This year's race for the 49th Legislative District, seated mostly in the Mon Valley of Washington and Fayette counties, promises to focus not just on issues, but attitudes as well.

For the past 24 years, it's been the stronghold of state Rep. Peter J. Daley, D-California, who's faced few challengers until this year, when he will run against Republican nominee Edward S. Angell.

In the primary, Mr. Daley, 56, fought off two Democrats who split the vote, while Mr. Angell and another GOP candidate squared off for that party's nomination.

Such competition was unheard of previously in the district where Mr. Daley said he's been responsible for bringing about $130 million in state funding during his 12 years in office.

That was until the unpopular and short-lived pay raise last year which propelled challengers statewide to oust several high-level state Senate and House members.

Mr. Daley voted for and accepted the pay raise, but donated it to seniors in his district in the form of food vouchers. To silence all criticism on the subject, Mr. Daley said he recently made arrangements to pay back $5,000 to the state treasurer's office "out of my own pocket."

But, Mr. Daley's opponents, including Mr. Angell, have said the race was not about the pay raise, and none aligned themselves with any groups who opposed the raise.

Mr. Angell, 39, a Carroll nurse who took a leave of absence to concentrate on the campaign, sees the pay raise as a symptom of a greater problem within the state legislature -- a lack of accountability and transparency. He supports open records and disclosure reforms for lobbyists and legislators.

He said Mr. Daley should be more accessible to voters and legislators should pay for some of their perks and benefits.

"We need to have accountability to the people of this district," Mr. Angell said. "Government needs to respond to people more than people respond to government."

Millions could be saved by limiting free health care benefits, paid pensions, and transportation perks for legislators, he said.

"If we're asking every industry to do it, why should the Legislature be any different?" he said.

He is critical of Mr. Daley for the lack of infrastructure in the area and lagging progress of Route 43, which has yet to connect with Pittsburgh. As a result, Mr. Angell said, it's costing the area jobs.

"He doesn't stand up for the issues that are important to this district," he said. "We don't see any growth in this area."

Mr. Daley, a lawyer, said the proof that he's working hard is in the results.

A recent $250,000 grant to the Mon Valley Community Education Council will be used to expand programs for a new technical college to be built on the grounds of the Mon Valley Area Vocational and Technical School in California. Mr. Daley said talks are in the works with Pennsylvania State University to offer classes at a branch campus to be built at the new facility.

Mr. Daley said he's been responsible for numerous grants for non-profits, including area fire departments and police departments. Mr. Daley said he recently procured a third grant for a new police car in Carroll, a $50,000 grant for roof repairs in Monongahela City Hall, and a $70,000 grant for a park in Allenport.

Mr. Daley serves as Democratic chairman of the House Agricultural and Rural Affairs Committee, and recently secured a $450,000 grant for the Fayette County Fairgrounds.

"That's my job, to bring it back home," he said of funding for local projects.

Mr. Angell, though, said some of the same groups have told him Mr. Daley sometimes drops the ball and could be doing more to assist them.

On property tax reform, Mr. Angell said he believes gaming revenue will fall short of predictions, and he favors complete elimination of property tax through an added consumption tax and expanded sales tax.

Mr. Daley said the gaming revenue and property tax rebates for seniors is a good start to eliminating property taxes.

"That's the first step, but it's only the beginning," he said.

Mr. Daley favors an increase in earned income tax, but not a blanket expansion of sales tax to offset property tax revenue. He said he would favor an expansion for certain items, such as luxury goods, but not food or clothing.

While Mr. Angell has been critical of Mr. Daley's job performance, Mr. Daley said his opponent lacks the "historic perspective" to see the big picture.

Mr. Angell said, if elected, he hopes to bring about a fundamental change in local politics.

"I hope that every two years, someone runs against me that has the same passion that I do about this district," he said.