According to sources, LG-Elect Tim Murray has chosen State Representative Jim Leary (D-Worcester) to be his Chief of Staff.
So if anyone knows a good Democrat in that district who wants to be a state rep, now’s the time to start raising money!
Please share widely!
Worcester City Councilor Phil Palmieri is in…..
Good for Jim Leary. He’s a damn good rep.
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So Jim Leary moves into the administration, opens his seat, which will probably be filled by a local official, which will prompt motion to fill that vacancy, and so on.
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The same could be true if the rumor that Senator Ed Augustus could be moving into Deval’s inner circle. Local Dems or state reps could look at that seat, and Republican Karyn Polito (who has a HUGE war chest) would no doubt jump in, which would prompt further motion. Interesting times…
He’s too valuable as a Senator and I don’t relish the battle to replace him with someone just as good.
Jim Leary is a good, hard working, fairly progressive, and very bright guy. He was first elected as a State Rep. in November 2000 when he challenged a Finneran loyalist and lieutenant, Bill McManus. McManus, as a Democratic State Rep. had actually publicly endorsed Paul Celucci over Scott Harshbarger two years earlier. I am proud to report that the Worcester Democratic City Committee threw McManus and a few of his Benedict Arnold collaborators off of the City Committee for the offense. Two years later, Leary ran against the incumbent Rep. McManus quietly changed his party enrollment from Democrat to Independent because he knew he would get absolutely killed in a Democratic Primary. Leary cleaned his clock in the General and hasn’t had a really serious challenge since. McManus has since moved to Florida. Neighbor to Neighbor and the Commonwealth Coalition (r.i.p.) played a huge role in Leary’s original election victory.
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Leary is the first cousin of comedian/actor Denis Leary. Jim’s parents were immigrants to the US from Ireland. He was usually on the right side but not a big leader on the liberal side of most economic, environmental, and social justice issues. He started out on the conservative side of the same sex marriage issue but quietly switched to support it after Finneran left. Leary was early on with Patrick (one of only a handful of elected officials around here who got out early for Patrick along with Jim McGovern, Ed Augustus, and Joff Smith). He and his wife Carolyn are attorneys in private practice together and they have three very young sons.
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The district includes all of the town of West Boylston and Ward 1 Precinct 5, all of Ward 2, and Ward 3 Precincts 1, 3, and 5 in Worcester. It is mostly a somewhat socially conservative largely Irish Catholic middle class single home district with some significant pockets of low income housing (primarily Latino/Puertoriqueno). It includes as employers U Mass Medical Center and Medical School, Quinsigamond Community College, Hanover Insurance, and significant biotech development.
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There is already rampant speculation out here about who will run to replace Leary. Very few elected officials live in the district so the field is wide open (Congressman Jim McGovern and Worcester District City Councilor Phil Palmieri are the only two that I know). The district would trend Democratic but not by a huge margin. You can be sure that McGovern and Murray will do whatever it takes to make sure it stays in the Democratic column.
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However, the Democratic nomination could go to a fairly socially conservative candidate unless there is a good recruitment and consolidation to keep it in more liberal hands. This is a district that would likely well receive a union activist. The key to keeping this in the progressive column will be to recruit a Democratic candidate with strong labor and Catholic ethnic appeal who also happens to be progressive like McGovern and Murray.
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I’m not ready to make a suggestion quite yet. Anyone else have any suggestions?
I’d support Brian in a heartbeat.
Brian D’Andrea is a good guy but he does not live in the district. The Worcester Telegram & Gazette and reporter Shawn Sutner don’t seem to think that that is important. But the law requires it for this position.
I’d support Brian D’Andrea in a heartbeat if he lived in the district.
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lol.
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oy.
there will be plenty of time for that later.
I’m first.
Karen Polito is already a Republican State Representative in another, near by district, one that includes all of Shrewsbury and half of Westboro. Mr. Prickily, are you trying to suggest that GOP Rep. Polito is illegally representing her current district?
Although I admit, given the drunken slant of the thread, I may have lost sight of which seat we were advocating finding a woman for….
is good for Tim, good for Worcester County and great for Massachusetts. He is building a strong and savvy team that will be a true asset to Deval Patrick as he moves through the political mine fields on Beacon Hill.