Popular Cambridge politician and former mayor Anthony D. Galluccio said yesterday that he intends to throw his hat into the upcoming race for state senate—a run that will pit him against well-known Cambridge Democratic State Rep. Jarrett T. Barrios ’90 as well as three candidates from abutting communities.

Galluccio said he will officially announce his candidacy on Jan. 31.

“I think [both candidates] are both very popular, they’re both very qualified, they’re both very good,” said local political observer Robert Winters. “It’s the best against the best.”

Galluccio said he is beginning to lay the groundwork for a campaign that will focus on the same “bread and butter” issues that have always been his major campaign issues—improving public education, increasing affordable housing and expanding access to health care.

“Right now it’s just all phone calls, hundreds of calls,” Galluccio said in a phone interview yesterday.

Barrios pledged to talk about the same issues—including healthcare, school and day care—that he would have discussed without Galluccio’s campaign.

“I’m running for a seat, not against someone,” Barrios said. “I’m going to campaign proudly on my record of accomplishment.”

Galluccio said he hopes to emphasize his hands-on experience with public education. Galluccio served as the chair of Cambridge’s School Committee until his term as mayor ended 10 days ago, and the group recently passed a ground-breaking diversity plan that will assign children to elementary schools according to their socioeconomic status.

“I don’t think there’s going to be a candidate in this race who has the experience [with schools] that I do,” Galluccio said.

The senate district Galluccio seeks to represent extends from Cambridge to Somerville to Revere, and the newly announced candidate said he does not think his hometown will be the key battleground of the race.

“I don’t see this as a race against Representative Barrios, in fact,” Galluccio said. “I’m going to get votes in Cambridge, Jarrett’s going to get votes in Cambridge.”

But Galluccio said he will be able to effectively campaign across the district. “People to people, we have very good contacts in every community,” Galluccio said. “I’ve spent all 34 years of my life in this area.”

Barrios declined to say in which parts of the districts will he campaign the hardest.

“Every community in the senate district is a critical community,” Barrios said in an interview yesterday. He confirmed that he would indeed be running, although he has yet to announce officially.

Winters argued yesterday that having two candidates from the same town might split the Cambridge vote and give the majority of votes to a contender from another town.

Winters said that the race is too close to call, but believes that Barrios’ month-long head start in setting up a campaign infrastructure might make a significant difference.

“Jarrett has the early advantage, I think he has money,” Winters said. “But Anthony has the enormous capacity to generate funds.”

—Staff writer Lauren R. Dorgan can be reached at dorgan@fas.harvard.edu.