Down-ballot races like the state insurance commissioner and lieutenant governor get scant attention, especially in crowded election seasons like this one.

It’s a good thing then that the power of incumbency enjoyed by the sitting state executives is well-deserved.

One challenger – Marcia McCraw, the Republican candidate for lieutenant governor – earned our co-endorsement in the primary. But for the general election, our endorsement goes exclusively to Brad Owen.

During his decade presiding over the Senate, Owen has set the tone for decorum and respect. He also has made the most of a job with few specific duties, taking the lead on trade missions and visiting schools across the state to talk about substance abuse and bullying.

Four other state executives have already received our sole endorsement for jobs well done.

Take Republican Sam Reed. The two-term secretary of state has a deserved reputation for his scrupulous administration of elections.

Partisans attacked his handling of the 2004 governor’s race as essentially being too fair. He made the best of a bad situation then and later championed reforms to clean up voter rolls and ensure the integrity of ballots.

His Democratic opponent, Jason Osgood, says he’s running to protect voter privacy and ensure an accurate ballot count. We think Reed is doing a fine job on both fronts.

In the state auditor’s race, the challenger, Republican Dick McEntee, also fails to make a case for replacing the Democratic incumbent.

Brian Sonntag has been an unabashed advocate for government transparency and accountability. His performance audits have identified $3.2 billion in potential cost savings for the state, recommendations that should come in handy for lawmakers looking to close a budget hole that’s roughly the same size.

Fellow Democrat Mike Kreidler is another man in the right place at the right time. Kriedler has proven adept at walking the line between evenhanded regulation and consumer advocacy during his eight years as state insurance commissioner. GOP challenger John Adams can’t match his record.

Finally, in the one statewide nonpartisan race, we again are supporting Terry Bergeson for superintendent of public instruction.

Challenger Randy Dorn, a former lawmaker and school principal, is a formidable opponent.

But we’re sticking with Bergeson for her dogged support of higher standards for schools in the face of staunch opposition. She’s made mistakes, but that’s to be expected in any bold endeavor.

Bergeson has made concessions where necessary, but has not given up insisting that the state demand more from students. That’s what Washington needs from its schools chief.