Bexar County government has made a lot of progress in recent years.

County Judge Nelson Wolff, who is seeking his third full term as Bexar's chief elected official, has set the pace for modernizing the county approach to leadership.

Following a trail first blazed by his predecessor, Cyndi Taylor Krier, Wolff has expanded the job beyond the traditional limits. He put the county in the thick of economic development efforts, becoming a dependable partner for city leaders.

Wolff, a former mayor of San Antonio, orchestrated the extension of the county venue tax to provide needed funding for the San Antonio River Improvements Project, a new performing arts center as well as the development of athletic facilities across the county.

The county judge faces marginal opposition in the Democratic primary and none in the general election. That's no accident. Wolff's progressive leadership rises above partisan politics.

The judge's second full term hasn't been flawless. He and his colleagues created three new county courts-at-law at a time when budget woes should have persuaded them to wait.

But Wolff's overall performance has been commendable. His capable presence and partnership with city government has been a vital stabilizing factor for the community.

Two other Democratic members of the Bexar County Commissioners Court face primary opposition.

In Precinct 2, Paul Elizondo is seeking his seventh consecutive term. He served an earlier term before making a failed attempt to become county judge.

The 74-year-old Elizondo is more of an old-fashioned politician than Wolff, but he is a dependable supporter of economic development projects and progressive change.

Elizondo's knowledge of the budget and willingness to immerse himself in the nitty-gritty details of county government make him a key player. Elizondo's colleagues rely heavily on his know-how.

Former City Councilwoman Delicia Herrera is challenging Elizondo, but Herrera has not demonstrated an acceptable level of knowledge or preparation for the job.

Precinct 2 and Bexar County will be best served if Democratic voters nominate Elizondo one more time. Republicans did not field a candidate for the post.

In Precinct 4, Commissioner Tommy Adkisson faces two challengers: former Councilwoman Sheila McNeil and political novice Anna Campos.

The Express-News Editorial Board offers no endorsement in the Precinct 4 Democratic primary.

Adkisson has been a major disappointment in his current term.

His actions as chairman of the Metropolitan Planning Organization have been counterproductive and stunningly ill-considered.

He pushed for passage of a proposal that would have eliminated toll roads from consideration on U.S. 281 and launched a non-toll plan that had not been studied.

Thankfully, Adkisson's scheme failed. If he had won the battle, federal stimulus funds for the non-toll work at Loop 1604 and U.S. 281 would have been lost.

Adkisson also was at the center of Commissioners Court's most embarrassing episode in years.

Commissioners voted to spend $385,000 for lighting at a South Side baseball park at the request of his longtime political consultant JoAnn Ramon. She had told commissioners that lighting had been left out of the original request for park improvements that were funded by the county venue tax.

The claim turned out to be false and the additional funding violated the commissioners' pledge that they would not approve additional funding for the 13 venue projects approved by voters in 2008. They reversed the action.

Adkisson tried to spread the blame to his colleagues and has said Ramon is not managing his re-election bid.

But the smell of cronyism can't be washed away so easily. Ramon has been an integral part of Adkisson's political world for decades.

Sadly, neither McNeil nor Campos provides a solid alternative.

As a member of City Council, McNeil showed little leadership on her district's difficult choices, preferring to obstruct on issues such as the controversial RediFuel rezoning case rather than educate constituents on the benefits.

She once conducted a filibuster by reading a book from the council dais because her colleagues opposed her proposal to hire a PR firm to educate the public about the impact of the Base Realignment and Closure Commission decision that will add 12,000 jobs at Fort Sam Houston. The issue was hardly worth such abrasive behavior.

In a recent interview, McNeil sang the same tune that she used last year in her dismal mayoral candidacy: Get ready for BRAC growth.

But she offered no evidence that she has been studying county government and/or preparing for a role as commissioner.

Campos also fails to demonstrate readiness for the job.

In November, the Democratic nominee will face Republican Larry Click.