under President Bill Clinton and first deputy secretary to former Govs. Eliot Spitzer and David Paterson; and Zephyr Teachout, a Fordham University law professor who brings a high profile to the race from her past unsuccessful runs for governor and Congress.

They're all fine candidates; each would bring unique qualities to the job. But Ms. Eve stands out for several reasons. Notably, though she has lived for two decades in Harlem, she was born and raised upstate. (Her father was a longtime Assembly member from Buffalo, and her mother a social justice crusader there.) She would offer balance and perspective to a Democratic ticket that is otherwise downstate-centric.

She also brings an independence to the job that Ms. James, who has been endorsed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, can't quite claim.being the sort of political lightning rod Ms. Teachout has become. She strikes the right balance of shared progressive goals and political distance from both Mr. Cuomo and his challenger, Cynthia Nixon.

Mr. Maloney also brings ample experience in state and federal government. But he is more needed elsewhere: in his current House seat, from which we hope he can rise to congressional leadership.

Ms. Eve, 54, boasts a solid resume for the job. A graduate of Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government and Harvard Law School, she worked as a law clerk in state Court of Appeals, as a counsel to then-U.S. Sen. Joseph Biden Jr., and as homeland security advisor to then-Sen. Hillary Clinton. She was Mr. Cuomo's deputy secretary for economic development, and has worked in