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Sen. Jon Kyl has been an important advocate for Arizona in Washington and an indefatigable workhorse on national and international issues for some 20 years.

Kyl is challenged in this election by Democrat Jim Pederson, a shopping-center developer making his first run for office, and Libertarian Richard Mack, a former Graham County sheriff.

One of Kyl's most valuable assets is his ability to analyze a problem and reshape his thinking when necessary and collaborate with those who have a different point of view. In Washington, he says, experience matters. That is, we believe, unquestionably true, and one of the main reasons we endorse Kyl for re-election.

Kyl is best known nationally for his support of President Bush and the war on terrorism, his belief that the U.S. presence in Iraq is essential, and his views on immigration-law reform and border security.

Kyl said the border with Mexico must be secured with some kind of fence, or a combination of a fence and electronic sensors and radar, but only after talking with affected communities and Indian nations.

The Tohono O'odham Nation objects to a fence through the 75 miles of its land that hugs the Mexican border. Tribal officials say it would impede wildlife routes and create a hardship for O'odham who live in Sonora but come to tribal ceremonies and clinics in Arizona.

Kyl is the author of one of several immigration bills that address border security. Like the others, his includes a system that enables employers to verify the legal status of seasonal workers. Such workers are needed for agricultural and construction jobs. "Over half the people building homes here are illegal immigrants," Kyl said.

Kyl's views on national security issues are well-known, but many voters are unaware of the crucial work he's done for the state in resolving water conflicts with Indian nations, or gaining federal reimbursements to hospitals that treat illegal immigrants, or his successful battles to keep Medicare from slashing reimbursements to doctors treating the elderly.

The water supply is a perennial concern. Until 2004, no city on the Central Arizona Project system could say with certainty how much water would be available to it in the future. There were long-standing lawsuits brought by Indian nations whose members have inhabited the region for centuries before Europeans arrived in North America.

Kyl crafted an agreement in 2004, primarily with the Gila River Indian Community, that clarified how much CAP water the Indians would get and how much would be left for distribution to non-Indian communities. For planners, developers and future residents, the Indian Water Rights settlement was of incalculable value.

We believe he should continue his work in the Senate because his experience benefits Arizona.