BOSTON -- All of the Democrats vying for the lieutenant governor's post are running for statewide office for the first time.

NewsCenter 5's Rhondella Richardson reported that each candidate has made efforts to break through to voters.

"We had to make choices like so many families about where to live. When it came time to buy a home, we couldn't afford homes in many of the towns near Boston, so we had to move further out, which is a large part of the reason why we live on the Cape. It was much more affordable in 2000. I'm actually running because I'm completely connected to most families in Massachusetts because we live like most families do," candidate Andrea Silbert said.

Silbert is running against Worcester Mayor Tim Murray.

"One reason I pushed so hard on commuter rails, that it's been a major catalyst to bring investment into our city," Murray said.

Candidate Deb Goldberg, a former Brookline board of selectwoman, is part of the founding family of Stop and Shop.

"I knew from my background and experience in the discount business what bulk purchasing is all about and felt that I could make a far greater impact at the statewide level," Goldberg said.

"As mayor of Worcester, I have experience in making government work," Murray said.

"When you look at Massachusetts, we think of ourselves as a cutting edge state, but when you look at who represents us, there is no diversity -- there's no gender diversity. There's no racial diversity," Silbert said.

Silbert founded a nonprofit center to train women entrepreneurs and found a base for her maiden voyage into politics.

The Stop and Shop experience shaped Goldberg's view of the issues.

"We were employing 50,000 people and making sure that not just full-timers had health care, but part-timers. Pensions -- not just for full-timers but part-timers, too," she said.

"We need to restore local aid and Chapter 70 money to cities and towns," Murray said.

The lieutenant governor fills in whenever the governor is absent, but the real job is to shape the office, to carve out a niche.

"The way you create jobs is to give them what they need -- whether it's the training, the venture capital, connecting them with all of the resources," Silbert said.

"I'd like to work with mayors and the boards of selectmen on both local economic growth that doesn't severely impact the local communities," Goldberg said.

In the fight for recognition Murray and Silbert are both worried about being outspent by millionaire Goldberg. Silbert plans to launch a small TV ad campaign Wednesday. Goldberg hit the air earlier this month.