The 17th Senate District, which covers parts of Montgomery and Delaware Counties, was GOP-controlled for decades but now has:

A majority of Democratic registered voters.

Two Republican candidates not shy about criticizing each other's party loyalty.

A campaign-flyer flap being investigated by the state Attorney General's Office.

Retiring State Sen. Connie Williams (D., Montgomery) eked out a win in 2001 when the district had 21,000 more registered Republicans than Democrats. Now the slightly redrawn district has about 16,000 more registered Democrats than Republicans, and a heated primary among GOP voters.

"The Republican Party is having such infighting, I don't know what's going to happen there," Williams said when asked to handicap the primary battle between Lance Rogers, 33, and Lisa Paolino, 46.

Both are township commissioners, Rogers from Lower Merion and Paolino from Radnor. They are jousting for a general-election slot against State Rep. Daylin Leach (D., Montgomery).

As the days close in before Tuesday's primary, they have cast aside Ronald Reagan's 11th commandment about not criticizing Republicans to clarify their differences while advocating similar goals of lowering taxes, protecting open space, and improving quality of life.

The latest twist came yesterday, when Rogers, a lawyer, accused Paolino of "illegal campaign tactics." The crime, according to Rogers: attempted bribery via a political flyer with car-wash coupons attached.

"At the very least, this is a critical lapse of judgment and could reasonably be viewed as an illegal attempt to buy votes," Rogers said in a statement.

Paolino called the accusation "totally fallacious" and a distortion of the law by Rogers.

"He should check his facts," Paolino said. "There's no 'influencing an election outcome,' just an advertisement in a high-traffic area that's centrally located."

A state attorney general's spokesman said the issue had been referred for investigation.

Rogers is on leave from his job as a lawyer with Pepper Hamilton L.L.P. He has worked on media-law cases for The Inquirer. He was raised in Miami and is single. He has bachelor's and master's degrees in government administration from the University of Pennsylvania and a law degree from Northwestern University.

Paolino, a marketing consultant, has two adult children and a bachelor's degree from Villanova. She was a vice president at Mace Security International, a security products company, and has been vice president of the Radnor Township Commission since 2003.

Even without the flyer flap, both candidates have not been quiet with their criticism.

In an interview and in a video posted on YouTube, Paolino described Rogers as a less-experienced opportunist who has changed party affiliations several times. Rogers, elected to the Lower Merion Commission as an independent in 2005, has "only had to vote on two budgets," Paolino said.

Rogers countered in his own video, and in an interview, that Paolino's experience included several votes to raise taxes.

"My opponent has an ad on TV where she talks about holding the line on taxes, and you can't say one thing and do another," Rogers said. "This is a perfect example."

The district encompasses Bridgeport, Conshohocken, East Norriton Township, Haverford Township, Lower Merion Township, Narberth, Norristown, Plymouth Township, Radnor Township, Upper Merion Township and West Conshohocken.