Wilkerson wants no misunderstanding about intentions

State senator files 3,000 signatures in pursuit of her ninth term

This time, Dianne Wilkerson took no chances.

In 2006, the state senator from Boston failed to collect enough signatures to get on the Democratic primary ballot. She had to run a sticker campaign and was nearly defeated by her opponent, Sonia Chang-Diaz, whose name also did not appear on the ballot.

This year, Wilkerson qualified for the primary ballot with a whopping 3,000 signatures, 10 times the amount she needed.

"I wanted to dispel any notion as early in the process as possible of just how serious I am about this race," Wilkerson said.

"I would never allow myself to be engaged in a sticker campaign again. That is the loudest and clearest way I can answer that question."

But as she seeks reelection to a ninth term, she again faces Chang-Diaz, a former Jamaica Plain schoolteacher, in a race that is expected to be hotly contested.

Wilkerson edged Chang-Diaz in 2006, 5,466 to 5,325, when both relied on stickers to get their votes.

Chang-Diaz said the 2006 results were enough to convince her that she could beat Wilkerson in a race when both their names appear on the ballot.

"Almost all of our time with voters had to be spent dealing with the mechanics [of the sticker campaign] and clarifying name confusion with a Republican [Samiyah Diaz] whose name was similar to mine," said Chang-Diaz. "We didn't have time to dive into issues facing the district."

The two faced off in their second debate last night, where the main issues were education, healthcare, and casinos.

The candidates both opposed bringing casinos to Massachusetts to solve economic woes, but they disagreed on the merits of the proposal.

"I commend the governor for not sticking his head in the sand," Chang-Diaz said. "That being said, I do not think casinos are the right way to go."

Wilkerson, however, said: "I don't consider it courage at all. . . . It doesn't matter how many jobs [are created], if you do not have a car you will not be working at a casino."

The race also has inevitable racial overtones.

A prominent supporter of Wilkerson said she is making it clear to voters that if Wilkerson is not reelected, there will be no black state senators in office.

"That's an extra dynamic for many people in the African-American community that this is our only African-American Senate seat," said political consultant Joyce Ferriabough. "It plays heavily when Roxbury and Mattapan come out super-deep for Dianne."

In 2006, Chang-Diaz beat Wilkerson in other parts of the city, including Beacon Hill and her own Jamaica Plain.

Chang-Diaz said she is not playing up her Asian and Hispanic ethnicity to voters, but she did suggest in an interview that Hispanic voters appreciate having a Spanish-speaking candidate.

Globe correspondent Sarah Gantz contributed to this report. John C. Drake can be reached at jdrake@globe.com.