Because of term limits in the Toledo city charter, longtime City Councilman Wilma Brown is stepping down as representative of Council District 1.

Now Aji Green, 35, and Tyrone Riley, 55, are the two survivors of a seven-way primary election held Sept. 13 to succeed her for a new four-year term that wraps up during the general election Tuesday. The two Democrats appear on the ballot for District 1, which comprises areas of central and south Toledo curving from Sylvania Avenue to Reynolds Road.

Although there are contests for all six council election districts on the ballot, the race in District 1 is the only one guaranteed to produce a new face on Toledo City Council because of Ms. Brown's forced retirement.

Mr. Green moved here from Arkansas and works as a legal professional for a Toledo law firm. Mr. Riley, a native of Toledo, is a lawyer in private practice.

Mr. Green said the main issue he's heard in the community has to do with representation -- "having someone out in the community working on our behalf, having someone working with us and getting the resources we need to improve and strengthen our neighborhoods, as well as stabilizing neighborhoods" in which houses are being bought by property investors for rental.

"A lot of people are upset where we are with Issue 2 and our mayor supporting that issue," Mr. Green said in reference to the statewide ballot question that would enact or defeat a proposed law to restrict public employee collective bargaining rights. Mayor Mike Bell is supporting the issue, over the intense opposition of public-sector labor unions.

"A lot of people are disappointed about that. They just want someone in that position that's not going to be a rubber stamp for our mayor," Mr. Green said.

Mr. Green claimed he has a better record of community involvement than his opponent, including running community cleanups and inviting fraternities and sororities in the schools to help prepare students for tests.

Endorsed by several city unions, Mr. Green has joined the chorus of criticism against Mayor Bell's and City Council's 2010 passage of ordinances that allowed the mayor to impose unilateral cuts in city employee wages and benefits in order to overcome a threatened budget deficit.

Mr. Riley, who lives on Searles Road, was the front-runner coming out of the Sept. 13 primary with 33.4 percent of the total vote. Mr. Green came in second with 27.6 percent. The rest was split by five other contenders.

"We're doing everything we intended to do," Mr. Riley said. He said the campaign has made a direct mailing to voters, walked door to door, and conducted phone banking.

"People are concerned about their neighborhoods, they're concerned about jobs and economic development. They're concerned about crimes, and they're concerned about recreational activities. I'm telling people we'll work hard to provide recreational activities to give the kids something positive to do with their time," Mr. Riley said.

He agreed that voters motivated to vote against Issue 2 are going to turn out strong, but he said Mr. Green won't be the only beneficiary of that turnout. He said his own campaign has the backing of labor unions as well.

"That's good for me in the sense that voters want experience, and they want an effective voice to lead them in the next City Council," Mr. Riley said. "I'm hoping that the members of the unions will also see that I'm a better choice for council."

The campaigns have spent similar amounts of money as of Oct. 19, according to their campaign finance reports.

The reports show Mr. Riley had a total war chest of $6,260 and spent $5,789. He still had $471 in his account and had an outstanding loan owed to himself of $1,360.

Mr. Green had total campaign funds of $7,759 and he spent $5,769. Mr. Green still had $1,990 in his campaign account at the end of the period. He owed himself $3,931 and had campaign debts of $2,472.

Mr. Green said most of the debt was carried over from his unsuccessful 2009 Toledo school board campaign, and he said the other campaign debts were to be paid Friday.

Mr. Green, who lives on Merrimac Boulevard, is married and the father of a 5-year-old girl. He came to Toledo in 2001. He is a graduate of the University of Toledo and said he plans to resume work on a law degree at UT after the election. He worked at the Toledo North Assembly Jeep Plant for six years.

Mr. Riley worked as a legislative aide in the Ohio House of Representatives from 1983 to 1988, when he returned to Toledo and went into practice in the areas of criminal, traffic, personal injury, and family law.

Mr. Riley is married with two grown children. He grew up in what is now District 1, attending local public schools, including Scott High School. Mr. Riley said he got a bachelor's degree in political science from Kent State University and his law degree from Southern University in Baton Rouge, La.

Contact Tom Troy at tomtroy@theblade.com or 419-724-6058.

First Published November 4, 2011, 4:30 a.m.