For the first time, a full slate of Republicans is vying against a full slate of Democrats in the House of Delegates' District 32.

Created as the result of the 1970 Census and redistricting, the district has been a Democratic stronghold for the past 20 years.

A slate of three Republicans, running as Citizens Serving Citizens, is trying to sever that grip. The candidates are Edward J. Priola, 40, a grass-roots tax activist; James E. Rzepkowski, 23, an insurance office manager; and Gerald P. Starr, 53, a Realtor.

Two other Republicans are running independently. Michael W. Burns, 36, has worked in alumni development at the University of Maryland Baltimore County, and Edward J. Terech, 53, is a self-employed sales consultant.

On the Democratic side, two incumbents and another candidate, who has run once before, have formed a ticket as the Partnership for Progress.

They are Thomas H. Dixon III, 45, a 20-year state employee who ran against state Sen. Michael J. Wagner's slate four years ago; Victor A. Sulin, 52, a 20-year county employee who is seeking a third term; and Mary Ann Love, 55, a longtime county employee chosen by the county Democratic Central Committee in June 1993 to finish the term of the late Patrick C. Scanello.

First woman representative

Mrs. Love became the first woman to represent the district, which includes Glen Burnie, Linthicum, Old Mill, Severn and Jessup.

A fourth Democratic candidate, Rick L. Ramer, 41, a skilled laborer, is running on a ticket called Marylanders for the Revival of the American System, under the banner of Lyndon LaRouche.

To Republicans, the District 32 race is about choice and change. They cast their rivals as dinosaurs who have been in office too long and are out of touch with their constituents.

None of the Republican candidates has held elected office. But as they campaign door-to-door, they're telling voters this could be the year for the GOP.

"To the Democrats, we want to let them know we will have a primary to vote in," says Mr. Rzepkowski, who favors term limits and limited government, stiff punishment for violent criminals, elimination of legislative scholarships and the teaching of good citizenship in schools.

Mr. Rzepkowski's background includes work on two George Bush campaigns and an internship with state Sen. John A. Cade during the 1992 legislative session. He says he soon realized that if he had voting power in the legislature, he could make changes. Like the other Republicans, he promises he would be accessible and visible in communities.

Light rail crime

Mr. Starr, another member of the Citizens Serving Citizens slate, says District 32 delegates were slow to respond to the concerns of residents that light rail was bringing crime to North County. He says the issue didn't come into focus until the Linthicum-Shipley Improvement Association, of which he is president, voted in May to ask the Mass Transit Administration to close the Linthicum Heights walk-up station.

"It really had a dramatic impact on the communities up here," says Mr. Starr, a Linthicum resident who is a retired Westinghouse employee.

He says he will regularly attend improvement association meetings throughout the district. He says he is also concerned about issues such as reducing real estate settlement costs to make home buying more affordable.

Mr. Priola, a Hanover resident who is the third member of the Citizens Serving Citizens slate, says he favors limited government and health care reforms that would allow people to take their health care coverage with them between jobs. He also supports a voucher and tax credit for those who can't afford health care and a catastrophic fund for families.

He also advocates stiff penalties for criminals, reduced taxes for individuals and small businesses and property rights. Mr. Priola says Maryland must do something to keep businesses from moving out.

'Not business friendly'

"We're losing out to them because we're not business friendly," he says. "We need to be open for business again."

Mr. Burns of Glen Burnie, one of the independent Republican candidates, says he grew up wanting to be a politician and took the plunge at age 10 when he helped his father staff the polling place at Overlook Elementary School.

He has worked in various campaigns and clerked for one year in Baltimore City Circuit Court. He favors term limits; stiff penalties for violent, repeat criminal offenders; welfare reform; and full disclosure of contact with lobbyists.

"I really want to go down there [to Annapolis] and kick butts and take names," says Mr. Burns. "You have to hold people accountable, especially in public office. You owe your constituency your best efforts and what you think is right and to represent them and not do just what the polls tell you. That's not representation and that's not leadership."

Stadium spurred campaign

The other independent Republican, Mr. Terech of Laurel, says the debate over a plan to put a Washington Redskins' football stadium in his community "is probably the trigger that got me involved in the political scene."

Mr. Terech, who lives about a half-mile from the proposed stadium, says one of his first moves would be to propose laws that would prohibit large stadiums in residential areas. He believes the stadium should be built in Baltimore, where it would have a better chance for economic spinoff.

The retired Eastman Kodak employee says he also is concerned about crime, education and welfare reform.

In the Democratic slate, Partnership for Progress:

Mr. Dixon of Millersville, president of the Village of Olde Mill Community Association, says he realized that as a community activist, he could only do so much. He says he knows he would be "one voice out of 141, but the voice also has a vote attached to it."

He favors home detention programs for some criminals, changing the procurement system and granting agencies waivers to buy items that may be cheaper at stores. He would work on legislation that would require high schools to teach juniors and seniors interpersonal skills for holding a job.

Mrs. Love of Glen Burnie says her first term "was like going to a new school in a new town. It was overwhelming. Everybody else has three years on you. But it was very exciting."

Mrs. Love says she is concerned about crime, education, welfare reform and the economy. During her first term, she says, occasionally she drew criticism from some for not being aggressive and vocal enough.

"I will be more vocal down the road, but there is a process and I just don't feel you should grandstand and ask a stupid question just to ask a question," Mrs. Love says. "If all of us were aggressive, we'd be stepping on each other.

"We need the thinkers and the plotters. I'm just not a rah, rah momma. I just like to do my job and hope I helped someone and move on."

Mr. Sulin of Severn, the third member of the Democratic slate, says he will continue to focus on the state budget. "I truly believe none of the problems are going to be solved in this society unless we maintain strong economic health."

Mr. Sulin says he also is concerned about issues such as education and crime. Though crime in Anne Arundel County is low, Mr. Sulin says, it is a concern that the counties and the city must address together.

'Working-class man'

The fourth Democratic candidate, Mr. Ramer, says he is running as "a working-class man."

Mr. Ramer, who grew up in a working-class family in Indiana, says he favors a return to an industrial-based economy to generate higher-paying jobs and universal health care.

He says a football stadium in Laurel might be good for the local economy, though it would not create many high-skilled, high-paying jobs.