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	Related Links   Vote Rivera Gibrán Rivera’s campaign Web site. Includes English and Spanish-language versions. Vote John Tobin Campaign site for the District Six incumbent.

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING LATINO

Whether Rivera can give Tobin a decent race remains to be seen. But he has one key advantage — his ethnicity — that Fordiani, Tobin’s challenger two years ago, didn’t enjoy. If Rivera can retain the votes Fordiani captured in 2003 while pulling Latino votes away from Tobin — and if he brings newly registered Latinos to the polls — the race could be surprisingly close.

This may not be easy, however, especially considering the internal diversity of Boston’s Latino populace. As a native of Puerto Rico, Rivera might pull in plenty of support from that particular community, which is the city’s largest Latin contingent. But will members of other major groups — Dominicans, Mexicans, Salvadorans — support him as well? Also, even if Rivera benefits from Latino solidarity, his emphatic progressivism could be a liability among more conservative Latinos, such as the Cuban entrepreneurs of Jamaica Plain.

What’s more, even if Rivera garners widespread Latino support, he’ll have to make major inroads in West Roxbury, which is largely white and Irish-American, to have a real chance at victory. Last year’s election for Suffolk County sheriff, in which Andrea Cabral trounced Steve Murphy, proved that the voters of West Roxbury don’t automatically back the candidate who looks most like them. But one progressive observer worries that Rivera and his campaign aren’t doing enough to introduce himself to the voters of Ward 20. "On nights where there’s stuff going on in West Roxbury, he’s been in Jamaica Plain, talking to the people he’s already got," this observer complains. "It’s like, ‘What are you doing? You’ve already got our vote!’ My sense is that they have no idea of how to go about widening their base."

Rivera may be realizing this. Last Saturday morning, the newly reopened Curves franchise on Centre Street was West Roxbury’s political hot spot. Menino was there. So was Tobin. And so, unexpectedly, was Rivera, who stopped by with several supporters.

He didn’t stick around, however. After a few minutes, Rivera’s supporters hit the streets of West Roxbury to door-knock for their candidate. Rivera, though, was off to Roxbury Community College, to participate in a neighborhood forum run by opponents of Boston University’s new biolab. "Every decision we make along those lines is a tough one," Rivera says. "But community involvement ... is my central priority as a candidate."

True, the biolab is a key progressive issue. But in neighborhood terms, it’s a South End issue — and the South End isn’t part of the district Rivera hopes to represent. He may have impressed the small audience at Roxbury Community College with his dedication, but Rivera also missed a prime chance to introduce himself to unfamiliar voters. Maybe he’ll do it next weekend. But there’s only so much time between now and Election Day.

Adam Reilly can be reached at areilly[a]phx.com.