tomasso

PROVIDENCE — When state Rep. Thomas Slater, a popular champion of social justice issues, succumbed earlier this year to cancer, one of the state’s most diverse and neediest districts lost a key voice in the General Assembly.

Now a special primary election on Tuesday pits seven Democrats hoping to assume the House District 10 representative seat that Slater, a Democrat, held for 15 years.

The primary winner will face three independents and one Republican candidate in the Nov. 10 general election.

The Democratic candidates represent the diversity of the district –– from the traditional, working class white families, the Hispanic immigrants who first started coming to the region a generation ago, and the professional class that is gradually returning to the state’s urban core.

Their campaign platforms of education reform, expanded health care for needy families, and increased state funding for affordable housing are a reflection of their district’s greatest needs.

Among them are a number of residents who have never run for public office, including the late Slater’s son, a taxicab driver, plus a self-described “welfare mom,” and an openly gay school administrator.

District 10 encompasses three neighborhoods in the city’s southwest quadrant that have a combined population of over 21,000.

Two of those neighborhoods, South Elmwood and Reservoir Triangle, are middle class, defined by a large share of single family homes and the 462-acre Roger Williams Park. Though family incomes there remain higher than the rest of the city, their historically white populations have gradually given way to African-American, Hispanic and Asian families.

The district also takes in the city’s largest neighborhood, the West End, which has struggled over the last two decades with high crime, poverty, unemployment, and, more recently, foreclosures.

More than 50 percent in the West End identify themselves as Hispanic, more than 30 percent are black or Asian, and nearly 40 percent live in poverty, according to the 2000 Census.

The candidates:

Rafael A. Colon Jr., 59, of 1176 Elmwood Ave., is a self-employed income tax advisor who holds a general equivalency diploma. A native of the Dominican Republic who came to Providence more than 40 years ago, he wants to create more affordable housing and improve the state’s public education system. Colon says he chose to run because he feels that the city’s current assembly delegation is not doing enough to address city issues.

Jenny L. Jourdain, 24, of 1264 Elmwood Ave. is a 2007 graduate of Wellesley College in Massachusetts. She previously worked as an associate director of policy for the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health in Washington, D.C.

She wants clearer protections for homeowners facing foreclosures, supports more funding for RIte Care (the state’s health-care program for uninsured children, families, and pregnant women), and more resources for small business.

John M. Kelly, 48, of 21 Parkside Drive, is the president of Meeting Street School in Providence and a graduate of Boston College Law School. He was previously general counsel for Cornish Associates.

Among Kelly’s primary issues are creating a state funding formula for public education and requiring districts to meet achievement standards as a basis for receiving state money. He wants to lower the cost of doing business in the state by easing regulations, and he wants to focus state spending on priority areas such as education and economic development.

Ramon A. Perez, 38, of 47 Rosedale St., is owner of New England Taxi. He came to the United States from the Dominican Republic in 1992 after high school. He believes that tax incentives can attract more companies to invest in the state and create more jobs. He wants increased funding for local police to combat crime and gang violence. He advocates for state laws that would require banks to negotiate with homeowners before completing a foreclosure.

Ana B. Quezada, 44, of 92 Crescent St., is a code-enforcement officer in the city Department of Inspection and Standards. She previously worked as a social service coordinator at John Hope Settlement House and holds a general equivalency diploma.

She is campaigning for a state funding formula for public education, increased state funds to help first time homeowners and those looking to improve their homes, and increased subsidies for working parents for daycare.

Quezada says she represents the experience of many in the district as a native of the Dominican Republic whose struggle to better her family included a brief stint on welfare.

Scott A. Slater, 34, of 74 Sawyer St. is a budget analyst in the city Finance Department who holds a bachelor of science degree from Bryant University.

He is campaigning for more state funds to build affordable housing, the creation of a state funding formula for education, and allowing more families to qualify for RIte Care. Slater says his campaign is as much for himself as it is about upholding the legacy of his father, the late Tom Slater, and the residents who supported him over the years.

Raymond A. Tomasso, 78, of 85 Stamford Ave., is a city lawyer, former city councilman, a former revenue agent for the state Division of Taxation. His family also operated the carousel and other concessions at Roger Williams Park.

His issues are preventing homeowners from falling into foreclosure, offering a cheaper form of health insurance for those without employer-provided insurance, and a more equitable distribution of state aid for education.

Tomasso also wants to eliminate the flat tax and lower the corporate tax for companies making less than $5,555.

Lawrence K. Flynn, Chairman of the city Board of Canvassers, said there are 6,130 registered voters from District 10 qualified to vote on Tuesday. The 2006 primary, which included other statewide offices, brought out about 900 voters from the district, he said.

pmarcelo@projo.com