Amid the rhetorical bluff and bluster of last week’s statewide primary election, nine Allston/Brighton candidates quietly filed papers to run for the city-council seat left vacant in August by the death of District Nine councilor Brian Honan. Forced by the city charter to call an election within weeks of Honan’s unexpected death, the Boston City Council voted to set November 12 and December 10 as the respective dates for the preliminary and final elections for the District Nine seat. (A special act of the legislature would have been required to hold the election concurrently with the November 5 general election, according to a spokesman for City Council president Michael Flaherty.)

The timing of the special elections — coming one week after the gubernatorial election and then two weeks before the Christmas holidays — all but guarantees a low-key, low-turnout affair, says Michael Moran of Brighton, a local political activist and top aide to at-large city councilor Stephen Murphy, who twice ran for state office in the district.

" Coming a week after the general election, there could be as few as 3000 votes for the special, " Moran says. " It will be tough for them to get their message out. So whoever is organized enough to identify their voters and gets them to the polls ... wins the race. "

With only 98 valid signatures required to get on the ballot, there is no dearth of candidates for voters to choose from, although the would-be councilors’ levels of experience, name recognition, and organization vary widely, according to Moran. They are (in alphabetical order):

John A. Bruno: a long-time Allston resident, who now lives in Brighton and is active in Little League and youth hockey. Bruno owns and operates Brookline Bag and Paper on Washington Street, in Brighton, and is expected do well among the district’s Italian-American voters.

Cathleen E. Campbell: an Allston attorney and political activist with strong name recognition from her 1995 run for the same seat, when she finished third. A member of the Ward 22 Democratic Committee, Campbell is expected to do well in North Brighton and Allston and is an early favorite to make the run-off.

Mark S. Ciommo: another Brighton resident active in Little League and youth-hockey organizations. A first-time candidate, Ciommo got a taste for politics working for Brian Honan’s ill-fated Suffolk district-attorney campaign. He is expected to compete with Bruno for the Italian-American vote, and with Campbell for the North Brighton vote.

Gary W. Dotterman: a gay-rights activist and a one-time aide to former city councilor David Scondras. A liberal who’s active in Ward 21, Dotterman will look to the young professionals and the large number of students living in Allston/Brighton.

Rosie Hanlon: a parent active in St. Columbkille’s school and church, currently director of the Brighton Main Streets organization. She unsuccessfully challenged Honan for the seat in 1997 and has been critical of the level of basic services Allston-Brighton receives from the city.

Jerry McDermott: a Brighton businessman, who twice ran for and failed to win the seat — the last time in 1995, when he topped the ticket in the preliminary for the then-open seat, then lost to Honan in the final. McDermott is active with several community organizations in the Oak Square neighborhood, as well as the Ward 22 Democratic Committee. He is another early favorite to make the run-off.

Dan McLaughlin: a lifelong Brighton resident and local union activist, also making his first run for public office. McLaughlin has strong family ties with the Presentation parish in the Oak Square neighborhood, and is also active in neighborhood organizations and the Ward 22 Democratic Committee.

Mark D. Trachtenberg: a member of the Ward 21 Democratic Committee, making his first run for public office. A liberal activist, Trachtenberg is expected to compete with Dotterman for the votes of young professionals and students, if he makes the ballot. At press time, Trachtenberg’s signatures had yet to be certified.

Arturo Vasquez: an architect and businessman also making his first run for public office. Vasquez, a Mexican immigrant, who moved to the area 17 years ago, is president of the Allston/Brighton Improvement Association. He will compete for the votes of young professionals and students, and is also expected draw votes from the growing community of color in Allston/Brighton.

Whoever wins the race will have big shoes to fill, according to Moran. " Brian Honan set a high standard, and whoever wins will labor in his shadow, " he says. " There is a tremendous amount of respect for the Honans in this neighborhood. Everyone is trying to figure out how to campaign and do it in a respectful way.