(Totally cross-posted from LiL, but I thought it might interest people in the Fifth District that don’t read my blog.)
It’s highly likely you may not be aware, but today is primary voting day! I feel totally remiss in posting about it on time to be useful. But my cave is so comfortable…well, anywho, better late than never! If you are going out to vote, and you should, even if it’s just to tick off your first vote for Elizabeth Warren as a point of great pride, it’s worth it. (Bonus – you can make a tick next to Dick Howe’s name too!) Plus, you’ll be considered a Super Dem in future campaign lists! It’s the closest thing you’ll get to being a superhero! đŸ˜‰
For us Lowell Dems, the only contested race is the Governor’s Council, an open seat that is being vacated by Mary-Ellen Manning. I’ve never had much of a great impression of her (sorry, insidery Dems), and this being an open seat, it’s an opportunity for a change. Now, what is Governor’s Council, you ask? Here’s a good explanation from Progressive Dems of Mass. The big deal about it is that they confirm judges appointed by the Governor. So, kinda important, but not very well understood.
The four people running in the Fifth District are:
DONALD BUMILLER – 35 King George Dr., Boxford
EILEEN R. DUFF – 8 Barberry Heights Rd., Gloucester
DAVID W. EPPLEY – 69 Boston St., Salem
GEORGE T. O’BRINE – 5 Locust St., Salem
George O’Brine seems to be largely a “vanity candidate” so write him out completely. But of the remaining, who to pick?
This is the best comment I could find on the Fifth on Blue Mass Group, for starters.
I also have lit from all three candidates. Between the online research and the lit, I am ruling out Bumiller. He seems like the wrong sort. He prominently puts in all caps at the top of his lit NO PAROLE FOR SEX OFFENDERS, which I think should a) be up to a judge, not him, and b) screams “I’m a conservative-ish hawkish hot-button-pusher.” I hate that crap. He doesn’t seem to impress the above BMG commenter either.
Then there’s Eileen Duff. She seems cool, I’ve met her briefly, but…boy, does she have all the wrong people endorsing her. In particular, Rep. Golden and Rita Mercier. If the GOB [Good Ol Boy] types are endorsing her (and to be fair, Vesna Nuon does as well, and I don’t consider him GOB), I have to pause and wonder…not that I can’t support someone supported by GOBs, but it says something about her, I think. So, I’m just not convinced, on account of insideriness. Plus, on her lit, the only thing on there is endorsements…no biographical info, no information on how she’d do her job…also seems insidery to me. Put that together with the comment at BMG:
“Eileen Duff seems like a wonderful person and I have nothing but respect for her chosen profession as a Hospice worker. That being said, her lack of experience and ties to Mary Ellen Manning kept me from supporting her.”
Well, that doesn’t sound good but it certainly lines up with my impression. Given a choice, I’d prefer not to vote for an insider’s insider.
That leaves David Eppley. His lit has biographical info, and tells me he lives with his husband and two dogs in Salem, right off. It’s not that I automatically vote for a GLBT candidate (or a minority, or female) but…I like that. AND he has two dogs. OK, that’s cool.
From the comment at BMG, I can see he’s been door knocking (grassroots) and he seems more independent than the other two major candidates. Less insidery. He appears (and again, this is from the pathetic amount of data I can gleam from the internet on this race) rather more progressive. On his website, my friend and chair of the Andover DTC, Pat Commanne, whom I know to be a good progressive, endorses him.
So to recap – seems the most progressive, the least insidery, and his endorsements don’t give me a hair-rising-on-neck feeling…I’m voting for David Eppley. I wish I had had a chance to really get to know this race better, but I feel confident in my vote for him.
So – are you voting today and have you made up your mind on Gov’s Council?
The only reason I know he’s a candidate is that I’m political junkie enough to check the candidate list on Bill Galvin’s website.
Yeah, exACTly where I got my list for this post! (Hence the copy-paste names in all caps!)
…if there had been a candidate from Greater Lowell.
Here in Somerville, Denise Provost had a primary opponent. I enthusiastically cast my vote for her (as well as Elizabeth Warren and Mike Capuano).
The surprise for me this election is the hotly-contested (at least in Somerville) Register of Deeds race. There are SIX candidates on the ballot! I bulleted that office, because I don’t know enough about the office or candidates to cast a responsible vote. Maybe somebody can explain what the Register of Deeds actually does.
Because I am friends with Middlesex North RoD, Dick Howe, I kinda know a lot about it. LOL
They basically handle official documentation for real estate. So when you buy/sell real estate, your lawyer (since most people get one) has to record documents at the Reg of Deeds, and also, it’s the place where all the records going back forever are stored. So a lot of title and real estate, and even historic research goes on there.
That’s the bulk of their job, though Dick has taken his a lot further. He led the charge to get documents into digital format for easier research, among other innovations. Also, he was blogging for the Registrar long before even I started Left in Lowell! He also has a local blog, which focuses on culture and history of Lowell but also does a lot of politics.
Dick is good peeps.
Have you seen Ciano’s commercial? Hilarious. He must have spent a ton.
http://frankjciano.com/
Joe Curtatone’s older sister, Maria, is also running.
Sounds like you already voted Tom but http://www.rwinters.com has a good summary of the race, besides being an election expert in his spare time Winters also is a title assessor and has some knowledge. Honestly I’d appoint all these positions to experts and eliminating the redundant Council which became obsolete when the King stopped appointing Governors.
…and Margolis is giving Devaney a race in the 3rd.