3rd DISTRICT — It’s crunch time for the four Erie-based Democrats vying for the chance to go one-one with seven-term Republican incumbent U.S. Rep. Phil English.

The candidates need to win votes not only in their hometown, but other 3rd Congressional District areas — including Mercer County, the district’s second-largest Democratic stronghold — to secure the party’s nomination on Tuesday.

The winner, unlike others who have gone up against English in year’s past, could have a real chance thanks to a national Democratic tailwind and promises of party financial support against the 14-year member of Congress.

The candidates include Erie County Councilman Kyle Foust, attorney Tom Myers, lay-minister Mike Waltner, and businesswoman Kathy Dahlkemper.

The top issues thrown around by the Democrats this year are economic policy, health care reform and ending the war in Iraq.

Every candidate has been clear that they oppose the North American Free Trade Agreement in its present form, and think the United States should only freely trade with partners willing to meet labor and environmental regulations — an equal footing, or “fair trade” policy.

When NAFTA was passed, Waltner said, it was intended to spur the growth of a middle class in foreign countries. “It just never happened,” he said. “It became a race to the bottom.”

On health care, every Democrat wants to push for universal coverage. However, most expect to work on reforms that would expand health insurance to cover everyone and prohibit insurers from denying coverage to people based on pre-existing conditions.

Under such a system, people would also be able to keep their present coverage if they’re happy with it.

Waltner backs a single-payer system, similar to what is used in Canada or Europe. In such a system, health care is paid for by the government and not insurance companies.

Myers, Mrs. Dahlkemper and Foust all agreed that the political will for single-payer probably isn’t there. They said they would vote for it, but doubted it had a shot.

“It’s been knocked down pretty solidly,” Mrs. Dahlkemper said, in reference to failed efforts in the early 1990s to enact such a plan.

Waltner said the fear of single-payer comes from the idea that smaller government is always better. “The government does do some things better,” he said.

He said he would be a strong advocate for single-payer.

Most of the Democrats have stressed that they were opposed to the Iraq war from the start, and they all favor a phased withdrawal of American forces.

A phased withdrawal would take cues from generals in Iraq, Foust said. Under a Democratic president, he said, “We’ll have all of our combat troops out within a year.”

He said if Sen. John McCain is elected, and the war continues without political progress, he would consider voting to cut off funding for the war.

“I don’t think that time is at hand right now,” he added.

Waltner and Myers both promised to use that power of the purse. Waltner said if there was no time-table for withdrawal attached, he would not vote for any more money to fund the war.

Myers also favored a withdrawal that would leave in place key personnel to guard the American embassy, continue humanitarian aid and leave supervisors for training Iraqi forces.

Mrs. Dahlkemper also said she’d tie further funding of the war to withdrawal plans. However, she said it has to be orderly with an eye toward keeping Iraq’s borders secure and handing the country safely over to their new government.

“We made a mess over there, we owe the people of Iraq,” Mrs. Dahlkemper said.

Candidates also took differing views on how to deal with the housing crisis that’s sent shockwaves through the economy.

Everyone agreed the controversial bailout of the Bear Stearns investment bank was a necessary move by the Federal Reserve to keep further financial earthquakes at bay.

Foust said the housing crisis is “a tragedy put upon us from the Republican Congress before the Democrats took over,” and added that it will be up to Democrats to clean up.

He said he would back a bill making it easier for the average working person to go into bankruptcy and try to end predatory lending practices.

Among homeowners facing foreclosure in the wake of the crisis, some people were clearly suckered by lenders, Myers said. Others tried to live beyond their means.

He said he favors legislation that would provide aid to those who were tricked into a bad deal, but not to those who made a bad call.

Mrs. Dahlkemper said she’d be cautious about government bail-outs for bad business decisions by people or companies, but where lending was predatory, she said it should be prosecuted.

Waltner said more restrictions on the lenders are necessary, and attacked the idea that less-regulated markets are always better. “It doesn’t work. It’s made our economy very volatile and we almost saw it collapse.”