ANTONI

For years a Republican fiefdom, House District 39 is about to hold its first Democratic primary since it was created in 2002 as part of a redistricting.

Four Democrats –– a retired mathematics professor, a chemist, a real estate broker and a junkyard owner –– will face off in Tuesday’s primary.

On Nov. 4 the winner will face the victor of the two-way Republican primary pitting Exeter’s David B. Hathaway and Richmond’s Joseph R. Arsenault.

The decision of incumbent Rep. Joseph Scott, who was elected as a Republican but has since crossed over to the Democratic side, not to run for reelection opened the door to some new faces –– and some not so new.

Back on the ballot is retired mathematics professor and former state representative Rodney D. Driver.

Also on the Sept. 9 ballot are Paul E. Picerne, the owner of an auto salvage yard who, in his first bid for elective office several years ago, lost a Town Council race to Scott by three votes; Lawrence M. Valencia, a medical writer who last year was elected to the Richmond Charter Commission, charged with writing the town’s first Home Rule Charter that will be on the ballot on Nov. 4; and Stephen D. Antoni, a real estate broker who served on the Richmond Town Council from 1996 to 2002.

District 39 covers Richmond and parts of Exeter and Charlestown.

On the issues, all four sound similar, speaking of the economy, the environment, and changing the way business is done on Smith Hill.

Where they differ is in their approaches, with Valencia and Picerne taking a more local focus and Driver and Antoni a more general one.

As of Sept. 1, Driver’s campaign chest had $2,850.30, compared with Picerne’s $523 (he’s self-financing his campaign). Valencia was $4,360.94 in the red (he took a $5,000 loan). Antoni’s filing is not yet available; as of Aug. 11, he had $524.04 available, according to campaign finance reports.

STEPHEN D. ANTONI, 51, said he wants to make the process more transparent and legislators more accountable.

“If you elect somebody, you should have carte blanche as far as accessibility and their ear at all times,” he said.

Picerne said that if elected he’ll focus on eliminating “all the wasteland spending that goes on in the state.”

“The problem is we are wasting money on projects and personnel that are not necessary,” Antoni said on his campaign Web site. “There [are] a lot of leaks along the pipes.”

Also on Antoni’s radar: education, particularly the state’s funding mechanism; regionalization, and educational alternatives, such as charter schools.

“Maybe the public school is not necessarily the way to go,” the father of three said.

Antoni said, if elected, he will also push to preserve “the rural character of the area, protect the watersheds and the open spaces” and for greater involvement of legislators with the local communities they represent.

When asked why voters should support his candidacy, Antoni said, “I’m articulate and passionate about the issues that face Rhode Island, and I think I have a good handle not only on the economic climate of Rhode Island but also the real estate climate of Rhode Island.”

RODNEY D. DRIVER, 78, is campaigning on many of the same issues that got him elected and reelected in the 1990s. Among his proposals: stronger educational standards, government reform –– such as instituting an inspector general to watch for “waste, fraud and abuse” and posting legislators’ voting records, and supporting “voter initiative” –– and greater accountability, the how-about-reading-the-bills-before-we-vote-on-them policy for which he’s best known from his 1990s tenure.

“When legislators follow the leader like sheep . . . baaad things happen,” Driver said in referring to one of his campaign slogans.

Also on his list are the environment and energy conservation.

Driver, who 29 years ago built a solar-heated house in Richmond (and hasn’t seen an oil bill since) and drives a hybrid car, said the state should invest in alternative energies and offer incentives to switch to cleaner energies.

Also on his short list are small business owners, who, he said, “face daunting government red tape, a monopolistic workers’ comp system, runaway health-insurance costs, inventory taxes and special giveways for their competitors.”

Driver said, if elected, he would promote health savings accounts and work toward eliminating the inventory tax and some of the red tape.

As for why he should be elected, he said, “My reputation suggests that I’ll be the loudest, I’ll be the noisiest, I’ll be the one who simply will not tolerate what’s going on in Providence.”

PAUL E. PICERNE, 63, also places the economy at the top of his list.

He said, if elected, he would focus on repealing or modifying restrictions placed on small business owners, pushing for tax breaks and red-tape cutbacks. Picerne, who owns a salvage yard in Providence, said he would also attempt to modify the workers’ compensation system and offer state-backed low-interest loans to help small business owners.

“The cost of doing business in Rhode Island is driving a lot of businesses out,” he said.

Also high on his list, he said, is the environment. If elected, he said, he would sponsor legislation to protect the environment and aquifers, and require developers to use “best management practices.”

Also on his to-do list are veteran affairs and healthcare issues, both of personal resonance.

As a Vietnam veteran, honorably discharged, Picerne said he would push for healthcare and other support services for veterans of the Iraq war. Picerne, a recovering prescription pain killer addict who lost a son to drugs, said he would support changes in the way the state approaches drug and alcohol addictions.

As to why voters should support him, Picerne said he is a well-rounded candidate, independent from special interests, yet willing to work with fellow legislators.

“Go along to get along,” he said.

“I’m 63. I’m semiretired. I have the time; I have the energy; and I care about the state, I care about the [towns].”

He’s been endorsed by the Rhode Island State Right to Life Committee.

LAWRENCE M. VALENCIA, 50, is also putting the economy, the environment, and energy policy at the center of his campaign, pointing to his chemistry training and work on zoning issues and economic development at the local level as a springboard from which to tackle the issues at a state level.

“I think I’m the one candidate among the six who’s been working very hard at the local level,” Valencia said, referring to the four Democrats and two Republicans.

Valencia said, if elected, he would focus on cutting “waste in state spending” and the tax burden to attract businesses. But, he said, he would not favor tax credits.

“More business ultimately means more tax revenue,” Valencia wrote. “Then we can reinstate needed social services and tackle other issues, such as health care and education funding.”

Valencia also proposes implementing “green” technologies and reviewing the state’s car fleet as potential cost-saving measures.

“Rhode Island can lead in alternative energy,” Valencia said. “We have academic resources and a skilled workforce.”

As to why voters should support him, Valencia pointed to his involvement in local and regional issues.

“I’ve proven I can work on a bipartisan basis for the good of all,” he said. “I am the strong voice our district needs.”

Valencia has been endorsed by the Richmond and Exeter town Democratic committees.

marmenta@projo.com