U.S. Sen. John Kerry is in a unique position.

With U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy, he is part of a tandem that probably gives Massachusetts the greatest one-two legislative punch of any state in the nation. With 24 years in the Senate — plus the name of making a strong run for the presidency just four years ago — he carries enormous clout and respect on a national level. And that figures to bode well for Massachusetts and its people if Democrats secure new gains Tuesday in Congress, let alone the White House.

On that count alone, it would be ill-advised for voters to show the four-term senator the door. But seniority and clout within the Senate are hardly the only reasons why Cape Ann voters and others across the Bay State should indeed give Kerry another six years in the nation's capital when they go to the polls next Tuesday.

While grappling with national and international issues, Kerry has in fact served Cape Ann residents well on federal-related local matters, too. That especially includes working hard to secure emergency funding for fishermen who've been set back by overly-aggressive federal regulation, rightfully pressing the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to hold off on any new mandates until at least evaluating the most recent data available — and suggesting that one of the industry's and NOAA's real needs is to find a way to pay for science that has credibility from both sides.

On a more regional note, Kerry has also dug in to promote the importance of Hanscom Air Force Base as an incubator for advanced information technology, and lobbied for federal money to keep needed highway and public transportation improvements on track.

Kerry has taken some hits from his dual challengers this time around — first, from Gloucester attorney Edward O'Reilly, who secured more than 30 percent of the vote in their own party in the Sept. 16 primary — and more recently from Republican challenger Jeff Beatty, who has pressed the senator hard on his votes regarding the Iraq War authorization and funding.

But, as we noted in backing Kerry over O'Reilly's challenge in September, Beatty has not come close to making a legitimate case why he, not Kerry, would better represent Massachusetts voters over the next six years. And that, more than anything else, is the basic question voters must consider when they cast their ballots Tuesday.

It is, in the end, an easy one to answer. Kerry deserves re-election, and the chance to continue his work in the U.S. Senate.