The state election law (Chapter 52 of the General Laws) specifies that the State Committee for each party is elected at the same election as the primary for president, with terms that last four years, plus any additional members that the state party may appoint. These members are elected by senatorial district, with one man and one woman elected from each district for a total of 80.
The Democratic Party Charter specifies a large number of additional members, most elected through one process or another, so that the current membership of the DSC approaches 400, but everything starts with the first 80. Most notably, another 80 are elected by caucuses of the Democratic Town and Ward Committees in senate districts.
Out of all incumbents, 50 are running for re-election. 45 are unopposed, and 5 have challengers. This leaves 30 open seats. 16 of these seats have only one candidate, so barring a huge write-in effort, they will be on the DSC (including BMG’s own Deborah Sirotkin Butler, a.k.a. “AmberPaw”). 6 of these seats have multiple candidates. But 8 seats have no one filed for the office.
I plan to ask the DSC leadership about these vacancies at the DSC meeting on Wednesday to see if there are any write-in candidates for the 8 seats.
Seats with No Candidates (with State Senator listed for reference)
Cape & Islands Male: Sen. O’Leary
First Hampden & Hampshire Male: Sen. Buonoconti
First Middlesex Male: Sen. Panagiotakos
First Suffolk Female: Sen. Hart
Second Essex & Middlesex Male: Sen. Tucker
Second Middlesex & Norfolk Female: Sen. Spilka
Second Suffolk & Middlesex Female: Sen. Tolman
Worcester & Middlesex Male: Sen. Antonioni
Incumbents with Challengers
Norfolk, Bristol & Plymouth Male
Incumbent Fradkin, Steven
Falvey, Donald and Monteith, Barnas
Berkshire, Hampshire & Franklin Male
Incumbent Arlos, Peter
Barron, Matt (rematch of 2004)
Cape & Islands Female
Incumbent Fleming, Jane
Goodstein, Etta
Plymouth & Barnstable Male
Incumbent Mackey, Philip
Fitzgerald, David
Second Suffolk Female
Incumbent Turley, Marie
Jones, Dorothea
Open with Multiple Candidates
First Hampden & Hampshire Female
Cokkinias, Marygail and Kimball, Irene
Middlesex & Essex Female
Crowe, Peg and Sheeran, Betsy
Second Middlesex Male
Campano, James and Quinn, Edward
Second Suffolk Male
Dawson, Joshua and McDonough, Thomas
Suffolk & Norfolk Male
Settana, Daniel and Wilson, Wayne
Plymouth & Barnstable Female Mosca, Patricia; Benotti, Elizabeth; and Fulco, Lucia
Open Single Candidate
Bristol & Norfolk Male: Kaplan, Joseph
First Middlesex Female: Mieth, Jennifer
Fourth Middlesex Female: Butler, Deborah Sirotkin
Fourth Middlesex Male: Peters, Robert
Hampden Female: Werman, Lauren
Hampshire & Franklin Female: Sinclair, Janet
Middlesex, Suffolk & Essex Female: Phillips, Lesley
Norfolk & Plymouth Female: Gardner, Alicia
Plymouth & Norfolk Male: Shanahan, Gregory
Second Bristol & Plymouth Female: Tierney, Rosemary
Second Essex Female: Barrett, Lynne
Second Middlesex & Norfolk Male: Jack, Philip
Second Plymouth & Bristol Male: Brady, Michael
Second Plymouth & Bristol Female: Cavanagh, Caitlin
Second Worcester Female: Dube, Mary
Third Essex & Middlesex Female: Walsh, Laura
Here are the current occupants of the vacant seats, via Massdems.org:
<
p>Cape & Islands Male: Rep. Cleon Turner
First Hampden & Hampshire Male: Edward Collins
First Middlesex Male: Curtis Lemay
First Suffolk Female: Councillor Maureen Feeney
Second Essex & Middlesex Male: James Cuticchia
Second Middlesex & Norfolk Female: Sen. Karen Spilka
Second Suffolk & Middlesex Female: Rep. Rachel Kaprielian
Worcester & Middlesex Male: Rep. Harold Naughton
<
p>Not sure if any of those people are converting over to 20-year members or if they are headed off the committee or if they pulled a Wilkerson and forgot to collect signatures.
Collins is a 20-year member. The rest were first elected in either 2000 or 2004. I’m not sure about the women, as I ran out of time on my research last night.
<
p>20-year members tend to be pretty good about recruiting replacements, or in any case people know when the seat is coming open. When an incumbent fails to file papers for re-election, no one may know about it until it is too late.
<
p>Again, I’ll try to get a status report from the DSC meeting tonight in Attleboro.
Figured no harm in asking.
Democratic State Committee Meeting
Detail: 7:00 PM Monthly DSC meeting
Location: Robert J Coelho Middle School, 99 Brown Street, take Exit 2B on 95 South in Attleboro, left on Carelton Street, right on Washing Street (Route 1A), next Right on Brown Street
<
p>Also, at 5:30, there’s an open workshop on recruiting candidates and running for office.
You should know that, Steve. She’s 39 (or 40; I don’t know when her birthday is exactly), which means that unless she was elected at 19 (or 20; see above), while she was still at Holy Cross and before she sought elective office anywhere, she has not been there for 20 years. Other than that, I don’t know.
The funny thing is, I remember 4 years ago his town committee slate was contested as well (he was TC chair as well as SCM).
<
p>And Etta Goodstein vs. Jane Fleming?
<
p>I’m gettin’ POPCORN!!! They are BOTH fabulous, feisty ladies!
Cleon didn’t forget, he chose not to run. I was recruited, but came to my senses đŸ˜‰
I enthusiastically endorse Ed Quinn for the male Democratic State Committee seat in the Second Middlesex district. For as long as I’ve known Ed he has been a relentless campaigner for Democratic candidates from President on down to local offices. Ed has long labored in the trenches of Democratic campaigns, and is well suited for this position.
<
p>Ed is the Vice-chair of the Woburn Democratic City Committee, and during last year’s campaign for Governor, served as the Patrick campaign coordinator for the City of Woburn. One concrete result of Ed’s efforts in Woburn was that the City voted for the Democratic nominee for Governor for the first time in 20 years.
<
p>Ed is committed to progressive Democratic values and also to building the Democratic party. I encourage those of you who vote in Pat Jehlen’s Senate district to vote for Ed Quinn for Democratic State Committee on February 5.
<
p>Robert D. Peters
Lexington
Based on my conversations at the DSC meeting, some of the eight are running. We’ve already seen a post from Rep. Naughton here at BMG indicating that he’s running, as is Sen. Spilka. If you’re in their district, you’ll probably hear about the sticker campaign soon.
<
p>The big news from last night, which I’ll put another post together for, is that many town committees failed to get valid papers together, so there are many town committee ballots with no candidates. Secretary Galvin was there to let people know about the procedures for running sticker campaigns (and he indicated that he’s been working with the GOP whose problems are much worse).
The current man, Lemay, from 1st Middlesex isn’t down for running for reelection, and has no replacement? Curtis is a fixture in that position. Hrm.
Hi All:
<
p>While running for Democratic State Committeeman in my district, I had forwarded information regarding my candidacy to the local papers including the Norwood Transcript. Today, during my conversation with the Editor of that paper he said, ‘”We’re not going to cover that election.”‘ What is a candidate for office to do when the local media will not cover their candidacy?
<
p>I will try to submit a “Letter To The Editor” in the hope that I can get some publicity, but I am dumbfounded that that paper does not want to cover the only other race that is contested on the February 5th ballot. It is an open seat and is the first time in twenty years that the Democratic voters have a choice between two candidates.
<
p>Respectfully Submitted,
Sincerely,
Wayne J. Wilson, Jr.
Candidate for Democratic State Committeeman
Suffolk & Norfolk State Senate District
(Roslindale, Hyde Park, West Roxbury, Dedham, Westwood and
Norwood)
Who came to the Boston Ward 19 meet on Thursday to talk about their credentials, Wayne was there with Dan Settana of West Roxbury, both are running for the male seat in Senator Marian Walsh’s district. Tom McDonough of JP was also there with Josh Dawson of Ward 5 (Back Bay/Beacon Hill), both are running for the male seat in the Second Suffolk. And Marie Turley of Ward 11 came seeking re-election. Good candidates for what is becoming a more relevant State Committee (even if it is still way too large — get rid of the caucus-elected members for starters!).
During that meeting, Howard brought up the subject that the DSC is too large. I stated that I do not think that it is too large, I believe that the members should show up.
<
p>I have stated before that the attendence of my delegation from the Suffolk & Norfolk State Senate District is abyssmal, my elected four year man attended NONE of the five meetings of the DSC and the other three including the wife of my opponent (Judith Settana) attended only two of the five meetings in 2007. None of them attended the recent meeting in Attleboro. Only 109 members attended that meeting according to the sign in sheet, there are over 300 members of the DSC.
<
p>I will be bringing the important issue of attendence and its’ enforcement up to the Chair of the Massachusetts Democratic Party at the meeting of the Ward 20 Democratic Committee on January 23rd in West Roxbury barring a sufficient answer from his staff. I have made an inquiry and the Democrats in my district deserve to have DSC members who will show up on their behalf.
<
p>Respectfully Submitted,
Sincerely,
Wayne J. Wilson, Jr.
Candidate for Democratic State Committeeman
Suffolk & Norfolk State Senate District
Roslindale, Hyde Park, West Roxbury,
Dedham, Westwood & Norwood
Could you imagine if every member did show up? Could anything get done. Nope, DSC still too big, if you want to have an “Advisory” group, put the twenty year members and the caucus elected members there, or eliminate the caucus chosen members outright and empower the people who actually put themselves on the ballot.
<
p>Again, kudos to all who are running. I understand we’ll have a three way race (at least) for the female caucus slot in the Second Suffolk as of 4:40 pm (deadline was 5 pm) including Sarah Ann Shaw of Ward 12 and Channel 4 fame and Kate Cook of Ward 5 and the Gov’s legal office.
I was shocked that the person in question said that purportedly representing her district. Let’s enforce the rules that would show who really wants to be an active member and who wants a title. Let’s not go into diatribes about people showing up that do not on a regular basis. It makes the DSC look really bad.
<
p>When the rules of the organization are enforced it will winnow out those who do not want to do the job with which the Democrats of their respective districts or State Senate District conference attendees entrusted them. Then we can talk about the size of the DSC.
<
p>Respectfully Submitted,
Sincerely,
Wayne J. Wilson, Jr.
Candidate for Democratic State Committeeman
Suffolk & Norfolk State Senate District
Roslindale, Hyde Park, West Roxbury,
Dedham, Westwood & Norwood
I am currently, and expect to continue to be, a ballot elected member of the DSC. By most people’s standards I do well at representing the district, and serve the DSC well. (Modesty has never been one of my faults.) Yet DSC is such a low profile race, and serving a relatively large constituency, that it would be difficult for me to win if I had an opponent from one of the larger communities. I would say that not more than 5% of the people who vote in presidential primaries are familiar with the candidates running for DSC. It is difficult to raise money for a DSC race. Many people are reluctant to spend significant sums of money for a position like unpaid DSC member. In general though, it appears that the system works. When I ran the first time, I was unopposed. I like to say that I worked hard to be unopposed. Although the caucus members are not popularly elected, the senate district caucuses do give an opportunity for those who are activists to get elected.
Hi Kate —
<
p>But that’s true in all races, some communities are bigger than others and there’s nothing to stop those communities from electing caucus DSC members as well. Why not make them part of an Advisory Committee, with 20 year members and maybe some elected officials and give those who put their names before the public, the decision making authority?
<
p>Just trying to foster some debate, hope all is well. Another nice win today!
<
p>Best,
<
p>H.
Many more people are familiar with the role of State Senator, State Rep and even County Clerk. The caucus seats (technically conference seats) allow those who are active in the Democratic Party to have a real voice in choosing their governance. Using me as an example, at a Senate District Conference, it would be very difficult for me to lose (although I am sure I could tick enough people off), but easy for me to lose on a ballot seat. BTW, I went back to this thread to see if there was information on who is running for the ballot seats for which no one filed. Do you have any information on any of these seats?
<
p>Thanks,
<
p>Kate