Farnese’s prospects soared after that, not only because the incumbent was no longer a factor but also because so-called Fumocrats, to whom Dougherty is anathema, rallied around the 39-year-old Center City lawyer.

Since then, most of the brass-knuckle attacks in the campaign have involved Dougherty and Farnese, whose late grandfather was a school board president tied to Fumo.

Dougherty went all the way to the state Supreme Court to get Farnese’s name off the ballot because of irregularities in his nominating petitions, and he often draws attention to the Fumo camp’s support for Farnese, including behind-the-scenes lobbying by the senator himself.