In race for Havern's seat, all roads lead to Arlington

With a crowded field and a compressed timetable, the Democratic race to replace state Senator Robert A. Havern is shaping up to be about geography and biography more than policy.

That was clear last week at the first forum for the candidates and is likely to be the case when they meet again tonight. The four - three state lawmakers and a retired firefighter and union leader - differ on some matters but agree on major issues, like a shared desire to ease the burden on property taxpayers while generating more state money for local schools, public safety, and public works. They support abortion rights, are concerned about global warming, believe police and firefighters should face mandatory drug testing, and think healthcare should be more affordable.

So the Democrats in the Nov. 13 primary for the Fourth Middlesex District - retired firefighter Kenneth J. Donnelly of Arlington, Representative J. James Marzilli Jr. of Arlington, Representative Charles A. Murphy of Burlington, and Representative Patrick M. Natale of Woburn - are stressing personal accomplishments and, especially, local ties.

Arlington is the largest community in the district, which also covers all of Billerica and Burlington and most of Lexington and Woburn. It was the home base for Havern and his Senate predecessor, Richard Kraus, as well as the site of last week's forum and tonight's debate.

Marzilli is an Arlington native who has represented the town in the House for 17 years, but others also staked Arlington claims last week. Donnelly, known in Lexington as a fire lieutenant, noted his standing as a lifelong Arlingtonian and former youth hockey coach. And Murphy, a sixth-term representative from Burlington, told the crowd that he had spent many holidays in Arlington, where his parents met in first grade.

"I've got a lot of history here," Murphy said at the start of the Arlington Democratic Town Committee forum. Later, he thanked the committee for giving voters a chance to hear the candidates' positions - and learn "that my parents are from Arlington."

Natale, the Woburn lawmaker, tried a different approach. "Give a young guy a chance," the 38-year-old said. With four children under age 7, Natale has campaigned as someone who knows the challenges facing young working families.

Some differences emerged: Marzilli was the only candidate opposed to Governor Deval Patrick's casino plan; Marzilli and Murphy, the longest-serving lawmakers, were most fluent in numbers and past legislation. But disagreements were slight; some wanted to rewrite the Chapter 40B affordable-housing law and some wanted to scrap it entirely, but all agreed it was a well-intentioned law beset with problems. The night was collegial and collaborative.

"I don't think you're going to lose no matter who wins this election," Natale said, less than two weeks after he and Murphy had to be separated during a House skirmish that some witnesses said involved finger-twisting.

Issue positions will probably play a secondary role until after the primary, when the Democratic winner will face Republican Brion M. Cangiamila, a former state representative from Billerica, and Thomas E. Fallon, a Constitution Party member from Burlington, on the Dec. 11 special election ballot.

Until then, it's about name recognition and voter identification, said Sean Fitzgerald, a veteran by his estimate of 100 campaigns and currently the chief of staff to Lexington Representative Jay R. Kaufman, who is uncommitted in the primary. "It's very tough to have issues really resonate in a special election," Fitzgerald said. "There's just simply no time."

Fitzgerald encouraged Kaufman to run after Havern announced in late August that he was leaving the Senate after 8 1/2 terms to join a Boston lobbying firm. But Kaufman decided against it because he would have needed to move; he lives in one of the three Lexington precincts not included in this Senate district.

Senate vacancies tend to attract House members, given the difficulty of challenging an incumbent, the infrequency with which senators retire, and the prominence of serving in the 40-member Senate (compared with the 160-member House). Also, House members who run for the Senate in special elections don't lose their seats if they lose, unlike representatives who give up seats to run for the Senate in regular election cycles.

That makes it "basically a free pass for somebody to run," said Michael Goldman, a Boston political consultant and longtime adviser to local, state, and national Democratic candidates.

Still, it's a pass that costs money, time, and energy. The Democrats could each spend up to $100,000 or more on a race where turnout is likely to be light, meaning a few hundred or even a few dozen votes could be critical.

A strong field operation to generate turnout will matter most, said Goldman, who is friends with Marzilli but not directly involved in his campaign.

The candidates outlined their public-service records in separate interviews: