And unlike Weld and Roosevelt, Bachrach does not support the reinstitution of the death penalty in Massachusetts, a state where capital punishment has not been used since 1947.

"The death penalty has nothing to do with the system of justice," Bachrach says. "The death penalty is not a deterrent, but an act of vengeance."

Bachrach also stands apart from his opponents on the issue of education reform. In fact, he says the Massachusetts education reform bill--a piece of legislation largely authored and passed by Barrett and Roosevelt--is "deeply flawed."

And unlike Weld, Barrett and Roosevelt, Bachrach does not support a school choice proposal allowing parents to choose what school their children can attend.

"School choice is the death knell for urban education in America," Bachrach says. "School choice is merely... an escape valve that will destroy urban public education."

Instead Bachrach favors charter schools which would "offer creative ideas and sensitivity to different issues."

On the issue of welfare reform, Bachrach says that Roosevelt and Weld are unfairly attacking the poor through their proposal to reduce welfare benefits for mothers who have children while they are unemployed.

Bachrach believes that job training and day care programs are essential in helping mothers break welfare dependency.

"We will engage in new job creation in partnership with the private sector," Bachrach says. "We will offer training and day care in order to finally break the cycle of poverty that frustrates the poor and all of us as well."

As the last candidate to enter the race formally and as the most liberal one, Bachrach understands the risk involved in the campaign he is running.

"Popular or not, I will not follow, I will not compromise my principles, I will not pander even though it may be politically expedient," Bachrach says.

"This is a high-risk campaign," Bachrach says. "Either I'll resonate and I'll rise, or I'll sink like a stone."