The power of incumbency is on the table for debate here, with state Rep. Mark Mustio, R-Moon, citing his track record of integrity, efficient government and economic growth while Democrat Ray Uhric harps on his opponent's vote to line his own pockets with a pay raise.

It might sound like a typical exchange of campaign volleys, but it has a wrinkle that makes the 44th state House district race a bit different.

No one is saying the race is a cliffhanger, but, at least, there is a race, which, after a couple of false starts, is worth mentioning.

The Moon Township Democratic Committee put out a news release this year, saying it might have found a candidate to take on Mr. Mustio, the two-term incumbent from Moon. The candidacy never materialized, however, and the spot on the May primary ballot stayed blank.

The committee chairman, Tim McLaughlin, a township supervisor, did not return phone calls concerning the difficulty finding someone to challenge Mr. Mustio.

According to Mr. Uhric, a write-in candidate, the battle within the battle didn't end there.

Mr. Uhric said he announced his write-in bid in May because he didn't want Mr. Mustio to waltz into a third term and because another potential candidate backed out at the last minute. Mr. Uhric wouldn't name this second would-be challenger, but he knows it to be a fact.

"I was collecting signatures for her," said Mr. Uhric, 62, who's lived in Moon for 23 years. Mr. Uhric is a retired technician for US Airways.

"There was a lady in Collier who was going to run, and she had to drop out because of personal commitments. Her heart was in the right place but, objectively, she realized it was too much.

"I just simply volunteered. There was no one else, so suddenly, I found myself collecting signatures for my own write-in. I knocked on a lot of doors."

What Mr. Uhric didn't do, Mr. Mustio said, is knock on the door of the Moon community TV studio where the incumbent had wanted to stage a debate.

"We've had two televised debates and he hasn't shown up for either of them," Mr. Mustio said.

Mr. Uhric did not attend a scheduled debate with incumbent Mark Mustio, but the two candidates subsequently did debate. Moon Community Access television will broadcast the debate on Sunday, Oct. 29 at 7 p.m. and Tuesday, Oct. 31, and Wednesday, Nov. 1, at 2 p.m. Mr. Mustio, 48, was elected to the state House in 2003 to fill John Pippy's seat when Mr. Pippy was elected to the state Senate. Mr. Mustio lives in Moon and owns an insurance agency there.

Mr. Mustio said he would've presented the legislator's rationale concerning his support of the pay raise that the state Legislature passed in July of last year in any debate session with Mr. Uhric. Voter outrage later prompted legislators to rescind it.

Mr. Mustio said he had no intention of pocketing the raise for himself. What he wanted to do was use the extra money to hire a health-benefits coordinator for the elderly to help them through the maze of Medicare Part D and PACENET benefits.

Declaring, "I'm not a pig," Mr. Mustio pointed to his taxpayer-friendly record when it comes to travel expenses.

Mr. Mustio drives his own Chevrolet Trailblazer and collected $2,432 in travel expenses in the first six months of last year. He takes reimbursement for fewer office expenses and travel expenses than most of his colleagues and has called for an elimination of all taxpayer-covered car leases for legislators.

He's also called for an elimination of property taxes, an issue he rates as one of the top three in this campaign. "Property taxes will always be an issue until we eliminate them," he said. To offset the loss of property tax revenue, Mr. Mustio supports an elimination of the tax exemption covering clothes and food purchases.

The other two top issues? Jobs and economic development in the airport corridor near the Findlay Connector and cost-saving government reform.

Mr. Uhric's top three list is similar, once the matter of the legislative pay raise is put aside.

He supports an elimination of property taxes, but doesn't want to rely as heavily as he says his opponent does on the broadening of the sales tax. Mr. Uhric wants to see all tax alternatives put to a voter referendum. "Let the voters decide," he said. "That's a true democracy."

The 44th District covers Collier's 1st and 2nd wards; Findlay; Moon; North Fayette; Aleppo; Ben Avon Heights; Edgeworth; Haysville; Kilbuck; Ohio Township; Osborne; Robinson's districts 7, 8 and 9; Sewickley; Sewickley Heights; and Sewickley Hills.