Western Mass Politics & Insight has an excellent article about how a vacancy in the 1st Hampden and Hampshire State Senate district could play out if Sen. Gale Candaras should leave to run for Hampden County Register of Probate, as has been rumored.
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HeartlandDem says
The article traces the connections of the connected pols in the region. It fails to address the issue that Gale Candaras has been one of the worst tone deaf casino shills in the state, abandoning her own district to pander to labor unions and the powerful and deep-pocketed interests of the the gambling industry and Beacon Hill. There is a conservative leaning independent voting block in the district that has not been tapped in recent years for GOTV that could influence the direction of the races if campaign strategy addressed those voters.
Wilbraham and Longmeadow are a couple of the dwindling number of communities in the greater Springfield region that are still be able to provide relatively safe and inviting suburban lifestyles with extraordinary new schools in both communities.
Candaras voted against the best interest of her own home town with the casinos. Wilbraham had been fighting the advent of a casino on both sides (Springfield and Palmer) until the voters of Palmer defeated Mohegan Sun. Longmeadow and East Longmeadow voted against a casino in the region at recent Special Town Meetings in resounding super majority votes. Portions of the Springfield cut that is currently in the senate district (Forest Park to Sixteen Acres) holds strong anti-casino activists. It is a solid (D) section of a solid (D) city.
Pols who vote against their constituents are sometimes held accountable.
Her election to another office is a stretch. It is not lost upon observers that Candaras has been long rumored to want a judgeship. Since that has not been forthcoming (why we should asked has she been passed over?) the Probate vacancy is looking good. Probate, would be a major pay hike and pension booster for someone reaching retirement age.
It’s a game played well by her predecessor former senate Minority Leader Brian Lees who jumped over to Clerk of Courts for a couple of years, boosted his pension and now he’s working as………..you guessed it! A lobbyist with his fingers most notably in the casino and medical marijuana pies. He sidled up with Travaglini’s lobbying firm.
I digress, back to Candaras.
Re-election to her current seat is what Candaras should be worried about and perhaps she is. She has a strong core group of supporters but other than union PAC, not so much favorability across the county outside of her niche. It would be interesting to see her primaried. A decent candidate with some money could take her down. A strong Ludlow contender and a bright newcomer could change the whole landscape in a state Senate seat re-election battle.
The fossilization of political seats in Hampden County should be a museum exhibit.