The scandal that has distracted Albany for the past couple of weeks has taken attention from the lack of representation for residents of the 118th Assembly District.

The seat has been vacant since Sen. Darrel J. Aubertine was elected to the Senate in February in a special election to fill the post vacated by James W. Wright. While there had been talk of a special election for the Assembly seat, that has been sidelined during the transition of power to Gov. David A. Paterson. But it cannot go on without attention at this important time in state government.

The people of the 118th Assembly District are unrepresented during the heart of discussions on a 2008-09 budget that will allocate school aid and set assistance to municipalities. They lack someone in the Assembly to give voice to their concerns and interests from agricultural policy to upstate development to state taxation.

District residents are being left out of critical decisions in the short term, but it should not be allowed to continue for the coming months. There is a mechanism in place for Gov. Paterson to rectify the situation. He should call a special election and get it done in fairness to the people of the 118th Assembly District.