Two strong candidates

PURE POLITICAL juices started to flow through Dorchester, Mattapan, Hyde Park, and Milton last fall when it became clear that former House speaker Thomas Finneran would resign the seat he had first won in 1978. Five Democratic candidates -- all earnest and well informed -- have advanced good arguments why they deserve to succeed Finneran.But only one candidate -- Linda Dorcena Forry -- is uniquely situated to deal with the challenges and paradoxes facing the district. The Globe endorses her bid next Tuesday in the special Democratic primary.

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Forry, the 31-year-old daughter of Haitian immigrants, is adept in the ways of the 12th Suffolk District, where people from many ethnic and economic classes live within shouting distance. Regardless of the neighborhood or venue, voters appear to gravitate to the affable Forry. Her ability to unify divergent groups is probably her greatest skill, honed during many hours of brokering deals as an official with Boston's well-regarded Department of Neighborhood Development.

Forry is not alone among the Democratic candidates who oppose the death penalty and support same-sex marriage. And she is one of three Haitian candidates who could give Beacon Hill a needed jolt of political pluralism. It is Forry's housing policy experience that sets her apart. If elected, she could assume an immediate leadership role in helping to ease the zoning restrictions statewide that prevent moderate-income families from finding affordable homes.

Forry would be wise, however, to rethink her opposition to the high-stakes Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System test. The exam is largely responsible for increased accountability in public education in Boston and other cities with a history of weak academic performance.

A spirited Democratic primary is also underway in Allston, Brighton, and Brookline, where four Democratic candidates are seeking to replace former state representative Brian Golden, who left for a job in the Romney administration. Brighton resident Michael Moran is the candidate with the strongest ties to the district and the deepest commitment to constituent service, plus reliable stands on hot-button issues including support for stem cell research, same-sex marriage, and abortion rights. The Globe endorses his candidacy.

Moran, 34, is not shy about making his presence felt, whether he is fighting for improved public transportation along Commonwealth Avenue or working with a troubled boy through the youth hockey system. Moran, a former aide to Boston City Councilor Stephen Murphy was tireless in serving the needs of elderly people and struggling families. He has earned the chance to step up to Beacon Hill.