According to the Lynn Item, Senator Fred Berry will not be seeking re-election. My friend and fellow DSC member, Arthur Powell, a constituent of Senator Berry, has confirmed the information in the Lynn Item. His facebook message states, “Senate Majority Leader Fred Berry, first elected in 1982, has announced that he will not run in 2012. Thank you Fred.”
So who’s in and who isn’t for the open seat?
Please share widely!
Mr. Powell
There are four State Reps in the district that could run for the office:
John Keenan – Salem
Jerry Parisella – Beverly
Ted Speliotis – Danvers
Joyce Spiliotis – Peabody
Interesting with the Speliotis/Spiliotis. Presumably two different ways to spell the same word in Greek?
She lives in Middleton, which is not in this district, but she DOES have both a GOP Senator and Representative who could be challenged.
I’ll second the nomination of Arthur Powell!:)
She practices law in Salem. Easy enough to take an apartment nearby. She’d only have to live in the district as of election day.
Fred Berry has been a great senator for Salem and the district. Mayor Driscoll would be the best choice to succeed him.
Mayor Kim Driscoll could get elected to fill her good friend Senator Berry’s seat in a walk…but that’s not her goal…she could also get elected to the Congressional seat against either Tierney in a primary or Tisei in a final…she is that popular on the North Shore…
Salem news reports today that Peabody’s outgoing Mayor Bonfanti might be considering it…that is unlikely, considering that he was a week official and endorsed the loser in the recent Peabody mayoral election and actively and nastily burned too many bridges with the incoming mayor who won in a 66%-34% landslide.
None of the current district Reps will take it on, each has good reason for staying put.
Former Rep. Mike Cahill who just lost a close mayoral in Beverly may consider it, but he would have a tough go…Beverly candidates are usually “also rans” in Senate district…it’s math, voters…next Senator will be from Salem or Peabody most likely.
next State Senator will not fill fred berry’s shoes…that’s a given…impossible expectation given the incredible things Berry has accomplished…look around, his fingerprints are all over every good thing from schools to bridges to roads to needed programs in the communities he serves…they should be naming the new court house in Salem after him (with all due respect to former Rep Mike Ruane, who should get a room or 2 plaqued for him) because Berry actually delivered the funds to build it.
Arthur Powell is a great Dem. State Committeeman from beverly but he will not be considered a viable candidate for this seat…he is by definition and action a very partisan activist and that role may would make him less appealing to independent voters.
This seat may go to someone who has never run for office before…maybe a woman…that person will just need the active support of Driscoll and Bettencourt to make it happen…put your thinking caps on!
Sorry for typos and lower cases that should be upper cases…should have proofed…speed typing not my forte
It’s almost identical population to Salem and both are only marginally smaller than Peabody. Low turnout in primaries?
Helen Corbett?
she helps get people elected, she would never be a candidate…speaking of which, who would really want to run for office today considering that you must sell your soul to raise funds needed, the press will make you crazy printing anything that will sell newspapers and you and your family will be subjected to any number of false rumors and accusations…hats off to anyone who has the courage to put their name on a ballot today!
n/t
She’s a pro at campaigning and knows the district inside and out. What do you think of that?
I don’t think being a primary source for Howie Carr is a great qualification. But, her entry into the race would sure help her opponent raise a boot load of money.
Yes, she’s on Carr’s show and he definitely likes how candid she is, but she’s as much a Democrat as you or I are. She’s someone whose always a straight shooter and will ALWAYS be on the side of her constituents and not be focused on her own political gain. She actually cares about the issues and about being an effective legislature. Did you know how many times she tried to introduce good legislation and wasn’t able to get far with the state? As a Senator, she could actually get something positive done for our district. And you may think you know her, but she’s a lot more than meets the eye and is definitely not a Democrat who will roll over and do whatever the party wants because the party wants it. She does think for herself and that is something I really appreciate and believe our electoral process could benefit from. And, our district would be so lucky to have her as our new State Senator.
If Mayor Driscoll does not run, isn’t Ted Speliotis the best choice? He’s got a lot of years under his belt in the house and has done alot for his district, he used to cover downtown Peabody too if I remember correctly. Keenen would have been a good choice too, but he is not running.
Former State rep. Sally Kerans should consider entering the race. She started her career as intern to State Sen. Jack King (who preceded Sen. Berry)…she was elected State Rep. at age 30 and represented Danvers and parts of Peabody. She married Michael Whouley and left the State House to have 2 kids who are now in their teens. She is a UMass/Harvard Kennedy School educated liberal, former reporter and active with non-profits. There is no one currently looking at it that she couldn’t give a tough fight. She is a good campaigner and very popular beyond Danvers. Food for thought…