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The Democrat challenging state Rep. Jonathan Paton says the legislator should have given up his seat before going to serve in Iraq.

"You cannot serve two masters," Clarence Boykins said in an interview. "He deserves our hopes and prayers, but he doesn't deserve our vote just because he's there."

Boykins, a Democrat who is running along with Republicans Paton and Marian McClure for the two state House seats in District 30, said he respects Paton's service but is disappointed that he cannot engage in a debate with Paton on the issues.

"There are Republicans that don't even know what he's done — what his issues are," said Boykins. "I'll tell you what they do know — that he's a nice young man who's gone to Iraq."

Boykins, 63, is a Vietnam veteran, a retired city employee and current executive director of the Southern Arizona Black Chamber of Commerce.

He names education as one of the top issues he'd like to address if elected to the Legislature. He disagrees strongly, he says, with Paton's decision last legislative session to hold legislative hearings after the Tucson Unified School District allowed someone to make a speech at Tucson High Magnet School that included the remark "Republicans hate Latinos." The incident drew national attention.

"Part of having schools is that we allow our kids to think and make decisions," Boykins says.

On Paton's departure to conduct military intelligence work, Boykins calls the move "brilliant" and says "it came timely."

His frank talk is the first public criticism of Paton, an Army Reservist, since he announced in August that he was being voluntarily deployed to Iraq.

Boykins says Paton should still have to be accountable to the people of his district, which includes much of Tucson's East Side as well as Green Valley and parts of Sierra Vista.

But his bluntness could be risky. The district has a large number of military families and retirees, and Boykins already faces the challenge that Republicans outnumber Democrats in the area.

"I think it's a stupid move on his part," says Judi White, chair of the Pima County Republican Party. "I think it's a despicable political trick to accuse Jonathan of having anything other than the best intentions in deciding to serving his country."

In the meantime, Boykins is staying aggressive in his fight for the seat. If he doesn't win this time around, he'll keep trying, he says.

And so far, he's had a unique experience, running without his opponent being physically present. State Sen. Tim Bee is serving as Paton's spokesman while he's in Iraq.

"It's like boxing with your sister," Boykins said of running against Paton. "She can hit you, but you can't hit back."