As Hawai'i looks toward Tuesday's Democratic caucuses, many party members and potential participants remain undecided about which of the two Democratic candidates most deserves our support as our presidential nominee.

Local opinion and national electoral results show that this year's choice is a tough one. Both Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton are fine candidates and share meaningful ties to Hawai'i. For me, the final choice comes down to experience, a proven ability to lead, and values and proposals that will clearly benefit our state. That is why I support Hillary Clinton.

After nearly eight years of the Bush administration's misplaced priorities and dangerous policies, we will need a president who can begin moving our country in the right direction. With a war on two fronts and an economy sliding into recession, we need a leader who is ready to make a difference on day one, to begin addressing the challenges facing our nation.

On the question of experience, there has never been a question about which candidate leads the way. Sen. Clinton clearly represents the direct experience and proven skills our next president will rely on to get our nation back on track. Her time in the U.S. Senate has demonstrated that she not only understands the issues and takes strong stands on the questions that are at the heart of America's core values, but also that she can and does bring together groups and individuals of differing opinions, to help craft effective, productive and satisfying solutions.

Hillary's time in the White House also showed us that she is willing to take the lead on tough issues. Nearly 15 years after her fight to bring affordable healthcare to Americans of all classes, there is no longer any doubt how effective her plan would have been, and how the intervening years of neglect have affected still more families. Her focus on early education and our commitment to our children continues to resonate in our communities.

For those of us in Hawai'i, the question of which candidate deserves our support hits closer to home. On the issues that matter most to Hawai'i, Hillary Clinton again represents our best chance to support and preserve the Hawai'i we treasure.

Because of our state's unique requirement of employer-provided medical insurance, our healthcare concerns differ from those of the rest of the country. Especially for the nearly 30 percent of our population living in our rural communities, a more pressing question is the availability of medical services. To help keep those services available, Hillary has made a commitment to making Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements fair to doctors and hospitals, which will help bring healthcare professionals to those areas. Her healthcare plan will focus on preventive care and coordinated care of the chronic diseases that more often strike our rural residents. She will also provide funding to recruit, retain and educate healthcare professionals in rural areas.

In education, as well, Sen. Clinton has presented concrete plans to make improvements that will serve Hawai'i's unique needs. She will provide more than $2 million to recruit and retain the best and brightest to teach in our most challenged schools, and provide $10 billion to fund universal pre-school, and help ensure that every child starts school ready to learn. And, perhaps most importantly for the needs of our state and our students, she will end the unfunded mandate of No Child Left Behind, and instead put in place a system that rewards success and helps us create programs that truly serve our needs.

As the most petroleum-dependent state in our country, Hawai'i will benefit greatly from Hillary's focus on alternative energy development. She has made a commitment to strengthening our economy and making investments that will create new jobs. And she will continue to fund programs that help us preserve and protect our natural and cultural resources.

All of us share a dream for a stronger state and a better America. The bigger question we face is who is best suited to put us on a path toward living that dream, and who will provide the strong leadership to deliver the future we desire and deserve. For me, the clear answer is Hillary Clinton.

State Sen. Colleen Hanabusa is the Hawai'i co-chair for the Hillary Clinton campaign. She wrote this commentary for The Advertiser.