Wilkerson may resort to a sticker campaign

State Senator Dianne Wilkerson, who has had a long history of legal problems, may have to wage a difficult sticker campaign for reelection this fall after failing to collect enough signatures to qualify for a place on the ballot.

City officials said yesterday that the Roxbury Democrat turned in 263 valid signatures, 37 shy of the 300 required to be placed on the ballot.

Wilkerson, a veteran politician first elected in 1992, submitted 491 signatures to the Boston Election Department minutes before the May 2 deadline. But election workers discarded nearly half of them, including 136 that came from voters outside her district.

Wilkerson issued a short statement yesterday saying she will seek a review of the signatures. She was out of town and did not return phone calls seeking comment.

''Sometimes signatures are illegible; other times clarification is needed around a person's voting address," the statement said. ''If, however, after careful review, it is still determined that I remain short the number of signatures necessary to enable my name to be on the ballot in November, I intend to wage a vigorous sticker campaign to retain my Senate seat."

Opposing Wilkerson is Republican newcomer Samiyah Diaz, a 28-year-old law student from Roxbury who filed enough signatures to have her name appear on the September GOP primary ballot. But now she may run as both a Republican and a write-in Democratic candidate.

''This means the Democratic primary is blown wide open: Anyone can run as a Democrat," said Daniel Winslow, a former judge and onetime governor's legal counsel who is advising Diaz.

Wilkerson has until 5 p.m. May 25 to request review of her signatures by the city's Election Department. Unless the department changes its ruling, no name will appear on the Democratic primary ballot for her state Senate district this September.

That means voters would have to write in Wilkerson's name -- or Diaz, if she challenges Wilkerson in the Democratic primary -- or place a sticker with the candidate's name on the ballot.

According to the secretary of state's office, write-in candidates need to win at least 300 votes in the September primary to have their name appear on the November ballot. The candidate with the most votes in the party primary will be identified as the Democratic nominee on the November ballot.

If Diaz outpolls Wilkerson in the Democratic primary, she would win the seat, appearing on the November ballot as both the Democratic and Republican nominee.

If Wilkerson beats Diaz in September, they would face off again in November.

Wilkerson has been reelected repeatedly, even after other missteps. In 1997, she was sentenced to six months' house arrest and fined $2,000 after pleading guilty to misdemeanor federal income tax charges.

She is defending herself against a suit brought by Attorney General Thomas F. Reilly, who alleges that Wilkerson failed to report $26,935 in political donations and failed to explain $18,277 in payments made to her by her campaign.

Yesterday, neighborhood activists were stunned by her apparent blunder.

''Are you kidding?" asked Horace Small, executive director of the Union of Minority Neighborhoods, an organization that trains community activists. ''I'm in shock. I don't know of any election in which a write-in candidate has won. I don't know how that gets pulled off, but obviously there are going to be folks like myself who are going to help her.

''Dianne has commanded the respect of enough people out there -- her church, her friends, and other organizations -- so that we'll go out there to get this done," Small said. ''There is a lot of heavy lifting ahead. That's all I can tell you -- this ain't going to be easy."

Darnell Williams, president of the Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts, called Wilkerson's failure to win a place on the ballot ''a devastating blow."

''This is not good news for those of us who have called upon her to help us on issues coming from the state," he said. ''We're hopeful she will reconstruct her game plan and she will prevail."

Some Roxbury activists said Wilkerson's miscue may open the door for her challenger.

''This is an opportunity for the young woman to step forward and establish herself," said Julio Henriquez, a member of the Roxbury Neighborhood Council. ''It could be the last hurrah for Dianne. This could be her death knell."