The Phoenix's David Bernstein tweets that SEIU's New England political director Mac D'Alessandro will challenge US Rep. Steve Lynch in the Democratic primary. Lynch's old rival Phil Dunkelbarger is already in the race.
As everyone here likely knows, Lynch was slow in coming around to supporting the public option, and then voted against health care reform, providing a series of utterly incoherent justifications for that.
In addition, Lynch seems to have actively antagonized any number of former friends and allies: Even Lynch's former best friends and allies in labor, House leadership, and the Obama administration have had reason not just to be disappointed in his votes, but to ask … what's up with that guy?
Here's Mac D'Alessandro's campaign Facebook page, already up. Don't know about a campaign website.
Dunkelbarger is running as an independent, not Democrat.
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p>Hooray for Mac! This is great news for the 9th.
There was a meeting of ‘Better Democrat’ progressives last week, where Mac D’Alessandro told us he was highly likely to run. He just needed to wait for the result of the second batch of professional polls he was having conducted to see how Steve Lynch would do against someone with Mac’s profile. And the first results has not been good for Lynch …
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p>Given that Mac is running, is would appear the second batch of results were also not good for Lynch.
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p>Nice to see someone who has done his homework before running. I’m hoping the combination of his progressive politics and his Union organizer job may be what’s needed to take out Stephen Lynch.
The only fear Lynch had was a carpenter or a firefighter or a member of the armed forces running in the primary. Equalizes the “are you our kind of guy” issue.
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p>All due respect to this SEIU organizer and props to him for taking a shot, but the health care vote will be long gone as an issue by primary time. Particularly since it passed.
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p>Meanwhile, assuming a crowded US Senate primary with Khazei and Capuano and one or two others for the Brown seat (or Kerry special election, whichever comes first), Lynch in good position as the most centrist, no?
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p>Slogan: “Coakley blew it last time, nominate someone who will win this time” is not such a bad approach.
Health care is the only reason to run against him. It’s not. Lynch would no doubt be tough to beat, but last time I checked, but a competitor to Lynch this time around could have a shot in getting some traction given that there’s no other, major primaries going on in Massachusetts (which isn’t to say there isn’t an exciting Auditor’s race, etc., just that there won’t be one race which the state’s activist base circles around… a la 2006).
It’s assuming that “most centrist” is what wins elections. “Martha Coakley was most centrist and look how that turned otu”.
Lynch for Senator. shudder.
If I had to choose between Scott Brown and Stephen Lynch for US Senate, I’d pull the lever for Lynch.
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p>Lynch may be too conservative for me, but he’s less right wing than Scott Brown!
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p>That being said, this was Ted Kennedy’s seat. It’s certainly possible we could get a second liberal as a Senator to join Senator Kerry. How about Mike Capuano or Barney Frank?
But that will be a sad day if the best Dem we can get for US Senate is Stephen Freaking Lynch.
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p>I hope Alan Khazei will run again. I love Barney but I think he’s perfect in Congress.
I’m still looking forward to supporting Dunkelbarger in the November Election. Mac is just Harmony Wu’s last minute replacement, someone who the Progressives think will oust the right-leaning Lynch and his machine.
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p>Even though Phil Dunkelbarger didn’t do so well in his 2006 attempt, 2010 looks a lot different. Here are a few things to consider:
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p>1. Dunk’s campaign website is completely overhauled: more professional, informative, and interactive. His 2006 site was awful, and it provided no avenue for contact and action.
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p>2. Phil hired one of Massachusetts’ youngest Campaign Managers, Greg Agnew, who has been leading candidates to victory since early 2007, when he was only 20. The kid has a lot to learn, but has impressed a ton of people, and has turned skeptics into believers from Worcester, all the way to Boston.
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p>3. He’s not just another “Democrat.” Phil’s Independent candidacy is more reflective of his views, not of his strategy. Take a look at Phil’s positions on his website, they’re all mostly progressive, liberal, therefore, “Democrat.” However, he’s looking to cut the military budget, and promoting economic growth by rebuilding in Massachusetts, not overseas. His ideas aren’t conservative or liberal, they’re just plain Phil.
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p>4. He has more ground support than Mac and Lynch combined. Over 200 people on the ground (as I’ve witnessed) almost every two weeks, gathering signatures and pulling in new volunteers and money.
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p>5. Phil’s staff includes people from all walks of political life: former Kennedy and Tierney staffers, grassroots experts, former non-profit directors, they’re all there because they believe in his cause.
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p>Dunk’s established his new way of campaigning for 2010, and it’s not going to be matched. Trust me, I’ve wanted to stray away from him in the beginning, but he’s made a true believer out of a former skeptic.