I just received the following e-mail from Rep. Murphy. I know that this has been in the news for a few days but I haven’t seen it discussed here.
Rep. Murphy has been a passionate public servant for sixteen years. We serve on the DSC together and got to know each other when he was an early supporter of Governor Howard Dean when Governor Dean was running for president. Charley has always said what he believed, even if it wasn’t popular.
Not my area so I’m not sure who’s in and who’s not in the race for the 21’st Middlesex.
June 25, 2012
Dear Friend,
As you may have learned by now, I have decided to not seek reelection as state representative for the 21st Middlesex District. As such, I will resign my seat effective at the close of the current legislative session on July 31st.
The decision was an extremely difficult one to reach, however, Nan and I are in agreement that the time has arrived for me to pursue the next chapter in the proverbial book of life. To that end, I am joining Burlington based Arcadia Solutions, a healthcare IT consulting company, as vice president of public policy and government affairs.
Representing Bedford, Burlington and Wilmington in the state legislature has been the single biggest honor in my life and I will genuinely miss working with, and for, the many local leaders, constituents and colleagues I have met over the past sixteen years.
I am proud of the work I have done for the district and the Commonwealth during my eight terms in office. In particular, I will always look back at my time as Chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means as the most meaningful and challenging time in my professional career. I was blessed with an intelligent and motivated staff which allowed me to succeed in completing two extremely challenging budgets on time that contributed to the subsequent upgrade in our state’s bond rating allowing the state to save millions of dollars and positioning the Commonwealth to outpace other states in recovering from the “Great Recession”.
On a local level I am proud of the additional school funding I was able to procure for Bedford to reimburse the town for educating the children of military personnel, I am proud to have played a role in getting two new schools built in Burlington and I look forward to the children of Burlington enjoying the new athletic fields on the so-called “Boston Property” for many years to come.
When I first ran for office I was asked many times “why”? My answer then and now has remained the same-to help people. Engaging in and influencing public policy has certainly been an enjoyable aspect of the job, however, the ability to help people who needed assistance, for me, was the motivating factor to run for elective office. And while I am still motivated by this goal, I feel that after sixteen years of service it is time to move on.
Please be assured that your support, encouragement and even criticism was always deeply appreciated. I can never repay you for all you have done for me and my family and I hope that we can continue to work together in other ways for the betterment of our communities and the Commonwealth.
Thank you.
Charley Murphy
State Representative
State Representative
Please share widely!
…at least according to OCPF’s list of newly organized committees. I believe the signature deadline has passed so time to start printing those stickers!
Christopher, OCPF just reflects who has formed political committees. According to the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s website, Rep. Murphy has filed for the seat. June 1 was the last day to file withdrawals so Rep. Murphy’s name will appear on the ballot. My recollection of the process is that if Rep. Murphy wins the primary and then withdraws, then a caucus will be held and the winner of the caucus will be the Democratic nominee and appear on the ballot in November. Or a sticker candidate could win, event though Charley’s name appears on the ballot. As long as the sticker candidate gets at least 150 votes and beats Charley, then the sticker candidate with the highest number of votes would be the Democratic nominee.
Experts? Do I have the process correct? I am relying on memory, but if I recall correctly this is the legal process.
That’s what happened in Middlesex County when Buonomo, the Regstrar of Probate, was caught with his hand in the till. Democrats met in caucuses to name the candidate to replace him.
http://vps28478.inmotionhosting.com/~bluema24/2008/09/update-buonomo-resigns-middlesex-register-of-probate-nominating-caucus/
This is a pretty good summary. Rep. Murphy will still be on the September ballot. Any Democrat who wants to be on the November ballot will have to beat him and any others in a sticker/write-in campaign (and get at least 150 votes in the process).
If Murphy wins the primary, he can withdraw his name from the general election ballot. Once he does this, it will kick off a process where the members of the Democratic Town Committees of the 21st Middlesex district will elect delegates to a caucus where the candidate (or no candidate) can be named to the November ballot. The number of delegates is proportional to the number of votes the Democratic candidate for governor got in the last election. Delegates to the caucus must live in the district, but my understanding is that they may be selected by the town/ward committees as a whole.
As an aside, I have to say that this whole situation really stinks. Not to single out Rep Murphy at all, but when legislators resign in a way that creates this sort of ballot confusion it really creates an opportunity for all kinds of unsavory shenanigans. Don’t put your name on the ballot as a hedge in case the job you’re angling for falls through.