The race for the open state House seat in Middlesex's 2nd district is shaping up to be one of the most competitive this election cycle.

The seat was vacated when state Rep. Geoff Hall (D-Westford) retired at the end of April. And because the district, which includes all of Westford, Littleton and three precincts of Chelmsford, has a more moderate bent - former Republican Gov. Paul Cellucci used to represent part of the district in the state Senate - Republicans have honed in on it as a seat they hope to pick up.

Three candidates have already thrown their hat in the ring. Republican Paul Avella, a member of the Littleton school committee and former Air Force pilot, announced he was going to run before Hall resigned.

Avella said he decided to run for the same reason he [img_assist|nid=475|title=Paul Avella (R-Littleton)|desc=|link=none|align=right|width=139|height=180]decided to run for the school committee. "I saw an area where we need improvement," he said. "I saw an opportunity and rather than just sit on the sidelines, I stepped forward and want to attempt to do better."

Avella, a retired Air Force colonel and squadron commander, said he has been ultimately disappointed with the way the Massachusetts legislature operates. "As I sit back and watch the legislature work," he went on, "I think we can do a lot better than this. I think I have some skills that can improve the way Beacon Hill works. There is a lack of openness, no transparency. The legislature seems to have lost sight of the fact that they are employees of the people of Massachusetts."

On the Democratic side, two candidates will face off in the Sept. 16 primary to face Avella in the general election. The first is Jim Arciero, a Westford native and long time Beacon Hill staffer. Arciero has worked for Hall and state Sen. Steven Panagiotakos (D-Lowell). Arciero, who is also a veteran of local political campaigns, is well known on Beacon Hill and sources say he has been waiting for the opportunity to run.

"I have a tremendous passion for this district and a tremendous passion for people in general," Arciero said when asked why he is running. "I have dedicated the last 10 years of my life to public service and when this opportunity arose it was something that I really felt that I wanted to do."

The other Democrat in the race is Pat Wojtas, a member of the Chelmsford Board of Selectmen. When Hall resigned, Wojtas said, "I thought this was an opportunity for someone new to run for that position. I thought it would be a good opportunity and the next logical progression so I thought I would take a chance at it."

Sources that are politically active in the district say Arciero has a lot of things going for him both in the primary and in the general against Avella. First, Arciero is from Westford which is by far the largest city in the district. More, Arciero is well connected to political operatives from his work on Beacon Hill and several are ready to help him earn his own seat in the legislature. Arciero has already received endorsements from Hall and state Sen. Pam Resor (D-Acton), a popular figure in the district. Some even say party insiders have been paving the way for Arciero to run for the seat.

[img_assist|nid=485|title=Jim Arciero (D-Westford)|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=129|height=180]Interestingly, both Arciero and Avella tout their experience as the reason voters should support them. Avella hopes to paint the much younger Arciero as a naïf compared to his career as a leader in the military. "I am vastly more experienced in matters of gravitas," he said. "I have a career of demonstrated performance and leadership."

Avella points to his work as a negotiator for NATO in Iraq during the first Gulf War as just one example on his significant resume. More recently, he has worked as a senior manager at Raytheon, the defense contractor.

Avella's impressive background has impressed local Republicans. "[Avella's] proven leadership, community involvement and wide ranging experience, including time on the ground in Iraq, far outshines any other candidate for this race," said Doug Nekrasz, the chairman of the Littleton Republican Town Committee. "As far as I can tell, Mr. Arciero's only experience is entrenched in the back rooms of Beacon Hill, only as a low level analyst with the state Treasury and an aide to others, with little responsibility and no accountability. Mr. Avella already has experience being responsible to the people while in an elected position."

That experience on Beacon Hill, however, is one of the principles of Arciero's campaign. Arciero said with the retirement of the Hall, a veteran legislator, the district wants someone who knows how to deliver for them on Beacon Hill. His experience on staff has taught him how to bring home aid for the district.

"I have 10 years of experience with budgeting," he said. "In this uncertain economic climate we can't wait two years for our representative to wait gain the knowledge I already have. My stewardship will benefit the district right away."

That message is resonating with some Democrats in the district. "I think he's a good listener," said Jane Chrisfield, the chairwoman of the Littleton Democratic Town Committee. "He knows the issues because he's worked on them as a staff member, and he knows the players. I think that's important. He knows who to go for information. He'll be a quick study and he'll rise fast."

Both candidates have significant advantages and some think the race could come down to the wire. In one possible scenario, Avella could win his hometown, Littleton, while Arciero would carry Westford, leaving it to the voters in those three Chelsmford districts, which are the most conservative, to decide the election.

Avella will look to capitalize on the district's frustration with Beacon Hill. He also has the backing of the local Catholic Church, sources say, which could prove to be influential, and he could capitalize on the large number of unenrolled voters in the district that could be more inclined to vote for a Republican.

Arciero appears, at the moment, to have more going for him. Sources say they have seen Arciero canvassing more than any other candidate (Arciero said he goes door to door from noon to approximately 7 p.m. every day). His biggest advantage appears to be his campaign operation. Arciero has hired a fulltime campaign chairman, campaign consultant, treasurer, finance director, volunteer coordinator and field director. Arciero has not, however, launched a campaign web site, while both other candidates have. He said he expects to go live with a web site this weekend.

UPDATE, SATURDAY, 8:20 P.M.: There is also another Republican candidate in the race that was not mentioned in this article. His name is William Bunker and little is known about him. Nevertheless, he will appear on the Republican primary ticket against Avella.