Consider it to be the Northwest Side's political spectacle of 2004. It contains elements of drama, dynasty and demography.

In fact, the looming contest for 32nd Ward Democratic committeeman between Alderman Ted Matlak and state Representative John Fritchey (D-11) has all the must-see elements of reality TV: an accelerating decline  -- and possible end -- of the ward's 68-year "Rostenkowski Dynasty," an accelerating upheaval of the ward's demographics, as young, affluent professionals and gays replace Polish and Ukrainian Americans, and an accelerating family feud among the "Banks Clan," with patriarch Alderman Bill Banks (36th) backing Matlak and Banks' brother Sam backing his son-in-law, Fritchey.

The 32nd Ward stretches from Cornelia Avenue on the north to Chicago Avenue on the south, in a convoluted design between roughly Sheffield and Western. The 2001 city remap, which was crafted to protect Matlak, excised most of the Hispanic population from the ward, putting it into the 1st Ward. The old Polish and Ukrainian neighborhood around Milwaukee-Ashland-Division, the ethnic mainstay of the ward during the last half-century, also was placed in the 1st Ward. Encompassing parts of Bucktown, West Lakeview, Roscoe Village, Ukrainian Village and Wicker Park north of North Avenue, the 32nd Ward has rapidly evolved from an ethnic enclave to an upscale paradise. In short, it is now a developer's dream.

Once crammed with frame bungalows on 25- to 40-foot lots and populated by first- and second-generation Polish and Ukrainian immigrants who voted reliably Democratic, under the tutelage of boss Joe Rostenkowski, the ward experienced a huge Hispanic influx in the 1980s, which has since succumbed to a huge yuppie influx, beginning in the 1990s. Now those old bungalows, on those tiny lots, are being razed and replaced with $700,000 three-story mansions or with multi-story townhomes or condominiums that sell for $300,000 and up. Every block is an eclectic hodgepodge of the old and the new, with the ward's new upscale residents having an independent political bent, while the old-timers' loyalty to the Rostenkowski machine, of which Matlak is the last man standing, is severely strained by the ward's gentrification and rising property taxes.

Matlak's predicament borders on the insoluble: He is accused by some of the newcomers of being a "tool of the developers" -- the phrase used by Lorna Brett in her 1999 campaign for alderman. Many of the old-timers feel likewise, eager to stop the ward's development.

So Matlak's in a paradoxical situation, with neither newcomers nor old-timers pleased. Obviously, the rezoning of the ward's R-1 properties to R-3 and R-4, to permit knockdowns and the construction of multi-unit buildings, would not be occurring without the assent of Matlak. But, just as obviously, the increase in property values, for both new construction and for the knockdowns of older homes that facilitate more construction, benefits everybody, with higher sale or resale prices.

But the gentrification of the ward and the soaring price of real estate mean rising property taxes, and that has made it less hospitable to the less affluent, who cannot afford the higher rents or the higher property taxes. So even though Matlak's ward is now overwhelmingly white and solidly Democratic in state and federal elections, it is more and more impervious to the blandishments of the precinct captains who got Matlak elected and who have kept the "Rostenkowski Dynasty" in power since 1936. And the consequences of development rile all: Traffic congestion and construction obstructions are epidemic, and Matlak takes the blame.

Matlak, age 38, was appointed alderman by Mayor Rich Daley in 1999, after the resignation of incumbent Terry Gabinski, who had been alderman since 1969 and who has held the ward Democratic committeeman's post since 1988. Matlak, a protege of Gabinski, was his aldermanic chief-of-staff. Gabinski, in turn, was a protege of former U.S. representative Dan Rostenkowski, who was one of Washington's most powerful politicians as chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee until his 1994 indictment on 17 counts of felony theft, embezzlement and obstruction of justice. Rostenkowski was defeated in 1994, and he pleaded guilty to two counts of mail fraud in 1995.

Rostenkowski's career was nurtured by his father Joe, a committeeman from 1936 to 1960 and an alderman for 20 years. The elder Rostenkowski was a close ally of Richard J. Daley, just as the younger Rostenkowski was closely allied with Richard M. Daley and backed him for mayor in 1983. Joe Rostenkowski put his son in the Illinois House in 1952, at the age of 24, and made him a state senator in 1954 and a congressman in 1958, at age 30. Dan Rostenkowski became committeeman in 1964, anointed Gabinski, then his congressional aide, as alderman in 1969 (at age 31), and made him committeeman in 1988, when Rostenkowski retired.

Now Gabinski is retiring, and he has anointed Matlak as his successor. Stressing his commitment to "constituent service" and isolating Brett as a "liberal feminist," Matlak won the tough 1999 aldermanic contest by a vote of 6,725-4,019 (54 percent). He won 5,518-1,959 (74 percent) in 2003 against Jay Stone, the son of Alderman Berny Stone (50th).

For Matlak, the 2004 committeeman's race is either the end of the beginning or the beginning of the end. Either he will beat Fritchey and solidify himself as the alderman/committeeman and the heir to the Rostenkowski-Gabinski legacy, or he will lose to Fritchey, be discredited as a political force in the 32nd Ward, and be a near-certain loser for re-election as alderman in 2007.

The contrast between Fritchey, age 39, an attorney associated with a prestigious Loop law firm, and Matlak, a lifetime city payroller, could not be clearer. Fritchey is the personification of the upscale 32nd Ward, while Matlak is the personification of the precinct-working minion of Rostenkowski machine.

"Fifty years is enough," said Fritchey, referring to the ward's heritage. "It is time for a change."

But would a Fritchey-for-Matlak switch be a change of substance or just an illusion? Fritchey, then an obscure 32-year-old attorney, got himself slated in 1996 for the state representative seat being vacated by Rod Blagojevich, the son-in-law of powerful 33rd Ward Alderman Dick Mell, who was then running for Congress against Republican Mike Flanagan, who had upset Rostenkowski in 1994. In order to get Blagojevich nominated, Mell cut a deal with Bill Banks whereby Banks backed Blagojevich in his 36th Ward, in exchange for which Mell backed Fritchey, the son-in-law of Sam Banks, Bill's brother, for Blagojevich's Illinois House seat.

Fritchey won easily in 1996, and he has won re-election since. Roughly a quarter of Fritchey's 11th District lies in the 32nd Ward, as does his residence. Fritchey is intensely ambitious, but there are no obvious opportunities for advancement. Fritchey makes no secret about his desire to serve in Congress, but the 5th U.S. House District seat is held securely by Democrat Rahm Emmanuel, and the 6th District state Senate seat is held securely by Democrat John Cullerton.

So Fritchey has turned his sights to Chicago politics, and he is a possible candidate for city clerk in 2007. But, prior to such a citywide bid, he needs to solidify his political base, which means winning the 32nd Ward committeeman's job. Fritchey has the support of Sam Banks, but Mell and Bill Banks are backing Matlak. That means that in 2004Matlak will have a lot of precinct workers from the 33rd and 36th wards pouring in to aid him.

The early outlook: There were 29,730 registered voters in the 32nd Ward in 2000, and 5,498 of those voters cast ballots in the Democratic primary; in 2002 the Democratic primary turnout was 8,808, and independent Paul Vallas beat Blagojevich in the ward 4,111-3,639, even though Blagojevich was backed by the Rostenkowski-Gabinski-Matlak-Mell combine.

Approximately 3,000 votes will win the 2004 committeeman's race. Given the fact that Matlak is the well known alderman who got 6,725 votes in 1999 and 5,518 votes in 2003 and who is backed by two powerful aldermen, he is a solid early favorite. But given the ward's population turnover and Fritchey's professional profile and money-raising capacity, a Fritchey win cannot be ruled out.

In other developments, incoming Jefferson Park Neighborhood Association president Bob Bank is seriously considering a run for 45th Ward Democratic committeeman against 36-year incumbent Tom Lyons, who has held the post since 1968. "I've been encouraged to run, and I've been frustrated with the pace of change (in the ward)," Bank said. Beating Lyons, he said, "is a way to change."

Pete Conway, a 2003 aldermanic candidate who is gearing up to run again in 2007, will not run for committeeman.