State Rep. Robert K. Coughlin (D-Dedham) is reportedly about to receive and accept an offer to join the Patrick administration as director of business development. (Here’s the Globe article — scroll down for the relevant item.)
At January’s ConCon, Coughlin voted against the anti-marriage amendment (yay!!), and also voted against discharging the health care amendment from committee (boo!!). It’s obviously essential to replace him with someone who supports marriage equality.
What say you, Dedham-area folk? Who’s at the top of your list?
UPDATE: Thanks to an alert reader for the pointer to this article, which lists several possible candidates:
Dedham selectmen Thomas Polito and Dennis Teehan; Westwood Selectman Anthony Antonellis; Dedham Community Theatre owner Paul McMurtry; and recent state Senate candidate and Westwood resident Douglas Obey are among those who yesterday who said they are interested in running.
Obey is bad news on marriage. No info yet on the others.
I believe that Mark Reilly who did a great job coordinating Dedham for Deval Patrick is going to run. Mark is definitely pro-marriage and will be a great candidate.
I know Mark Reilly!!! Grew up with him on the South Shore. He was a great guy then and a great guy now. Mark organized and coordinated Dedham for Governor Patrick for both the Primary and the General and is a fresh voice that the Statehouse, Dedham, Westwood and Walpole would be very lucky to have! I may not live in any of those towns but I’ll be there working hard for Mark if he decides to put his hat in the ring. Not only would he be a great candidate, he’d be a great state representative.
Longtime state employee Steve Bilafer is also rumored to be running. I’ve heard great things about Steve from friends of mine who live in the Dedham area, they say he’s very active in his community and has spent years working to make people’s lives better. None of the above mentioned candidates seem to be drawing a lot of excitement from what I hear. We’ll see what happens when Coughlin officially leaves, but I think Bilafer will emerge as the strongest candidate when the dust settles.
I don’t live in Dedham, but I read the paper that covers Dedham (and Westwood and Norwood, etc) every day. They have a pretty active political life there, but I don’t remember seeing his name.
I posted about this a few days ago.
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Paul McMurtry is probably one of the nicest guys in the Greater Boston area. He bought an independent movie house in the center of Dedham a few years ago and is leading the charge to save local business in Dedham Square from the Walmart-ization of America. I don’t think hes ever turned down a charity when they come knocking on the theatre doors, he shows some really great movies at cheap prices and uses real butter on the freshly popped popcorn. Whats better, the Museum of Bad Art is in the basement, next to the mens room.
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I don’t know anything about Mark Reilly, never heard of him, dont ever remember reading his name in the papers or see him running for office before, but I am fairly certain Gabrieli won Dedham. Coughlin has a political machine in Dedham and if he throws his support behind anyone you can bet thats the odds on favorite for the seat. Theres also a lot of old-timers in that town who can swing a lot of votes.
but only by 16 votes. DP had plenty of support. Link.
I think it was on BMG that I read those numbers were no good. Steve Canesa ran Gabs campaign on the South Coast, but in his hometown of Lakeville Gabs could only muster 3 votes? I’m sure someone else besides he and his parents voted for him in that town. To be sure though, DP did very well there in the general, despite an active Healy group.
I know Steve Bilafer. He is a great guy with a young family. He has been working at the state level for a number of years now and would be an asset to the people of Dedham.
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Steve is a Harvard grad, and would immediately enter the State House as a well respected and knowledgable Representative.
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If he declares that he is running, he will immediately move toward the top of the pack to replace Rep. Coughlin.
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