BY JOSEPH B. NADEAU

WOONSOCKET — A narrowed field of three Democrats will vie for the remaining portion of state Senator Roger R. Badeau’s term in office as a result of campaign filings in Woonsocket and Cumberland.

Woonsocket Democrats Rosina L. Hunt of 68 Hamlet Ave., and Roger A. Picard of 764 Mendon Road, a current member of the state House of Representatives, will face former Cumberland School Committee and Town Council member Thomas J. Scully of 66 Beamis Ave., Cumberland, in the March 19 primary for the seat.
The other three candidates declaring intentions to run for the seat, Christopher J. Bouley of 51 Dawn Blvd., Woonsocket, a Democrat, C. Michael Blake of 33 Hamlet Ave., Woonsocket, a Republican, and Pamela A. Wilcox-Costa of Cumberland, a school parents group member, did not return nomination papers by the end of the filing period Tuesday afternoon.
As a result, only the Democratic primary will be needed to forward a single Democratic candidate to the April 22 Dist. 20 election for the seat.
Bouley issued a statement Tuesday saying he would not file nomination papers for the seat due to requirements for his position as a vice president in wealth management for Smith Barney in Providence.
Although his local supervisors were supportive of his interest in running for the state Senate seat, Bouley said he learned from legal counsel in the company’s New York office that he would have to resign from his vice president’s post if elected.
“I am extremely disappointed with this totally unexpected turn of events,” Bouley said.
“With the filing deadline looming for the filing of nomination papers, I regret that I do not have enough time to develop an alternative plan,” Bouley said.
Bouley said he would not rule out a future run for political office at some point and said “I was really looking forward to the opportunity to campaign for the privilege of serving the people of Woonsocket and Cumberland.”
Linda J. Fontaine, manager of the Woonsocket Board of Canvassers, said C. Michael Blake took out papers
for the Dist. 20 seat but did return them by Tuesday’s 4 p.m. deadline.
 Cumberland’s Board of Canvassers reported receiving papers back only for Scully and Picard, who filed papers in both communities.
  Hunt submitted papers earlier in the day in Woonsocket and filed additional signatures just prior to the close of the filing period to meet the required number of eligible District 20 signatures, according to the Canvassers.
 The candidate winning Badeau’s seat will serve until January of  2009 and will be up for election to a new term in November. Were Picard to win, he would be required by state law to resign from his House seat. That position would remain vacant until the November’s election when it would be filled with the rest of the General Assembly’s seats.
 Badeau died in office on Jan. 25 after a battle with cancer. He had served in the position for 23 years and received many accolades for his long service to the area. His district contains most of East Woonsocket within its make-up of about 9,000 registered voters in Woonsocket and 8,000 registered voters in the Cumberland Hill area of Cumberland.