Blue Mass Group

Reality-based commentary on politics.

The race is on to fill Trav’s Senate seat — with poll!

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So far, the contenders are Dan Rizzo (a Revere city councillor), Tim Toomey (a Cambridge rep and city councillor), and Anthony Petruccelli (an East Boston rep, and apparently the insider favorite with backing from both Trav and Menino).  Others, including the Winthrop harbormaster (!), are considering jumping in.

Needless to say, this is an important race.  Seems to me that it behooves the progressive crowd to pick a horse in relatively short order.  So, take the poll!

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    • Tim Toomey is a fairweather progressive only when it politically suits him. I hear he is claiming to be the most conservative in the Seante race in East Boston.

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      However polls show Toomey winning Cambridge with 52% of the vote followed by Dan Rizzo with 37%. Petrucelli or as he is none in Boston as “Shave” with 19%.

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      Anywho, I meet that guy Rizzo he looks like a big teddy bear, He was with Jarrett Barrios the other day. Guy seem well versed, but very honest.

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      Who would think Revere has Liberal..LOL

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      Adios

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      Carolina

      • First of all, a guy who supports single payer, has been pro equal marriage rights since day one, and wrote that great article on in state tuition (thanks Lola) is NOT running as a conservative anywhere.

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        Secondly, any poll at this point is going to have a huge amount of undecided… so I think those numbers are bunk.

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        Third, no one in Cambridge has ever heard of Rizzo… so I think those numbers are bunk.

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        Finally, the number add up to 108%… so not only do I think those numbers are bunk but I think you are not only a plant (been a BMG member for a few minutes before this post) but I think it reflects pretty poorly on Rizzo that his plants can’t do math.

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        Better luck next time!

  2. I campaigned against him in the past, but support him now.  In 2004 he faced a progressive primary challenger, Avi Green (now at MassVOTE), and fought a tough campaign.  He won, though I suspect it was too close for comfort, and he didn’t rest on that victory – he started reaching out to the other side, not just with talk, but with action in the legislature.  This past summer, he came to Progressive Democrats of Somerville to ask for our endorsement for state rep, and he got it.  I would like to see him move up to the Senate.

      • It says that he voted in favor of over the counter sale of emergency contraception and he was the lead sponsor for familiy planning services in MA.

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        He is rated as anti-choice by planned parenthood but, nonetheless, got a 50% rating from NARAL, and a 0% from Mass Citizens for Life.

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        He also got a 100% rating from NOW (National Organization for Women).

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        There are a handful of legislators who are morally anti-choice, but really strong on all the peripheral issues, sex education, family planning, emergency contraception, etc.  Sounds like that might be him.

      • Toomey has been personally “pro-life”, but how that actually plays out in doing his job has changed.  He says his personal view doesn’t necessarily have to be supported by the law, and in the past, I believe he voted as a moderate on the issue, but he’s been moving more and more towards a pro-choice voting record over the years.

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        In 2004 it still made sense to draw a pro-choice / anti-choice contrast, but in 2007 I think that contrast is gone unless he were facing someone who could make the case that they’d be a more effective pro-choice advocate than Toomey.  I don’t think there’s someone like that in the race.

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        Toomey voted in favor of the emergency contraception veto override, for example.

  4. The Green campaign tried to make choice an issue, Toomey has the admirable position of being personally pro-life but leaving the state out of the private affairs of women and supports many sensible ways to reduce and regulate abortion. He has voted in favor of a symbolic resolution the MA legislature passed in favor of Roe v Wade and he voted in favor of a partial birth abortion putting him with the majority of Americans in supporting some restrictions but not all.

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    Also Toomey was the first real old school Dem pol to take a very progressive stand in favor of marriage rights, after the Green campaign he could have solidified his base and moved “to the right” but instead reached out to progressives. I think he is a fine choice.

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    Also a Toomey victory would create interesting reprecussions including an open City Council and State Rep. seat in Cambridge.

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    If Toomey wins what are the odds that Galluccio will move to his district to try and run? I say 2-1

    • I went on Vote Smart to look, but you’ve got a lot more depth to your answers.

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      If Toomey wins, Galluccio wouldn’t have time to move.  For Rep seats you need to live there for a year, but the election to fill it would take far less time.

    • Toomey has been serving as both a state rep and a city councilor for a long time.  If he moved up to the Senate, he’d certainly open up the east Somerville / east Cambridge state rep seat.  Would he also open up the city council seat?  I’m not sure, though my guess is yes he would.

    • If Toomey wins, I’d imagine that Joe Grassi (Cambridge School Committee) would take his place as State Rep, unless we end up with two Cambridge candidates who split the vote giving the seat to someone from Somerville.  I can’t imagine Galluccio running for that seat.

      • I would not imagine that.  For one thing, the last time we had a contested primary in this district Somerville cast 40% of the votes, so particularly in a special election, I wouldn’t be surprised if a candidate from Somerville could win over a single Cambridge candidate (with some Cambridge support, obviously).  For another, without knowing who the candidates are likely to be, I wouldn’t “imagine” a particular one winning quite yet.

    • Petruccelli is the establishment candidate, backed by Menino (publicly) and Travaligni. That’s all.

      • Former colleague of mine at City Hall, hard working, asserted himself early on some Massport issues impacting the community, socially progressive, has reached out to the newcomers in EB, was seen meeting with a notable Cambridge progressive the other day (who shall remain nameless unless they choose to name themselves), so he’s reaching out.

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        His “Eastie’s Elves” project has helped bring several truckloads of holiday toys annually to his needier constituents, draws 300-400 people.

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        Be interesting to see whether DeLeo and Reinstein get involved in the race, as well as Mike Ross (another former Petruccelli colleague) and Marty Walz, but as one person noted, it’s all shoeleather.

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        and yes, happy to support him!

          • Working off an expensive computer terminal at hotel in Florida so was trying to be brief, yet direct to previous poster.

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            Be home soon, anything happen this week? đŸ™‚

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    • We know about Toomey and Petrucelli, but I don’t know if we have any commenters who know much about Rizzo.  Do you?

      • Since the special election will occur before the city council election were Toomey to vacate his City Council seat it would create several interesting twists, the first would be that the city would recount the PR counts from last election to determine a new councilor, it would either be David Maher or Sam Seidel depending on which candidate recieved more of Toomey’s votes (Toomeys votes would be transferred for each ballot that elected him to the #2, #3 choices and so forth until a candidate reaches the 10% quota just leave it to Cambridge to have a screwy system), the second twist is that the new councilor along with the other 8 would vote for a new Vice Mayor which would be interesting considering the impact the Reeves scandal has had on the electorate.

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        Look for the progressive wing to unite either behind their last Mayoral standard bearer Dennise Simmons or their Vice Mayoral standard bearer Brian Murphy. Majorie Decker or Henrietta Davis could make plays for their old seat as well, which includes a $5000 boost in yearly salary, a private parking space, and other perks.

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        Now Toomey could still retain his City Councilor seat and remain a State Senator, same reason he can do both as Rep and Councilor, but considering how big his district is, how most of it is not in Cambridge, it would be smarter for him to get to know the other cities in the Senate district and establish offices there, and it would seem that would be too time consuming to also work as a City Councilor but perhaps he could manage.

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        It just shows you that in MA where politicians are elected for life, just one small change can have system wide reprecussions.

  6. I will be supporting Petruccelli.

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    He is a common sense, get things done liberal. He is pro-choice and pro-marriage.

  7. Dan Rizzo is a friend of Jarret Barrios and is the only true progressive in the race.
    He support marriage equality, a women’s right to choose but most important is he has never flipped flopped on the issues.

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    He believes in a single payer health care and believes firmly we need to make greater strides in dealing with the issues of access to health care and affordable insurance. Moreover he feels strongly that we must overcome disparity in healthcare when it comes minorities and the economically disadvantaged.

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    If you are looking for a true progressive with solid credentials who is honest and compassionate than look no further than Dan Rizzo.

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    FYI
    Revere is 33% of the vote Cambridge 30% Winthrop 12% Boston 25% is the remainder. This is a progressive seat and out of all the candidate Rizzo is the true progressive then Toomey then Petrucelli, that’s if you think he is a progressive..

    • Are those population numbers, voter registration numbers, voter turnout numbers or Democratic primary turnout numbers?

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      The most recent numbers I had access to show that the turnout in Boston beat the turnout in either Revere or Cambridge, but that was from 2002.  I’d be interested to see more recent information if it’s available.

  8. Hello all, first time poster on this site.  I am a Winthrop resident and thought I would share some insight on candidate Philip Boncore, who is currently a city councilor at large.

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    Phil is an Attorney, with a practice in East Boston for over thirty years.  He was an Assistant Middlesex District Attorney in the 70’s in Cambridge, and has strong roots in the area.

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    Although Phil has not been a public politician for long, he has been in leadership roles his entire life.

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    Phil has been the state and national president of the Order Sons of Italy in America. 

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    Phil has been the state president of the Justinian Law Society and next month is being sworn in as the National President to the National Italian American Bar Association.

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    I believe if Phil does enter the race, he will be doing so as an independant. 

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    During his tenure as City Councilor in Winthrop, he has been known as someone who will get things accomplished.  Who will listen to his constituents and fight on their behalf.  I am not sure about his stance on specific issues to this race, but what I have seen from him in the past, I believe he should be given serious consideration for this position.  If you dont know him, I would suggest you look into it, and/or ask around.

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