Thompson Faces Five Challengers in State House Race

So far six candidates have declared their intent to vie for the state legislature seat representing the 28th district by obtaining the necessary preliminary papers, according to the Secretary of the Commonwealth's office.

The 28th District includes such diverse areas of Cambridge as Harvard, Porter and Central Squares, Cambridge-port and Area 4.

Jarrett T. Barrios '90, Dennis Benzan, David A. Hoicka, Ralph Lopez and incumbent and part-time Pforzheimer House security guard Alvin E. Thompson have tossed their hats into the ring on the Democratic side.

And, for the first time since 1964, a Republican will also run in largely Democratic Cambridge.

"It's going to be a good election," laughs Republican candidate Ronald W. Potvin.

Issues at Hand

All candidates interviewed said educational reform is one of their priorities, but other issues varied from candidate to candidate.

Barrios says he will focus on affordable housing; as a lawyer, he says he has worked with housing issues for the past few years.

"I decided to take the leap for public office because of what I was seeing in the volunteer and civic work I was involved in," Barrios says, pointing to his experiences teaching in public schools and his housing law background as qualifications.

Additionally, Barrios says he hopes to increase student activism and give a voice to Latinos in the state legislature.

There are currently no Latinos in the state legislature, Barrios says.

"I have a deep investment in and a deep understanding of [Latino] issues," Barrios explains.

Hoicka's agenda includes supporting a health care bill of rights, affordable housing and a stop to overdevelopment.

"[Overdevelopment] tends to turn Cambridge into more of a mall type of place, a faceless place that could be anywhere," Hoicka says.

Hoicka says his goal is to "involve these incredible resources we have in this district to really do something in the State House."

Thompson, who has represented the 28th since 1986, lists taxes, health care, court systems and environmental issues among his priorities.

"I feel that I have experience," Thompson says. "As the incumbent, I've been over the district back and forth."

Potvin, as the lone Republican, has a slightly different stance, emphasizing the reinstatement of capital punishment as one of his top priorities.

"It's time to send a message; it's time to take a stand; it's time to start focusing on the crime issue," Potvin says.

Potvin clarifies, though, that the bill he would support to reinstate capital punishment "would stay away from circumstantial evidence, because mistakes can be made."

Also, Potvin hopes to create business opportunities for minorities through "enterprise zones" similar to those in Boston which entice new businesses by offering a reduction in the number of permits and fees required and lowered taxes.

Abolishing so-called "nuisance taxes" and cutting capital gains and state income taxes is Potvin's third aim.

But can a Republican win in the staunchly Democratic Cambridge?

Potvin thinks so.

A Republican in a Democratic Town

Despite the absence of Republican candidates in the 28th during the last 34 years, Potvin argues that the large number of Democratic candidates for the seat will only serve to weaken the Democratic side come the September primary.

"I think [the Democratic race] is going to be brutal. I think people will be sick of it," Potvin says.

"When a Republican is on the other side offering fresh issues, I believe Democrats will come around to vote Republican," Potvin says.

Potvin also contends that Democratic candidates, tending towards "the extreme left side," do not represent the community nor are they familiar with the issues facing the majority of Cantabrigians.

"In terms of unity, in terms of understanding the issues, I really don't see [myself and the other candidates] being the same, outside of just being from Cambridge," Potvin says.

Barrios says he is looking forward to the possibility of facing a Republican candidate in the general election.

"I am thrilled about the opportunity of debating somebody in the general election [but] the challenge before me is the primary," Barrios says.

Barrios adds that he does not think the number of Democratic candidates will splinter the party. "The more, the better--it gives all of the candidates an opportunity to show what we're about and to further a community dialogue," he says.

In addition to the growing Democrat-Republican tension in the race, there is also friction between incumbent Thompson and other candidates.

An Absent Incumbent?

Nearly all the candidates for the 28th criticize Thompson for his low voting attendance record at the State House.

"Alvin Thompson has two other jobs, and, except for the past year, has been absent significant amounts of time from the state legislature," Hoicka says.

"He has had among the worst attendance record of any state representative in the House," Hoicka continues. "I think that speaks for itself."

Potvin levies the same charges against Thompson.

"People are angry with Alvin Thompson," Potvin says. "[His attendance record] sends a message that if you don't want to show up for half your votes, you don't care."

And although Barrios says he objects to "focusing on [Thompson's] faults," he does describe the incumbent as "inactive" and "disinterested" in his job.

Thompson defends his attendance record, saying his two other jobs (as a part-time security guard and a school department employee) is "not an issue."

"It doesn't affect me at all," Thompson says, estimating that the majority of the state representatives hold other jobs.

Thompson adds that if the candidates believe that they will be able to work in the State House without holding other jobs, "they've got another thing coming."

The Race

The candidates say they are expecting an exciting race come September.

"Alvin Thompson hasn't had a viable opponent since he's been elected, and that's how our campaign is going to be different," Barrios says.

"It should be a vigorous race," says Hoicka.

But despite the brewing tensions, Wallace W. Sherwood, president of the Alliance for Change, predicts that the race will not be particularly noteworthy.

The Alliance for Change is one of Cambridge's two main political parties.

"I suspect that this election may not be as hot as some elections have been in Cambridge," Sherwood says.

"I don't think that the election landscape has really settled in any particular area," Sherwood says, adding that there are no "hot issues," such as rent control, this time around.