But Roosevelt has lately steered away from these issues in order to focus on the hot questions of the campaign .

His tough stance on crime, for instance, is a result not only of public concerns on the issue but also of his competition with Weld, whose advocacy of the death penalty and "three strikes an you're out" approach to criminal sentencing have won statewide support for the incumbent.

Roosevelt's endorsement of the death penalty has drawn fire from opponents Barrett and late comer former State Sen. George Bachrach (D-Watertown), who oppose capital punishment and accuse Roosevelt of buckling under Republic can pressure.

But all three agree in their support of abortion rights and the graduated income tax. And all three base campaign strategies on attacks on Weld.

But a race including Barrett and Roosevelt invites a number of comparisons between the Harvard alumni, from their common privileged backgrounds to their centrist platforms. Some say the similarities between the two relatively unknown candidates may ultimately undermine their attempts to win the Democratic primaries.

Their common position in the middle of the ideological road may in fact leave room for the leftist Bachrach, who currently shows the highest public approval rating, according to a recent Boston Herald poll.

At the Massachusetts Democratic Party's nominating convention last weekend, Roosevelt received the endorsement of party activists for his primary campaign.

On the second ballot, Roosevelt received support from 53.5 percent of the convention delegates.

Both Barrett and Bachrach will appear on the primary ballot, however. Bachrach received the support of 23.6 percent of the convention delegates, and Barrett was endorsed by 22.8 percent of delegates.

Upon winning the convention, Roosevelt pledged to begin fighting against Weld immediately. The boost to his campaign may be enough to allow him to catch Barrett in fundraising.