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District 8 race draws pool of 7 Democratic candidates

WITH FIVE members retiring and several more seats competitive, the next City Council will have the most freshman members since 1991, when seven newcomers were elected.

WITH FIVE members retiring and several more seats competitive, the next City Council will have the most freshman members since 1991, when seven newcomers were elected.

The Daily News has been analyzing the competitive races.

8th Councilmanic District: It stretches from Northwest to North Philadelphia, including parts of Nicetown, Tioga, Germantown, Chestnut Hill and Mount Airy.

Open/contested: Councilwoman Donna Reed Miller is stepping down after serving for 14 years.

Who's running: A huge field of Democratic candidates has emerged since Miller announced her retirement. They are:

Cindy Bass - A longtime aide to U.S. Rep. Chaka Fattah, she ran unsuccessfully four years ago. She just picked up the endorsement of Mayor Nutter.

William Durham - A community organizer in the Northwest with a history of involvement in local politics.

Robin Tasco - A former staffer for electricians union Local 98, she is related by marriage to Councilwoman Marian Tasco.

Greg Paulmier - A former ward leader and community activist, he ran in 2007, finishing last out of four candidates.

Howard Treatman - A Germantown developer, he has sunk $100,000 of his own money into the race.

Verna Tyner - The former chief of staff for Councilman Bill Greenlee has a history of community activism in the Tioga part of the district.

Andrew Lofton - Mount Airy resident Lofton works for the Urban Affairs Coalition and volunteers for a number of youth programs in the district.

Debate: 7 p.m. tomorrow at the First Presbyterian Church in Germantown, 35 W. Chelten Ave.

Key issues: Councilwoman Miller frequently survived primary challenges with less than 50 percent of the vote. Some voters have been critical of her leadership over the years and are looking for more vigorous representation.

Who has the edge: It's a big, complicated field in which anything could happen. Smart money says that Bass has a lot of advantages given her big-name support and experience running in 2007. But Tyner, who has strong ward-leader backing in the southern end of the district, shouldn't be counted out, either, and Treatman's money could talk.

For other installments in this series, go to www.philly.com/ CouncilRaces.