NEW YORK (AP) – The field of 10 hopefuls jostling for an open seat on the City Council this week includes a former U.N. ambassador and two candidates who would make history as either the first Pakistani council member or the first Haitian.

Tuesday’s special election will fill that Brooklyn seat and another on Staten Island, which were vacated by officials elected to higher office in November.

In Brooklyn, Democrat Yvette Clarke left her post to serve in Congress, succeeding retiring Representative Major Owens. She had represented that council district in central Brooklyn since 2002, and previously, the seat was held by her mother, Una Clarke, who was the first Caribbean-born council member. The area straddles the Crown Heights and Flatbush neighborhoods and has a large immigrant population, especially from the Caribbean.

“It sort of reflects all of New York in the sense that this melting pot society is represented by this one district,” said political consultant Stefan Friedman, who was communications director for Yvette Clarke’s congressional campaign. “Every sort of possible demographic happens to be within this district – that’s why you’ve seen a huge number of candidates coming out for this seat.”

The pack includes contenders who trace their heritage to Panama, Costa Rica, Jamaica, Haiti and Pakistan, plus one Jewish candidate.

Among the competitors is Joel Toney, who served as United Nations ambassador for his home nation, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, which is an island chain of about 118,000 people. He has also been active on community boards in Brooklyn for many years.

Mohammad Razvi would be the City Council’s first Pakistani member if elected. The former business owner now serves as executive director at the Council of Peoples Organizations, a nonprofit he founded to advocate for South Asians.

One of his strengths, he said, is working with the multitude of cultures that coexist in the district.

“It’s an example of peace on earth – there are individuals from all these communities living side by side,” he said. “I’m a uniting person, inclusive to everyone.”

The 51-member council could also get its first Haitian, if physician Mathieu Eugene were to win.

Issues of concern among residents in this swath of New York City include affordable housing and school class size. Is is also an area that struggles with high rates of HIV and AIDS, as well as obesity and diabetes.

In the weeks since the date of the special election was announced, the candidates have been raising money, campaigning at subway stops, knocking on doors and sending out mailings and competing for endorsements.

With such a crowded field, observers say there is no clear front-runner.

Mr. Eugene may have a slight edge, having won two coveted endorsements – Ms. Clarke, the woman he is aiming to replace, and a powerful labor union. The group of health care workers, SEIU 1199, is extremely influential in New York City politics, in part because of its ability to motivate an expansive and organized get-out-the-vote operation on Election Day.

Meanwhile, The New York Times endorsed Jesse Hamilton, an attorney with the city Department of Finance. Hamilton grew up in a South Bronx housing project and has served on several neighborhood boards and works with many community and political groups.

“To be effective in the council, a representative should come equipped with a full grasp of the issues, and with ideas to address them,” the Times said. “On those counts, one candidate – Jesse Hamilton – stands out.”

Voters have just two choices in the race on Staten Island, where Andrew Lanza left an open seat after he was elected to the state Senate.

Mr. Lanza was one of three Republicans on the council, where he had served since 2002. He represented a predominantly white, middle-class district with a large number of homeowners that have traditionally elected Republicans.

His former aide, Republican state Assemblyman Vincent Ignizio, is running against Democrat Manny Innamorato, who manages technology for the city of Yonkers and has worked for several New York City agencies.

Each has picked up a high-profile endorsement – Mr. Ignizio won the backing of a fellow Republican, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and Mr. Innamorato is supported by Senator Schumer, Democrat of New York