My daughter the grad student is a new resident of Dorchester and plans to vote in the Democratic primary on 30 April. Knowing that I read BMG, she asked what I have heard about the race, and I had to say “not much” except (as best I recall) for some praise for Linda Dorcena Forry.
So does anyone have more to say as to who should get the vote of a young progressive woman?
Here’s the Globe’s rundown of the race from a couple of weeks ago.
Please share widely!
The progressive choice seems pretty clear, Linda Dorcena Forry has been endorsed by Progressive Massachusetts.
Not only does Rep. Linda Dorcena Forry have the endorsement of Progressive Massachusetts in the special state senate election, but she has also earned the endorsements of Mass Alliance, Mass Equality, NASW-MA, 1199SEIU, and SEIU Local 509, all prominent progressive measuring sticks in their capacities.
She has been endorsed by NARAL-Massachusetts, Progressive Mass, and the Ward 17 Democratic Committee (her home turf). Rising and longtime progressive leaders in Boston such as Sen. Sonia Chang-Diaz, state Rep. Carlos Henriquez and City Councillors Ayanna Pressley, Felix Arroyo, and Tito Jackson, as well as Jamie Eldredge, are supporting her candidacy.
Nick Collins’s endorsements run heavily to police organizations. In the 2011-12 legislative session, Collins voted against the progressive position as defined by Progressive Mass on 9 of 19 roll call votes, including issues relating to immigration, criminal justice and transgender rights. Forry voted against Progressive Mass.’s position on only 1 of 17 votes, with two bills on which she did not vote.
He is strongly supported in his home base of South Boston, which in my view has long been a bastion of reactionary politics in the Democratic Party and in Massachusetts generally. South Boston gave Mitt Romney his most votes inside Route 128. Collins is hoping for huge coattails from the more conservative Democrat, Southie’s Steve Lynch, in the U.S. Senate primary on the same day. The district, which is 2/3 Dorchester, has been represented for decades by white men from South Boston, including the conservative State Senators Bulger and Lynch. Sen. Hart, who just retired, represented the Dorchester part of the district pretty well as I understand it.
Collins also marched in South Boston’s St. Patrick’s Day parade, which to me is disqualifying because it excludes not only gay groups but decorated war veterans who opposed the Iraq War. Forry did not march in the parade for that reason.
I know less about Maureen Dahill. She is a South Boston native, a self-described great dancer, and she owns a hair salon in Southie. She also founded the blog Caught in Southie, which seems to represent a new, more cosmopolitan South Boston. To her credit she also boycotted the parade, and she has taken heat from more conservative Democrats in the neighborhood who support Collins and think she’ll help throw it to Forry.
are a bit confusing to me. Dorcena Forry is a member of the “Progressive Caucus,” but she voted Yes. Collins is not a member, but he voted No. Anyone got any intel on those votes? Did Forry like the DeLeo/Murray bill on the merits, or dislike the Gov’s bill, or did she knuckle under to pressure, or what? And did Collins vote “no” from the right, or from the left, or for some other reason?
about Forry. She could have knuckled under to pressure, or not wanted to give Southie an issue. Collins’s vote, as I understood it, was from the right. A couple of Southie blogs were lit with “Tax It All Deval” stuff.
She released a detailed statement the morning after the vote.
It was a case of believing that realistically there will not be an alternative to this process.
Just tremendously dissapointing. Forry pretty clearly knuckled under to the pressure from the Speaker, though in this letter to her constiuients she explains her vote for the leadership bill saying she would have preferred the Governor’s bill but felt voting no was “doing nothing” and to her that was “not an option”: http://lindadorcenaforry.org/announcements/a-letter-to-my-constituents-responding-to-the-transportation-finance-bill/
Collins seemed to have voted no from the right, though his explanation is confusing: http://www.dotnews.com/2013/reporters-notebook-state-senate-campaign-foes-differ-house-tax-bill-vo
She is vastly more experienced than the other candidates, with a record of progressive leadership and community bridge-building.
North of Linda’s current area, but I have known her since her original special election (although I was pre-committed to Stacey Monahan at the time). She was fantastic during the stupid attempt to put Marriage Equality on the Ballot which is more than I can say for Jack Hart at the time. I have only met Nick Collins once and I met Maureen Dahill only when she was collecting signatures. As such, I am supporting Linda, based on my comfort with her representation.