Ryan O'Neal Echoles abandoned his run for State Senate this week. The political newcomer saw Durham's big-three PACs (People's Alliance, Friends of Durham, Durham Committee) endorse his incumbent opponent, Floyd McKissick, and then saw the handwriting on the wall.

Bowing out, though, he did have a point to make: "The average Durhamite has never heard of those organizations," Echoles said; he wanted to represent "the other Durham."

Arguable points, maybe, but this much is fact -- Echoles' departure leaves Durham County's whole legislative delegation free of competition in next month's Democratic primary.

And only two of our six incumbents -- McKissick and Sen. Bob Atwater -- have Republicans in their way to reinstatement.

Wait a minute.

Nothing against any of our incumbents, but, out of a quarter of a million citizens in Durham County, doesn't anybody else want to go to Raleigh?

We meant, as a legislator.

Come on -- this is the delegation that (OK, McKissick's only been there one year) has fallen short on getting help for Durham's long-undermanned and -overtaxed DA staff. Our people in Raleigh have said they couldn't swing the impact fees that benefit other counties' budgets -- hometown authorities have been asking for them at least since 1995. And then there's Rougemont's long-foiled bid for a vote on incorporation.

Whatever the merits or demerits of those particulars, it's not unusual to hear elected folk and others politically savvy complain about Durham's perceived lack of legislative clout.

So is somebody... ? Anybody? Doing anything?

Actions speak louder than words and they say everybody is happy with the status quo. True, anything that goes east on I-40 runs a risk of vanishing into a great black hole, but it's not like Durham and the state legislature have only a passing acquaintance.

When he died in 1999, Durham state Sen. Kenneth Royall ("The Bear") was eulogized as a man who had his hand on the purse strings, knew where the bodies were and did more than any other state lawmaker to make Durham's Research Triangle what it is.

In short, Durham had power in North Carolina. Nowadays it has -- an image problem?

Durham was graced by the late, lamented Renaissance Revival Union Station only because the General Assembly forced five railroads to serve it, at the hometown brass's request. Durham County exists at all only because local legislators knew their way around smoke-filled rooms well enough to snake away half of Orange County in 1881.

Oh, well. As we said, nothing against any incumbent. Men good and honorable all.

But this is a republic. The citizens elect those who represent them where the pork is carved. If there really is dissatisfaction afoot with the bacon our legislators have brought home, somebody ought to be running.

If not for Raleigh, then for the county line.