I am in the final 24 hours of my campaign for re-election to the Democratic State Committee. I’ve worked hard on my campaign and it has been a very valuable experience. For most of my life I have been volunteering in campaigns and working to elect other people to office.
It is a very different experience to actually be the candidate. It has been very gratifying and humbling to have people from all over the district and beyond have come forward to help me.
A couple of things that I have done for years have been very helpful. If someone offers to help, SAY YES. Find something that meets the campaign’s needs and the volunteer’s skills and time availability. Second, if someone offers money, SAY YES.
I thought that I would have this post serve as an open thread. Are you voting? Why or why not? What’s happening on the streets? Are any volunteers for either party out there?
I doubt that I will be posting much on Tuesday during the day, but I look forwarding to reading everything after the polls close.
Kate Donaghue, candidate for re-election to the Democratic State Committee.
And, in fact, I hope everyone “invites their friends” to vote.
@ 8:00am. Mansfield is a Republican town. The primary candidates don’t seem to be attracting many voters.
I was voter 19 in my precinct at 8:30 – 1,064 voted in the same election in 2008. Interestingly Romney barely won my precinct in 2008… Looking forward to seeing results.
I was at the Marshfield polling place for a bit – only about 25 voters or so passed by over the course of an hour.
These are relatively conservative towns that Scott Brown swept – where’s the Republican enthusiasm?
Good luck today Kate, I can’t think of anyone more deserving to win than you!
That’s a very low turnout, of course, though #14 was right behind me.
There was a contested race for Dem State Committee between a guy from
Northampton and a guy from Amherst — I blanked it because I hadn’t heard anything about either of them. (So at least one of them missed a trick by not showing up on BMG…)
No campaign activity visible, except that I recall driving by a huge Paul sign in someone’s yard near here a few days ago. But Amherst is not fertile ground for attracting GOP votes.
for President Obama, because he needs one.
I’m not sure he needs a primary opponent, but he needs to earn my support, not presume it.
The New York Times was asking people at my polling place what we felt about Romney.
does that usually happen?
primary results Boston.com
from fec.gov
Cars and people everywhere, but it was 3:00 and the school I voted at was dismissing. Voting? Not so much. Mine was the 131st ballot cast at my precinct. I have driven by several polling places in my travels today and have yet to see any candidate visibility, but then the candidates appear to have put all of today’s eggs in the Ohio basket.
Turnout: 14008
Percent: 3.98%
The seven of us agreed to show up and vote for each other to ensure we all get in (you only need five votes. I have no idea how it works for the other side–at least one religious RW guy who is infamous in our town actually had SIGNS and sign holders outside of Town Hall.
The atmosphere inside the Town Hall was festive and jokey. Bowls of candy on the tables, Girl Scouts selling cookies on card tables outside the polling place, neighbors greeting neighbors, etc. I think the fact that it was fairly low-stakes had something to do with it. Or the fact that it’s, you know, Massachusetts and the results of the Republican Primary are at best a curiosity to us non-GOP types.
In other news, I’ve gotten not one but two conference call invites from Rep. Richard Neal over the past month, and today I got an invitation from him to a post St. Patricks’ parade party. The invite made it clear it was a private, invitation-only event.
I keep wondering what the hell I did to get on his list?
I am glad to see Barney Frank leave if his rationale is that re-election would be too hard (whaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!). It would be great to see a new face in the first aka second Congressional district who shows up and produces year round….not just on the occasion of a re-election challenge.
Yuck.
Turnout seemed to be steady, but slow. Voted shortly after 7 AM (we were on ballot for DTC, yay!). Stood at polls collecting nominating signatures for town elections between 7:30 – 10:45 AM and 2:15 PM – 5:30 PM. Only two signs (one for Obama/Biden & one for Republican state committee challenger Peter Buckley). The local woman holding a sign for Buckley had Santorum and Bob Hedund bumper stickers. She seemed to be a single issue “pro-life” voter. Other than collecting signatures and meeting dedicated voters for myself, spent the time chatting with local DTC members collecting signatures for Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Garrett Bradley (and others that came by during the course of the day).
If I had more time, the plan would have been to organize OperationMassHilarity to facilitate the teaparty takeover of the Republican State Committee.
with 5 of 6 precincts reporting:
Kate Donaghue – 360
Faye Morrison – 75
White older males driving trucks and showing up to vote like they haven’t done, in a long time…….and that’s what I observed driving past polling places in rural areas. The look of determination permeated the otherwise glum looking faces.
Marlborough – Donaghue 682, Morrison 69
Westborough – Donaghue 747, Morrison 23
Northborough – Donaghue 64, Morrison 4
Southborough – Donaghue 157, Morrison 8
Maynard – Donaghue 194, Morrison 37
Littleton – Donaghue 141, Morrison 74
Bosborough – Donaghue 100, Morrison 22
Ayer – Donaghue 43, Morrison 90
Acton (5 of 6) – Donaghue 360, Morrison 75
There are a few more towns left, but I am optimistic.
Acton Final Kate – 420, Faye – 88
Stow Kate – 173, Faye 18
Sudbury Kate – 135, Faye 16
With 3 towns still not reporting, – I’m going out on a limb and calling it for Kate Donaghue!
I won it but barely,
Shirley – Kate 78, Faye 76.