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Next week, the number of candidates vying to take over former Sen. Jarrett Barrios’ seat in the state Senate will be whittled from four to one.

On Sept. 11, voters in the district that includes Chelsea, Everett and portions of Boston, Cambridge, Revere, Saugus and Somerville will choose between one of four Democrats running for Barrios’ vacated seat in the primary election.

With no Republicans or Independents challenging for the seat — and barring a colossal write-in campaign — whoever wins the primary will essentially win the special election, scheduled for Oct. 9.

Contending for the seat on Beacon Hill are Cambridge City Councilor Anthony Galluccio, Chelsea City Councilor Paul Nowicki, former Norfolk County prosecutor Timothy Flaherty and human rights lawyer Jeff Ross.

None of the candidates are strangers to the political arena. Galluccio, the 40-year-old former mayor who has a local law practice, ran for Barrios’ seat last year, but abandoned his ambitions after Barrios changed his mind about running for re-election. He also sought the job in 2002, running against Barrios to replace Sen. Tom Birmingham. Galluccio has lived outside the Senate district since 2002, but argued his years of experience in Cambridge politics qualify him for higher office.

Nowicki, 38, has served as a Chelsea city councilor for 15 years. Four times — in 1994, 1997, 2000 and 2006 — he servedas president of the council, the equivalent of Cambridge’s mayor. Nowicki has also worked as a trial court officer since 1994.

In addition to serving as a Norfolk County prosecutor, Flaherty, 42, once ran against Martha Coakley for the Middlesex District Attorney’s office. The son of former House Speaker Charles Flaherty and a lifelong Cambridge resident, he has a private law practice in Charlestown.

Ross, 38, who began his political career as a campaign worker in California in 1992, challenged House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi in the 1998 election, but lost. In December 2006, Ross and a group of plaintiffs sued former Governor Mitt Romney over proposed regulations at the Registry of Motor Vehicles.

During an editorial board meeting with the Chronicle last week, all four candidates were asked what issues they felt were most pertinent for Cambridge residents. Galluccio said protecting the Cambridge Health Alliance from further budget cuts would be a high priority if he were elected.

“The Cambridge Health Alliance is going to be under continued attack by way of cuts from [the state’s] free and uncompensated care pool,” Galluccio said. “That’s going to be a big issue, to protect the Alliance, which has been a godsend for these communities.”

Nowicki, who graduated from Matignon High School in Cambridge, said he believed restoring local aid should be the number-one priority for a state senator representing Cambridge.

“When we look at services, our core values and what we pay our taxes for, I think we need to look at restoring those local aid numbers back to our communities so we can assist in expanding and improving our public education,” Nowicki said.

Flaherty said he also felt education was the most pressing issue facing the city, particularly in terms of what the city spends per student.

“Everyone knows that Cambridge spends more dollars per pupil than just about any other municipality in the state, but it doesn’t deliver the highest quality education to its students,” Flaherty said. “The first thing I would do in the state Senate is commission a study of what it costs per student to deliver a good quality education, present that to the legislature, and make sure we’re funding the federal mandates.”

Though he said education was important, Ross said he felt there was another, more pressing issue facing the city: crime.

“Looking at our youth programs, we need to have a broad-based approach to reducing recidivism, keep kids off the street and keep kids engaged in our civic life,” Ross said. “Part of that is the workforce training and development programs that were originally in the budget.”

The primary election will be held Tuesday, Sept. 11, in Ward 3, Precinct 2; wards 6 and 7; Ward 8, precincts 1 and 2; Ward 9, Precinct 1; and Ward 10, Precinct 2. Polls will be open from 7 a.m.-8p.m.