It is down to crunch time. It’s time to vote.

This election is being called one of the most crucial midterms in recent years.

With polls showing the majority of the electorate is unhappy with President Bush and believes the country is heading in the wrong direction, the quest for change is in the air.

The U.S. House of Representatives is almost certain to undergo a power shift from a Republican majority to a Democratic one, while the GOP is also expected to lose seats in the U.S. Senate.

Citizens should always exercise their right to vote, but this one, regardless of which party one swears allegiance to, is more important than the typical midterm election.

Please, go to your polling place and cast a ballot.

With the tough congressional races in suburban Philadelphia and the senatorial contest between Democrat Bob Casey and incumbent Republican Rick Santorum, southeast Pennsylvanians will play a significant part in the national scenario.

There is also an important gubernatorial race on the ballot, and the Tribune endorses incumbent Democrat Ed Rendell. Rendell has demonstrated perseverance in pursuingproperty tax relief, a hike in the minimum wage, the Convention Center expansion and a commitment to racial inclusion in his administration.

The Republican challenger Lynn Swann has virtually no political experience and shows little independence, as his platform consists of the talking points of Bush administration strategist Karl Rove. Swann made little effort to bring his message to African Americans in this city.

For the U.S. Senate, we endorse Bob Casey over Santorum.

Casey has plans to target at-risk children for appropriate intervention in hopes of creating better citizens for tomorrow. He says this approach can help in crime prevention, better education, building a strong economy and stimulating businesses to create jobs.

Santorum, in his 12 years in Washington, has done a lot for African Americans – his Sickle Cell Treatment Act is an example – but on national matters he is too extreme. He agrees with the president on privatizing Social Security, making the tax cuts, which benefit mostly those who earn over $200,000 annually, permanent, and supports U.S. intervention in Iraq.

For the U.S. Congress, the Tribune endorses incumbents Bob Brady, Chaka Fattah and Allyson Schwartz.

Despite the fact that either Brady or Fattah would not finish out his term if he is elected mayor of Philadelphia, both continue to serve the city well. Fattah is committed to education and Brady has a track record as a problem-solver.

We would have liked to have Carol Campbell and Daniel J. Savage, who were both appointed by the local Democratic establishment, face the electorate and since they didn’t, we withhold our endorsements in the City Council races for the Fourth and Seventh districts.

The Tribune endorses Christine Tartaglione, LeAnna Washington and Anthony Williams for the state Senate.

We endorse Dwight Evans for the state House of Representatives,though he could serve a truncated term if he is elected mayor of Philadelphia. We also endorse: Babette Josephs, Ronald G. Waters, Michael H. O’Brien, William Keller, Louise Bishop, John Myers, Robert Donatucci, Kathy Manderino, Mark B. Cohen, Tony A. Payton, Harold James, Frank Oliver, Angel Cruz, James R. Roebuck, Jewell Williams, Michael Patrick, W. Curtis Thomas and Thomas W. Blackwell for state House seats.

Vote yes on the ballot question, which requires the finance director to issue an annual report that analyzes the participation of disadvantaged business enterprises (DBEs) in city contracts for the purchases of goods and services, compared to the percentage of qualified DBEs available to participate in such contracts, and that sets annual participation goals for DBEs using such categories as Council may define.

This is an important tool to level the playing field for minority- and female-owned businesses that wish to do business with the city.