatched. She gave insufficient, thin answers. Lewis, on the other hand, had hard facts at his fingertips to support his carefully considered answers.

Responding to one question regarding the future of Auburn, Lewis replied, “This isn’t about me,” but about the people he serves.

Until there is a legitimate challenger with stronger credentials and the qualifications to support a demanding, growing city, Lewis stands as the clear choice.