Economic development is Larry Hogan’s brand. It was the key issue in his campaign for governor four years ago, and if his first campaign commercial is any indication, the notion that Maryland was in the doldrums before he came along and is humming now will be central to his re-election effort. Polling tends to suggest that voters are persuaded; he consistently gets good marks for his handling of the economy.

So, are the Democrats seeking to challenge him ceding the issue? No way. Attorney Jim Shea, the former head of the Venable law firm, says he’ll put his business record up against Governor Hogan’s any time, and he has mounted an extensive critique of the state’s economic growth compared to other states during the Hogan years.

Former Montgomery County councilwoman Valerie Ervin regularly blasts the governor for pledging up to $8 billion in economic incentives for “the richest man in the world” — Jeff Bezos — to lure Amazon.com’s second headquarters to the state.

Former NAACP President and CEO Ben Jealous touts his experience as a venture capitalist helping nurture tech companies and his work as a civil rights advocate on issues of economic inequality.

State Sen. Richard Madaleno points to his record of fighting to help workers in the legislature through efforts to provide paid sick leave (successful) and raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour (so far, not).

Former Obama administration official Krish Vignarajah promises to create 250,000 good-paying private sector jobs.

Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker focuses his message on the economic turnaround of his county.

And although all of the Democrats are focused on inequality in Marylanders’ economic prospects, that issue is the raison d’etre of author/entrepreneur Alec Ross’ campaign.

Who’s the best on this issue? It depends on your priorities.

If your focus is on enacting worker-friendly policies like a $15 minimum wage, Messrs. Jealous and Madaleno are the best bets. Mr. Madaleno has an edge on the inside game of corralling the votes to get an ambitious policy proposal through the General Assembly, having done so on a wide variety of issues in the past. Mr. Jealous has the experience in organizing a grassroots coalition to help make the political climate more favorable to such an action, and he’s done that before in Maryland and elsewhere.

For family-friendly economic policies, look to Ms. Vignarajah. She backs three months of paid family leave for all Marylanders and promises to end the gender pay gap in state government while pushing businesses to do the same — and she argues that both would benefit the state’s economy.

Mr. Shea offers three pieces of highly relevant experience beyond his success in building Venable. His time as chairman of the University System Board of Regents, his longtime advocacy for transit and his leadership of Baltimore’s empowerment zones. He understands the role of education in growing the economy, the challenge of getting people to jobs and the way tax incentives work (or don’t).

The candidate most clearly attuned to the changing nature of the global economy is Mr. Ross. He even wrote a best-selling book about it, “Industries of the Future,” and he has well developed ideas for how to reorient our educational systems — including for adults — to provide workers with the skills employers need.

Finally, if you want someone who has a real record of accomplishment in creating jobs as a government official, Mr. Baker is your man. The economic turnaround he oversaw in Prince George’s County wasn’t based on luring a big corporation. Rather, he and his excellent economic development team executed the basics. Coming off a pay-to-play scandal that sent his predecessor to jail, Mr. Baker established clear, predictable incentives and regulations, encouraged development around transit sites and made smart investments in infrastructure.