The powerful Fumo is retiring after 30 years in Harrisburg, and faces a federal corruption trial in the fall. His withdrawal created an open seat to represent the city's First Senate District, which stretches from South Philly to Center City to the lower Northeast.

Dougherty, 47, business manager of Local 98 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, leads this race - in recent polls, and in denials.

He denies sending goons to intimidate people whenever it suits his union's interests. He denies accepting valuable favors from a lifelong friend and union colleague, as outlined in a federal criminal indictment against the friend. He denies that the feds found anything incriminating when they searched his home. He denies that his petulant two-day labor walkout at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in 2004 hurt the city's ability to attract business. He denies that his leadership has thwarted minorities from gaining high-paying union jobs.

With the current state senator headed for trial, Philadelphia can't afford to send Dougherty to Harrisburg. And the candidate with the best chance of defeating the mercurial, influential labor leader in the Democratic primary is LARRY FARNESE.

A Center City attorney for the past 12 years, Farnese, 39, is an energetic candidate who has done his homework on the issues. He is also active in numerous civic groups. Farnese takes a realistic approach to the city's nascent gambling industry; he has proposed relocating the two riverfront slots casinos slated to be built in the First District.

Farnese vows to give Philadelphia something it lacked with Fumo - a leader in the Senate willing to go to the mat for gun control. He insists the city should have the right to establish local gun laws - up to now a perennial dead end in Harrisburg.

Opponents of Farnese point to Fumo's quiet support of him as a reason to be wary. But Farnese hasn't accepted donations from Fumo, and is campaigning on the kind of ethics reforms that might have kept Fumo out of trouble. Farnese is no Fumo, and we mean that in a good way.

The third Democrat in the race is Anne Dicker, 35, a retail executive who has founded several community organizations. She is thoughtful, progressive and relentless about grassroots organizing. Dicker founded Casino-Free Philadelphia and is the most outspoken of the candidates in opposition to gambling in the city.

Dicker has a realistic view of what she would be able to accomplish as a freshman senator. The concern is that her campaign has not gained much momentum, either in contributions or in Democratic circles. That could be a sign of how difficult it would be for her to be an effective legislator. Also troubling is that she has been content to sit back and allow Farnese to take most of the necessary shots at Dougherty.

With the district's overwhelming Democratic edge in voter registration, this primary is likely to decide the next state senator. Dougherty would be a poor choice, beholden to his union first and the district whenever it didn't conflict with his labor interests. In the anything-goes atmosphere of Harrisburg, it is difficult if not impossible to envision Dougherty staying out of the wrong headlines.

For those reasons, The Inquirer endorses Farnese for state Senate.