Using the Dedham Town Clerk’s excellent website I have learned that said Town Clerk’s brother, James Munchbach, has pulled papers to run as an independent. This completely changes the dynamic since my last handicapping.
The Clerk, Paul Munchbach, is a former selectman in Dedham and in his last few races was consistently the highest vote getter in town. He ran the same year as the longest serving Selectman who was also a former State Rep. This woman has serves on just about every appointed committee in town and has been a selectman for-ev-er. I am sure Paul will be able to transfer a lot of his votes to his brother James.
I always assumed James was a Republican as he was always pulling for the GOP candidate. He ran Kerry Healy’s campaign in the town and was formerly a driver for Romney, IIRC. Hes apparently unregistered, however. If he does run, being very politically active himself and coming from a family with political muscle second only to departed State Rep Bob Coughlin I think he could win a plurality of votes in the race.
This is a big blow for McMurtry, who has never run for office before. Hes very active in community organizations and one of the nicest guys in the town, but he doesn’t have an organization built and ready to go.
In other news, Cheryl Shoenfeld returned her papers yesterday, as I suspected she would after I saw her ad.
