Three weeks and counting. That’s how long progressive activists with the Overthrow Finneran campaign have to convince at least 81 state representatives to vote against the autocratic House Speaker, Tom Finneran, next month. On January 1, 2003, the first Wednesday of the new legislative session, members of the state House of Representatives will convene to cast their ballots for Speaker.

" We’re hoping and praying it’s not Finneran, " says Eric Weltman, of the Citizens for Participation in Political Action, one of the groups behind a high-profile anti-Finneran effort that has hosted rallies and ballot initiatives for months now.

In anticipation of the upcoming vote, Weltman and fellow activists are stepping up calls to House members and constituents in targeted districts across the state. This week, they kicked off an organized " phone bank " meant to draw attention to the vote and to urge people to put the heat on their legislators. The goal: get state reps either to abstain from voting for House Speaker or to cast a ballot for an as-yet-unknown challenger.

Clearly, the House Speaker has become Public Enemy Number One on Beacon Hill. Last month, on Election Day, activists managed to show just how strong the anti-Finneran sentiment is among the Massachusetts electorate. Voters in 18 House districts across the state were presented with a nonbinding referendum sponsored by Overthrow Finneran, which asked whether their state reps should " be instructed not to vote for Thomas Finneran of Boston for Speaker. " The measure passed in all 18 districts. In some, it passed by a two-to-one margin. Notes organizer Brian Watson, " We have seen a genuine representation that citizens are fed up with Finneran. "

With an apparent mandate to unseat the powerful House Speaker, activists and their legislative allies have bandied about various names as possible contenders. Reportedly in the mix is Dan Bosley, the North Adams Democrat who threatened to challenge Finneran last year but backed down. Other possible candidates include House progressives known for their willingness to stand up to Finneran: Jay Kaufman (D-Lexington), Pat Jehlen (D-Somerville), and Anne Paulsen (D-Belmont).

Whether any reps actually will run remains to be seen, of course. At this point, activists acknowledge, the push to depose the Speaker is still an uphill battle. Finneran, after all, has a nasty and well-earned reputation for punishing his opponents. If reps were to get together and vote against Finneran, Watson muses, " you might say that there’s safety in numbers. " But alas, he adds, " it takes courage to do that. "

Let’s hope that 81 House members have it.