I want to encourage voters in the 3rd and 6th Council districts to support the Democratic incumbents, Marilyn Devaney and Mike Callahan, for reelection. Both are strong supporters of judicial independence and opponents of the Romney-Healey Administration.
Callahan is a supporter of marriage equality and opponent of Kerry Healey’s plan to end tenure for judges. He is being challenged by a conservative radio talk show personality, Ted Sarandis, self-styled leader of the “Ted Nation.” Sarandis has made attacks on so-called activist judges the centerpiece of his campaign. He stridently opposes judicial independence, and the Goodridge decision in particular. He is in synch with the Romney-Healey crowd in his disdain for jurists like Margaret Marshall. He would be a regressive force if elected.
Marilyn Devaney, who is facing a write-in challenge, is also a stalwart supporter of judicial independence. She has shown spunk and leadership in her willingness to challenge Kerry Healey’s chairmanship of the Council, resisting efforts to reduce the Council to a mere rubber stamp for Romney.
Callahan and Devaney are both supporters of Deval Patrick. I urge folks to vote Democratic in the 3rd and 6th District Council races.
Don Gorton
Chairperson, the Greater Boston Lesbian/Gay Political Alliance 1988-1994
Callahan did not impress me at all when he ran for the late Charlie Shannon’s state senate seat last year. Why should I vote for him instead of for Rosemary Macero?
Callahan took heed when he realized he was not resonating with the district. He had been unwilling to endorse marriage equality in his 2004 race, and most gay activists (of which I am one) supported Pat Jehlen. Now he is an energetic proponent of the philosophy of moving on past the marriage debate that Adrian Walker expressed in his column today. Callahan has endorsed the Goodridge decision and opposes the anti-marriage amendment.
<
p>
The issue especially relevant for the Governor’s Council is support for judicial independence, and Callahan fiercely opposes efforts to retaliate against the Goodridge majority. He has been endorsed by the Mass. Gay and Lesbian/Gay Political Caucus.
<
p>
If progressives defect from the Democratic nominee, you risk electing Ted Sarandis, and he is really bad news. Rosemary Macero can’t win, but she can drive down Callahan’s numbers so Sarandis, who has high name recognition, will. Sarandis will give liberal judicial nominees a really hard time if he gets on. If you want a repeat of Nader 2000, Marcero fits the bill.
Rosemary Macero is the only woman running in this crowded field of candidates. She’s smart, progressive, independent and a life-long resident of Somerville. Unlike some of the others, she won’t spend an ounce of her time in public service trying to secure jobs for relatives. If you want to preserve the status quo, by all means support the incumbents. But Macero would a great breath of fresh air.
It makes no sense to vote for a candidate based on likability when she has no shot at winning. By your logic we’d be supporting Grace Ross. I only hope that voters will not defect from the Democratic ticket in this crowded field, because the only other candidate with sufficient name recognition to have a shot at winning is Sarandis. Just like Nader threw Florida and the presidency to Bush, Marcero could put a fierce opponent of judicial independence and Goodridge on the Council as a roadblock in the path of the new Governor’s judicial nominees. She may be a class act, but her bright future lies somewhere other than the Governor’s Council.
According to the Globe, Ted Sarandis finished last of four candidates in the 6th Governor’s Council district, with 8% of the vote. His presence in the race was not a good reason to vote for Michael Callahan instead of Rosemary Macero.
<
p>
I wish Macero had run a real campaign — as it was, even the two local Somerville papers didn’t seem to be aware of her candidacy.
http://h2otown.info/…
Here’s an earlier discussion I started here about the Governor’s Council.