Toomey To Challenge Vellucci for Seat

City Councillor Timothy J. Toomey will challenge five term State Rep. Peter Vellucci for his 29th Middlesex District seat in the Democratic primary this fall.

Toomey decided to run for the state seat--which includes the eastern third of Cambridge and part of Somerville--after receiving encouragement of numerous supporters in both Cambridge and neighboring Somerville. He said yesterday that he hopes to bring "a greater voice of the people to beacon Hill."

"What I'd like to bring to that position is the perspective of the financial difficulties that most cities are experiencing now," said Toomey.

Toomey stunned pundits last fall when he finished third in preliminary voting for the city council despite a widespread belief that the councillor would be hurt by former Mayor Alfred. E. Vellucci's bid for election to the council.

Toomey cited his experiences with the city's own economic troubles and the "tales of woe" his constituents relay to him as evidence of the need for an increased role providing human services.

If elected to a seat in the State House, Toomey will retain his position as a councillor but leave his part-time job at Dynatrend, he said. The Independent councillor added that the does not foresee that holding the two political offices will cause any problems, but will evaluate the situation after one year in his offices.

Although Toomey, a former school committee member, has not yet pulled together a platform, he said yesterday that he would emphasize mental health, welfare, education and hunger as some of the issues he will stress during his campaign.

"There has got to be an alternative to the [drastic cutbacks that Governor Weld proposed," said Toomey.

He said the race against the seasoned state representative will be difficult, but said the grassroots approach to campaigning, which brought him into a solid fourth place during the last council election in November, will not change.

"People want to see the candidate they're voting for," he said. "I'm looking forward to getting out and talking to the people."

Toomey said that he will avoid negative campaign techniques that he believes Vellucci used in his 1988 race against Somerville state Rep. Marie Howe.

He said he has spoken to Vellucci and hopes to schedule a debate before the September primary.

Vellucci, who is the son of former Mayor Vellucci, did not return phone calls to his office and home yesterday.

Vellucci was re elected to his seat without opposition in the election two years ago.