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North County voters will have three distinct choices to be their voice in the U.S. House when they go to the polls Nov. 4. 

Republican Roscoe Bartlett, 82, who has represented the 6th District since 1992, is running for his ninth term. The former scientist, college professor and home builder believes in a limited federal government, as established by the Constitution. He even carries a copy of the Constitution with him wherever he goes.

Democrat Jennifer Dougherty, 47, hopes to unseat the longtime congressman. A 1983 graduate of Mount St. Mary's College in Emmitsburg, Dougherty was elected Frederick's first female mayor and served from 2002 to 2006. She is also the owner of Jennifer's Restaurant in Frederick.

Gary Hoover, 50, the Libertarian Party's pick, was a Democrat for 32 years before switching parties. He is a former police officer who is now in car sales. This is his first run for political office. He was recently hospitalized and had stents placed in arteri his heart, but is back campaigning.

While the candidates have divergent views, they all agree on the recent economic bailout: all three oppose it.

Bartlett voted against the $700 billion economic rescue bill that was approved by Congress on Oct. 3.

"I cast a 'no' vote because it is wrong to make current taxpayers and future generations pay for the decisions of irresponsible borrowers, lenders and investors," said Bartlett, who still commutes to Washington from his Frederick County farm, in a statement.

He said the bill failed to correct federal government policies that have contributed to the economic downturn.

Democratic contender Dougherty said she would have voted against the bailout bill.

"The people I've been talking with on the campaign trail are against the bailout three to one," said Dougherty, who described herself as a moderate Democrat. "We have to allow banks to renegotiate mortgages to keep people in their homes. This bail-out doesn't deal with bad mortgages and I think next year local jurisdictions will feel the lack of property taxes."

Hoover said he would not have voted for any bill, regardless of its dollar amount or intent.

"I don't think the government should interfere with or be involved with private enterprise," he said.

Both Bartlett and Dougherty said the energy crisis is the most pressing issue after the economy.

Dougherty chided Bartlett for his talk about peak oil, the fact that U.S. oil production peaked in 1970 and has been in decline since.

"It's not good enough to give speeches about peak oil, you have to do something about it," she said. "We can't get off our dependence on oil until we have alternatives."

She supports building biofuel refineries.

"Gas takes a big chunk out of our paychecks," she said. "E-85 (fuel with up to 85 percent ethanol) is selling at 60 cents a gallon cheaper than unleaded gas. It's right in front of our faces."

After years of voting against offshore oil drilling, Bartlett said he recently co-sponsored a bipartisan bill to allow drilling because the bill includes tax credits for alternative energy.

"We need more nuclear, wind, solar and hydro power," he said.

Hoover, who said he's a moderate who is tired of the partisan divide in Washington, said energy is certainly an issue, but remains worried about the Iraq war.

"We have already achieved victory," he said. "Now it's time to hand that victory to the Iraqis, go with a 16-month withdrawal and redeploy some of those soldiers to Afghanistan, where the true battle is."

Dougherty wants to bring the troops home as soon as possible, according to her Web site.

"The cost in human life is reason enough to choose to end our occupation of Iraq, but the financial costs have also been huge," she noted.

Bartlett continues to advocate withdrawal from Iraq based on events, not a timetable.

"I want to know how many Iraqi police need to be trained before we leave, how many Iraqi security forces," he said. "You can't put a timeline on those issues. It's very difficult to impose democracy from the top down. It has to be from the ground up."

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