Is anyone paying attention to the races for Governor’s Council?
As I understand it, the main purpose of the Council is to confirm judges. In most other places, that would be the Legislature’s job, but we still have this Colonial holdover. The Council must also approve pardons.
There are eight Governor’s Council districts, five of which have contested elections. In the Sixth District, which includes Somerville, the incumbent councilor is Michael Callahan. When he ran for State Senate in last year’s special election, I was sufficiently unimpressed that, had he won the Democratic primary, I would have supported then-Republican Bill White in the final.
This year, Callahan has three people running against him — one Republican and two Independents. Any information on any of these people, or the races in the other districts, would be greatly appreciated. I have seen no evidence of any campaign by any of them.
BMG has provided me with very useful information on the Ballot Questions, in addition to the contested Statewide races–so, can anybody help us make more informed decisions on the Governor’s Council races?
I saw a sign supporting Callahan for Governor’s Council in my neighborhood just a few days ago – on College Ave in Somerville. I’ve seen that house post many signs for candidates I didn’t support over the years, so its lawn endorsement doesn’t particularly sway me towards Callahan. Sadly I don’t know anything else about the other options.
When Callahan ran for State Senate, his main platform seemed to be adding slot machines at racetracks to raise state revenues. This got a lukewarm reception at best in Somerville.
Isn’t this the seat that Ted Sarandis, late of WEEI, is running for?
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His show was pretty decent when he wasn’t on a rant about how much Fenway needed a retractable roof. Don’t be fooled by the “Unenrolled”, though, I remember him shilling for Romney on air.
Ted Sarandis is one of the “independents” running in District 6. While he appears to have softened his positions and is taking aim at things like nepotism and pay raises one of the issues he cited as having spurred him to run was the so-called “judicial activism” regarding the gay marriage ruling.
In the first GC district (most of the four western counties) the Democratic nominee is Thomas Merrigan, a former judge who is endorsed by the entire local Democratic establishment. (They also endorsed him in the primary where he narrowly defeated the incumbent Peter Vickery.)
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I did hear a radio ad for Merrigan where he denounced the alleged scurrilous negative ads aimed at him by one of his opponents, but he wasn’t specific and I haven’t heard the ads in question (perhaps they didn’t buy time on our Air America affiliate).
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Anyway, Merrigan should win easily, which is presumably a good thing.
…Phil Paleologos, who will whup the lackluster Carol Fiola and the independent Vivieros next week!
and so is not running against Paleologos (any relation to the annoying poll guy)?
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Dave MB’s confusion is totally understandable: although we in most Westerly parts of the Commonwealth are in the 1st Congressional and state Senate districts we are, for some reason the numbering for GC goes the other way, so we are in the 8th GC district..
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I don’t even recall who Merrigan’s opponents are. His strong backing from many established party types continues, and I believe pretty much all those who supported Vickery in the primary (as I did), are now lined up solidly behind Merrigan in the general. From the standpoing of a typical BMG poster (that qualifier “typical” is what excludes the illustrious Mr. Porcupine), Merrigan is not a controverial choice nor one for whom one would have to vote with great reluctance.
My guy owns the Shawmut Diner in New Bedford.
I did say GC-01 when I meant GC-08, for the reason you said.
From the descrition of their duties below found on the state gov. website it seems like the handle the routine approvals required by the executive office. As far as following the races goes it seems like a popularity contest for insiders. People have minimal interest in representative and senatorial races. What weighty issues does the governors council handle that would hold people interest? Does anything controverial happen at theri meetings?
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The Council generally meets at noon on Wednesdays in its State House Chamber, next to the Governor’s Office, to act on such issues as payments from the state treasury, criminal pardons and commutations, and approval of gubernatorial appointments; such as judges, notaries and justices of the peace(see additional information below).
Judicial appointments and pardons can certainly be controversial. I’d prefer to get rid of the Governor’s Council and delegate these duties to the Legislature, but until that happens, we need to pay some attention to these offices.
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I recall the Governor’s Council being very important in dealing with the cases of the Framingham 8, a group of abused women who were in prison for killing their batterers.
Ted Sarandis
Rosemary Macero
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I voted for Macero.
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She has a terrible web site with almost no information whatsoever. But there are two video files with her interviews. From what I understood, she is a lawyer who started her own law firm, practices in 4 states (I think this is what she said in an interview) and until recently was a registered Democrat. So I decided to take a chance on her thinking that a smart liberal woman lawyer could be a good person confirming judges.
Howie Carrhad a paragraph about the governor’s council in today’s Herald:
Another office to think about when you show up at your precinct Tuesday – Governors Council. Can you imagine the sort of moonbats Deval Patrick is going to appoint to the bench? You need somebody there to at least stand up every Wednesday and say, Not through me.My pal Ted Sarandis is running for the Council as an independent against Americas Bartender, Mike Callahan. Ted Nation will make it hot for them. Down in Bristol County, a guy named Phil Paleologos is trying to oust the flyweight Councilor Carole Fiola. How can you not like a guy whose signs say Shawmut Diner – which he owns.
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Michael Callahan is the highlight of any St. Patrick’s Day breakfast. I’d pay to listen to him do comedy. As a Councillor? I don’t think so.
If Howie Carr is dissing Callahan and praising Sarandis you have both a very good idea of who the viable alternatives are in this race, and which one is the more progressive. Macero lacks the name recognition to run for so down ballot an office. She’s not competitive. In terms of what’s relevant for the Governor’s Council, Callahan strongly supports judicial independence and opposes the judge-bashing rhetoric and policies of the Romney-Healey Administration. He has endorsed the Goodridge decision and opposes the anti-marriage amendment. Ted Sarandis is a zealous opponent of same-sex marriage equality. Callahan’s a good guy on a body that doesn’t get the attention it deserves.