Philadelphia Daily News (PA)   April 23, 2004 Section: LOCAL Edition: 4STAR Page: 10  CHALLENGERS IN 10 DISTRICTS LOOK TO. . . DAVE DAVIES & CHRIS BRENNAN daviesd @phillynews.com   IT'S AN axiom of Philadelphia politics that you'll never go broke betting on incumbents in state legislative races.   But it can happen. Challengers in 10 districts are going after sitting legislators in Tuesday's primary. Here are our thumbnail sketches of the contested primaries. Except in one race noted, all are state House contests:   1JOSEPHS VS. GILLEN   & HOHNS   Democratic state Rep. Babette Josephs repeatedly weaves into a conversation that she's "very active." That's because her age, 63, has become an issue in this very competitive race with ward leader Terry Gillen, 48, and investment banker Andrew Hohns, 25.   Josephs says her track record and support from Gov. Rendell should help her win an 11th term in Center City's 182nd District. She supports Rendell's efforts for limited gaming to help lower property taxes statewide and city wage taxes. She also favors civil rights protection for gays and lesbians and gun control.   Josephs has fired salvos at her opponents, asking why Hohns has been able to raise more than $200,000 and why Gillen did not lead the vote tally in her home ward when she ran unsuccessfully for City Council in 1999.   Gillen retorts that she came in a close second, which in an at-large race, could have been enough.   "I don't know if she's smart enough or what," Gillen said. "I think it's the only thing she's got against me. It's pretty lame."   Gillen, who worked in Rendell's city and state administrations, says she wants to work on economic development for small businesses, the city's tax structure, and work-force planning. She supports Rendell's plan for limited gaming but rejects the call for two slot machine parlors in Center City.   Hohns wonders why Josephs is attacking him based on his campaign contributions.   "I think it's really a demonstration of how much of a desire there is to change the representation in this seat," Hohns said.   Hohns talks about streamlining the state's business taxes to make it easier to open or move a business here.   2COLLAZO, ET AL VS. RIEGER   Bill Rieger, 80, is the longest- serving member of the state House. He's again running for re-election despite unflattering news stories - about renting his aide's basement as an office at taxpayer expense, about not living in his district, and about casting "ghost" votes in Harrisburg by jamming paper into his "yes" button.   Rieger eventually stopped renting the aide's office, citing "all the crap" he's gotten from an Inquirer reporter, but he's facing a spirited challenge in the Democratic primary from Rafael Collazo, who says he's knocked on 6,000 doors.   The 179th District stretches from Hunting Park to Frankford.   "The people of this district deserve better," Collazo said. "They deserve a representative with a real district office, and real phone number and real staff."   Also in the race is Virgil Addison, a committeeman, and Emilio Vazquez, both Parking Authority employees.   Neither Addison, Vazquez nor Rieger returned calls for comment.   3STIER & BRYANT VS. YOUNGBLOOD   Ten-year incumbent Rosita Youngblood has managed to knock off three of her rivals through petition challenges in her Germantown-Mount Airy district. But two remain, and community activist Marc Stier has an active, well-funded campaign.   As president of the West Mount Airy Neighbors, Stier says he's helped bring a new supermarket and other development to the area. He said Youngblood was missing in action when he was organizing opposition to proposed SEPTA cuts.   "I called a meeting and invited all the community and political leaders," Stier said. "She never showed up, never sent a representative, never sent a letter or an e-mail."   Youngblood said Stier has it wrong, and produced a letter from SEPTA's board chairman acknowledging her opposition to the cuts.   "I've worked hard for my constituents and they know the job I've done," she said.   Also in the race is Latrice Bryant, 32, a committeewoman and former staffer for City Councilman Wilson Goode Jr.   "I feel the community deserves a choice," Bryant said, "and I feel the Democratic Party tried to take our choice away by taking us off the ballot."   4BALLEN VS. LEDERER   Democrat Marie Lederer is a six-term legislator from an old Philadelphia political family. But challenger Sheila Ballen thinks the incumbent is out of touch with the district, which includes parts of South Philadelphia, Center City, and Northern Liberties.   "This district wants and deserves a progressive Democrat," Ballen said, "and will no longer put up with a conservative Democrat. [Lederer] voted against Gov. Rendell's budget, for the Republican Parking Authority takeover, and has a long history of anti-choice votes."   Ballen is a former director of the Pennsylvania Public Interest Research Group who worked for former City Councilwoman Happy Fernandez.   Lederer, who didn't return a call for comment, is endorsed by the Democratic organization.   5BLACKWELL VS. HORSEY   This one is a blood feud, with 10-year incumbent Michael Horsey challenged by the kin of a political rival, City Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell.   The challenger is Tommy Blackwell, former longshoremen's union leader and son of the late U.S. Rep. Lucien Blackwell. Blackwell, 45, says he's known in the community for helping people with gas and electric bills.   Horsey, Blackwell says "is not visible, not accessible, and offers no services for the community."   Horsey said he's done plenty, including bringing state money for a new clinic and restoration of the YMCA.   "His motivation is personal," Horsey said of Blackwell. "His [step] mother and I have bad blood stirred between us. But instead of sitting down and talking about it, she runs her son against me."   6KELLER VS. SQUILLA   Democratic state Rep. Bill Keller, a 53-year-old former longshoreman seeking a seventh two-year term in South Philadelphia's 184th District.   He has been active in getting the state to set aside land along the river near the Walt Whitman Bridge to help expand the port.   He has also worked closely with Republican House Speaker John Perzel on developing special schools for Philadelphia students who disrupt classrooms.   "I think we've just scratched the surface on that," Keller said.   Challenger Mark Squilla, a 41-year-old Democratic committeeman who works for state Auditor General Bob Casey Jr., says Keller's tie to Perzel is a problem.   "He constantly votes with the Republican leadership," said Squilla. "He forgot where he came from."   Keller has the support of electricians union chief John Dougherty, a powerhouse in Pennsport area of this district. But Squilla found support among some of the leaders of Keller's longshoremen's union.   7KITCHEN VS. BROWN   Democratic state Sen. Shirley Kitchen, 57, is seeking third full term. She first took office in the 3rd Senatorial District, stretching from North Philadelphia to Manayunk and the Northeast, in a special election after the death of state Sen. Roxanne Jones.   Kitchen, who has worked on reducing the number of days a car can be abandoned on city streets before police can take action, says she will help Rendell on his gaming issue if re-elected.   But Kitchen said her support depends on the plan including a requirement that any municipality that gets slot-machine revenue must have a corresponding reduction in property or wage taxes.   Her Democratic challenger, Jesse Brown Jr., 47, complains that Kitchen has not been effective on issues of importance to the district, including the cost of prescription drugs, keeping area hospitals open and funding for area parks.   Brown, executive director of the National Association of African-Americans for Positive Imagery, says he opposes Rendell's gaming plan because he thinks it will drive up program costs for poverty, policing and the courts.   8CARABALLO VS. SLONAKER   Incumbent Democrat Angel Cruz gets a pass in the primary, but two Republicans are battling to take him on in November in the 180th district, which has parts of Kensington, Juniata and Fairhill.   Eva Caraballo was a Democratic committeewoman and state Senate staffer until she accused Democratic ward leader Candido Silva of groping her in a bar named Good Time Charlie's.   The charge was dismissed, but the experience soured Caraballo on the Democratic Party.   "Suddenly all the doors were closed to me, and I couldn't get any services for my people," she said. "I was done with them."   So Caraballo is now running as a Republican.   Also in the race is veteran Republican committeeman Matthew Slonaker, a former Parking Authority employee who's currently unemployed.   "I think everybody in politics should run at least once," he said of his candidacy. "Don't just sit around and bitch, you know. It's either put up or shut up."   9WILLIAMS BISHOP   VS. TONEY-MOORE   Deborah Toney-Moore is waging what she calls a grass-roots campaign in her West Philadelphia district against eight-term incumbent Louise Williams Bishop.   A mother of five from Wynnefield, Toney-Moore is the West Philadelphia regional representative for the Philadelphia Home and School Council, and she runs an after-school tutorial program serving 15 kids.   Toney-Moore said she's been knocking on doors, talking about prescription-drug coverage for seniors and improving schools.   "We're tired of excuses from the incumbents that it's the Republicans' fault," Toney-Moore said. "If you can't do anything, step aside and let people with new ideas step in."   Williams, who hosts a gospel radio show, didn't return calls for comment.   10THOMAS VS. CLARK   Democratic state Rep. W. Curtis Thomas, who has held office in North Philadelphia's 181st District since 1989, did not respond to requests for an interview.   His primary challenger, Lawrence Clark, also did not return phone calls. *