But in an 11-minute speech at a rally at the South Philadelphia rec center where he played as a child, Dougherty did not once mention Fumo by name.

Instead, surrounded by children from throughout the First Senate District, he spoke about the need for change and vowed he would revise state gun laws so that Philadelphia could regulate weapon sales on its own.

He even questioned legislation to limit gun sales to one a month, saying, "What the heck do you need a gun a month for?"

"I'm looking forward to that fight," Dougherty, 47, said to cheers of about 400 people - mostly members of various labor unions - packed into Edward O'Malley Athletic Center in Pennsport.

Dougherty had planned to hold the rally Tuesday, but postponed it after Fumo was hospitalized Sunday night with a heart attack.

Dougherty, the business manager of IBEW Local 98 known as "Johnny Doc," was once close with Fumo, but they have been at odds for years.

Two other candidates - grassroots activist Anne Dicker and Center City lawyer Larry Farnese - also are seeking the Democratic nomination for the First District seat Fumo has held for 30 years.

The district stretches from the International Airport to Fairmount to the west and Port Richmond on the east side, with Center City and all of South Philadelphia in between.

Much of the talk yesterday was about the neighborhood where Dougherty grew up and still lives. Several speakers at the rally said it had been transformed through his efforts.

There also was talk of support and money - and with Dougherty and Fumo expected to slug it out with TV and radio ads, building trades leader Pat Gillespie told the rally the challenger got a big boost earlier in the day when his campaign raised $250,000 at a union breakfast meeting.

Gillespie said unions outside the city also were expressing a desire to help.

During the rally, the campaign screened a television ad that shows Philadelphians talking about the need for change and Dougherty being the man to make it happen.

While Dougherty did not mention Fumo by name, he said he decided to run while attending a coffee klatch in Point Breeze and being told "they haven't seen a senator in 20 years."