PROVIDENCE — Some seek to bring change and improvement to the General Assembly. Others believe improvement is best made through experienced leadership and continuing the work that has begun.

Such were the refrains voiced by candidates seeking election or reelection to the legislature this year.

While the gubernatorial and U.S. Senate races and the casino referendum have grabbed much of the spotlight in recent weeks, voters will also have choices to make about who will represent them at the General Assembly next year.

There are 19 contested legislative seats in Providence and North Providence in Tuesday’s election, 11 in the House and eight in the Senate.

The issues the candidates are talking about are not new; among them, the need for more economic development, tax relief, affordable housing, affordable health care and education. But more incumbents are being challenged this year.

“It’s probably a little more than usual,” said Laurence K. Flynn, executive secretary of the city Board of Canvassers, noting that more Republicans have made bids for office.

In the House of Representatives, four incumbents and the winner of a primary will run unopposed Tuesday: Rep. Edith Ajello, D-Dist. 3; Rep. Joseph S. Almeida, D- Dist. 12; Rep. Arthur J. Corvese, D-Dist 55 and Rep. William San Bento, D-Dist. 58. Assembly newcomer David A. Segal is unopposed in District 2.

Segal, who is the only Green Party member on the City Council but switched to the Democratic party to run for the legislature, won the nomination and, effectively, the seat formerly held by Rep. Paul Moura. Moura stepped down after moving out of the district.

In the Senate, only Sen. Harold Metts, District 6, will run unopposed.

In House District 1, incumbent John J. McCauley Jr. will square off against Daniel J. Grzych, an independent who describes himself as a “persistent” candidate for having challenged McCauley several times,.

McCauley, 48, has served the district for 16 years and has advocated for jobs, more affordable housing and healthcare reform. He recently sponsored the Home Loan Protection Act, meant to dissuade predatory lending and co-sponsored the Rhode Island Film & Tax Credit, which has generated revenue and jobs for the state.

McCauley, a lifelong Smith Hill resident who owns Capital Public Insurance Adjusters, said he will work to get more money for city schools, and will work to lower city taxes, reduce neighborhood crime and decrease urban blight.

Grzych, 54, is running on a platform that pledges to put people before politics and will continue community involvement as a basketball coach at St. Pius, cook at St. Patrick Church holiday dinners, leader of the Elmhurst Crime Watch and coach for Elmhurst Little League.

Grzych, who works as a stagehand and carpenter at the Providence Performing Arts Center, said he would work to have a community police station at Carroll Towers, a high-rise on Smith Street, and use money from the Intermodal Transportation Fund to build a downtown parking lot that could provide spaces for residential use and events while generating revenue for the Recreation Department and School Department.

In House District 4, incumbent Gordon D. Fox takes on Republican Paul Tarullo.

Fox, 44, who has held the seat for 14 years, serving as House majority leader for the last four years, said he is seeking reelection to continue and build upon work that has been done to phase out the auto excise tax, increase the earned income tax credit for working families and increase economic development opportunities, such as legislation that led to creation of 1,000 jobs at Fidelity Investments in Smithfield.

Fox, an attorney, wrote legislation for the Neighborhood Opportunities Program, which invested $30 million in housing initiatives over the last five years.

Fox lists the priority issues facing his district, which includes the Mount Hope, Blackstone and Summit neighborhoods, as education funding reform, property tax relief, affordable housing and expanding development and job opportunities.

Tarullo, 48, owner of Passport Express Services Inc. and executive director of www.US Citizensrights.org., lists as his priorities education, dealing with illegal immigration and opposition to the West Warwick casino proposal. He said he believes taxpayers can “no longer absorb [the] costs of illegal immigrants” and that construction of a casino would only create jobs that would go to illegal immigrants.

He said he is a proponent of vouchers for private schools and home schooling.

In House District 5, incumbent John J. DeSimone will square off against Ramiro Fernandez, a Republican.

DeSimone, 45, is an attorney who was elected to the seat in 1992 and said he is “seeking reelection because I am committed to serving the best interests of my community and the state of Rhode Island.”

DeSimone, who is a lifelong resident of the district, has identified the top priorities facing his Elmhurst district as economic development, affordable health care and the need for an independent health care administrator who could investigate insurance abuses and soaring prescription drug costs. Tax reduction is also part of his campaign platform. Fernandez, 65, is a computer specialist for Fidelity Investments and is active as a volunteer with the New Life Church in Smithfield.

He is concerned about social and moral issues, believes in honesty and open government and promoting a good business climate for companies coming to Rhode Island, according to David Talan, chairman of the city’s Republican party, who worked to recruit legislative candidates.

In House District 6, which covers portions of Providence and North Providence, incumbent Peter N. Wasylyk will face Republican Louis A. DiManni. Wasylyk, 49, an attorney, has represented the district since 1984 and is seeking election to continue working on legislation that will “improve the quality of life for all Rhode Islanders” by supporting bills that address health, safety and financial stability.

Among the priority issues facing state residents, Wasylyk identified access to quality and affordable health care, the elimination of the automobile property tax and increased regulation of nursing homes.

If reelected, he said he would continue working to ease the financial burden on the middle class by reducing taxes and protecting consumers through strong consumer protection legislation.

DiManni, 64, a retired chief warrant officer and government auditor who works as an insurance benefits representative, denounces the one-party system that he says has dominated the General Assembly for 65 years.

In calling for change, DiManni lists his priority issues as working to make the state more affordable to future generations, creating a well-educated work force and “bringing balance and credibility to the General Assembly.”

If elected, he would work to lower taxes, promote small business growth and create more affordable health care.

In House District 7, incumbent Joanne M. Giannini takes on Republican Jeffrey R. Szymanski.

Giannini, 53, who has served six terms in the district that covers Elmhurst and Mount Pleasant, is a retired city purchasing agent, former real estate agent and lifelong city resident.

She has worked to phase out the auto excise tax, promote heath care reform and nursing home reform and push for an increase in the city’s portion of the state aid to education.

Giannini lists as her priority issues increased school aid to Providence to lessen the tax burden, a tax freeze for the elderly, disabled and veterans, universal health care and legislation that would eliminate neighborhood blight.

Szymanski, 35, is a high school teacher in Walpole, Mass., who is president of the district’s teachers union. He ran against Giannini two years ago and won 33 percent of the vote.

Szymanski, who served as a budget analyst for the Rhode Island General Assembly from 1999 to 2000, said he is seeking office to “improve the way we finance our schools, increase funding for college scholarships and make Rhode Island more welcoming to business by reducing our very heavy tax burden.”

He lists as his priority issues education, jobs and a growing economy, and tax relief for seniors, veterans and families.

In House District 8, which includes the Federal Hill, West Broadway and Valley neighborhoods, incumbent Steven M. Constantino will square off against Republican newcomer Lynell C. Masterson.

Constantino, 49, a lifelong city resident and manager at Venda Ravioli Inc., was elected in 1994 and serves as chairman of the House Committee on Finance.

He said he has worked for broad-based tax relief, affordable health care, protecting the elderly and children and maintaining neighborhood quality of life.

Masterson, 35, works with her husband’s company, G3 Construction, and works as a financial consultant.

She was born on Federal Hill and was active in the West Broadway Neighborhood Association, Talan said.

In House District 9, incumbent Anastasia P. Williams will face off against Noel O. Sanchez, a Republican.

Williams, 49, who was elected in 1992, has run on platforms emphasizing social services, education reform, housing, access to health care and other quality of life issues.

Sanchez, 43, is a contractor and owner of a construction firm, Casa Bueno Builders Inc. He is a former minister who has been involved with the West Broadway Neighborhood Association.

Talan said he is concerned with social and moral issues and promoting small business growth.

In House District 10, incumbent Thomas C. Slater will square off against Brian P. Mayben, a Republican.

Slater, 65, a salesman, lists affordable housing as a key issue that affects the quality of life in his district and statewide.

He also lists economic development, education and the state’s obligation to help finance quality education as top issues.

Slater, who supports a wide range of issues for the poor, elderly and working class, says he’s seeking reelection because many of the issues he has fought for over the years “are still on the table."

Mayben, 43, a maintenance worker for Stratford House, a senior housing facility in Elmwood, is running as a conservative candidate who believes current legislators are too liberal, Talan said.

Mayben, who has run unsuccessfully for House and Senate seats in the past, is promoting himself as a candidate who would cut taxes and government spending.

In House District 11, incumbent Grace Diaz takes on Teofilo Vazquez, an independent.

Diaz, 49, became the first Dominican-American woman elected to state office in the United States when she was elected to the seat in 2004.

A home daycare provider who moved to Providence in 1990, she has campaigned for such issues as better schools, more jobs, affordable health care and a fairer tax system.

Vazquez, 55, served for six years as a legislator in Puerto Rico in the 1970s and 1980s. He is a former store owner, electrical engineer and computer technician.

The former Republican said his priority issues include immigration reform, health reform, education reform and crime prevention.

In House District 12, which includes portions of Providence and Johnston, incumbent Steven F. Smith, who is president of the Providence Teachers Union, will square off against Republican Daniel J. Fagan, a Johnston resident.

In House District 54, Rep. Gregory J. Schadone, a Democrat, faces Barry Schiller, a Republican.

The Senate races includes a free-for-all contest for the District 5 seat formerly held by Frank T. Caprio, who stepped down to run for state general treasurer.

Candidates are Democrat Paul V. Jabour, Republican Robert S. Berrillo and Green Party candidate Jeffrey Toste.

Jabour, 49, an attorney who served as a state representative in former District 14 from 1985 to 1990, is seeking office to address a lower tax cap, expansion of funding for housing, historical preservation, improvement of the quality of life, tax rate reductions, expansion of the business enterprise zones and a plan to develop the Cranston Street Armory for the arts and film industry.

Jabour, who has run for mayor of Providence and served as the city’s chief of staff in 2002 while City Council President John Lombardi served as acting mayor, said he is seeking office because of his qualifications, experience and lifelong ties to the district.

If elected, he would lobby to raise the auto tax exemption to $10,000.

Toste, 42, a field representative for the Census Bureau and a freelance artist, said he is seeking office because, after eight years of community involvement he learned “we need elected officials who know the needs of their neighbors.”

Toste identified the district’s priority issues as affordable housing, health care, fair taxes, education and dealing with poverty, citing statistics that indicate Providence has the third highest childhood poverty rate in the nation.

Berrillo, 58, a retired surgeon who was born and raised on Federal Hill, seeks office to help make the neighborhood, district and state safe and “family friendly.” He lists as his primary concerns enhancing quality education and making wise spending choices, bringing health care “into the 21st century with consideration for the elderly and families on fixed incomes,” accountability in public spending and crime reduction.

In Senate District 1, incumbent Maryellen Goodwin faces off against Republican Donald C. Izzo Jr.

Goodwin, 42, a customer service representative for The Providence Journal Co., has served 10 terms and seeks to continue the work that remains unfinished.

She lists as priority issues property tax relief, graffiti and equitable distribution of state aid to education.

Goodwin said she believes more should be done to get prospering tax-exempt institutions to contribute their fair share.

Izzo, 35, a special education teacher at Birch Vocational High School, is running to make sure voters have a representative who looks out for their best interests. Izzo, who ran unsuccessfully in 2004, said, if elected, he would make sure health care is more accessible, establish term limits and voter initiatives, eliminate the income tax on pensions, increase affordable housing and scholarships, especially for minorities, and make education and training programs more accessible.

In Senate District 2, incumbent Juan M Pichardo, 40, a representative for hospital patients who was elected in 2002, will face off against Republican Donald J. Roach Jr., 29, a first-time candidate and financial services consultant.

In Senate District 3, incumbent Rhode E. Perry is being challenged by Republican Elaina K. Goldstein.

Perry, 63, a retired health care administrator and part-time ESL teacher, is seeking her ninth term in the Senate in order to help draft a fair formula for state aid to education, develop a corruption-free election system, advocate for privacy rights for sexual assault victims, advocate for marriage equality laws in Rhode Island, create a universal health care program and protect a woman’s right to choose abortion.

Perry identifies the priority issues in her East Side and Fox Point district as health care and education, access to higher education and development of renewable energy.

Goldstein, 47, criticized incumbents for not fixing ailing public schools, decreasing taxes and ensuring open and accountable government. She said her issues include economic growth and tax relief, government reform, education reform and health and long-term care.

In Senate District 4, incumbent Dominick J. Ruggerio takes on Republican Gary G. Jerejian.

Ruggerio, 57, an administrator with NE Labor Management Trust, was elected to public office in 1984.

Jerejian, 34, works as a technician for the City of Providence’s communications department. He pledged not to take contributions for special interest groups, to promote open government and to be accessible to constituents. In Senate District 7, which includes parts of Providence and North Providence, incumbent Frank A. Ciccone III faces a challenge from Republican Scott M. Hacker.

Ciccone, 58, who was elected in 2002, lists fiscal accountability, quality health care for all and education and after-school programs as top issues facing the district and the state.

Ciccone, who formerly worked as an administrator for the state Supreme Court, has co-sponsored legislation to help disabled veterans receive education benefits and to require fiscal accountability from contractors who receive more than $100,000 from the state.

Hacker, 47, a chief compliance officer who works at a brokerage firm in Boston, said he is making his first bid for office in order to give voters a choice and fight corruption.

If elected, Hacker said he would be a “citizen-legislator,” would donate his salary to charity and would serve only two terms.

“I am not a politician, nor do I want to become one,” he said in a statement, pledging to reduce taxes, government expenses and the cost of services to the public. “I seek to serve the people of Rhode Island and not the special interests.”

In District 17, Senate President Joseph A. Montalbano faces independent James B. Spooner in a rematch of a race two years ago in which Montalbano won by a nearly 3 to 1 margin.

Spooner, 71, said that, if elected, he would propose legislation that would be published in a lobbying register information about any contact between a lobbyist and a member of the Senate.

Montalbano, 51, cited his support of legislation that helped attract Fidelity Investments to the state and the film tax credit to encourage more movie making in Rhode Island..

Sen. Harold M. Metts, D-Dist, 6 is unopposed Tuesday.