With about 6 weeks until the September primary, local races will start to heat up. In response to my post on the 33rd Middlesex, people indicated that an open thread on house and senate races might illuminate the challenges we face in building a more effective and progressive legislature, and at the same time not clog up the news feed.
Let fellow BMGers know what is happening in your district:
- Where is your district?
- Is there actually a race (in the primary or the general election)?
- Why or why not? (Is there an open seat? someone challenging an incumbent? an incumbent–good or bad–with no challenger?)
- Who’s running? What are their strengths and weaknesses? What sorts of campaigns are they running?
- What result do you seek and why? And what will it take to get the job done?
(See my post linked above for a somewhat longwinded example.)
Please disclose any candidate or campaign affiliations.
Enjoy!
Please share widely!
I had been planning for a while to post something about the 18th Middlesex, which has been vacated by Kevin Murphy who was hired as Lowell’s City Manager. This is the only district entirely within Lowell. The other two – 16th and 17th Middlesex represented by Tom Golden and Dave Nangle respectively, neither exactly progressive heroes, but who have no opposition, include pieces of Chelmsford as well. I actually live in Golden’s district, but the 18th is the closest contested race with four or five Dems depending on how you count (I’ll explain in a minute.) and no Republican. This district is where Lowell’s Southeast Asian population in concentrated and includes the Acre and the Highlands. I actually don’t know a whole lot about the candidates and welcome other input. I think they all have FB pages, but not all have websites.
Brian Donovan – has FB page and Twitter feed, but can’t find other info.
Jim Leary – School Committee members
Rady Mom
Dave Ouellette – Chair of Ward 2 Dem Committee
The fifth candidate is Paul-Ratha Yem who did not make the ballot due to missing info on his nomination papers, but is running a sticker campaign. There was a Mike Sheehan who had pulled papers and organized with OCPF, but subsequently withdrew and is supporting Donovan. Fred Bahou, who I believe has served on the Regional School Committee, is running unenrolled. I heard from a friend who works at NARAL that none of the candidates identify as pro-choice, but that may have been before they all got in. I’m hoping to get a forum for the candidates organized under the auspices of the Lowell DCC.
The district is the 9th Essex in the House of Representatives.
Precincts 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 of Saugus
Precincts 1, 2, 3, 7 of Wakefield
Precincts 1 and 2 of Ward 1 in Lynn
We have a race in the general election with Democrat Chris Finn (a relative newcomer) taking on Republican incumbent Donald Wong.
Some background –
In 2010 Donald Wong challenged and defeated Rep. Mark Falzone (D-Saugus). The final vote tally had a total of 17520 votes with 8943 (51%) for Wong, 8560 (49%) for Rep. Falzone, and 17 votes for Libertarian candidate Robert Clay Walsh.
In 2012, Rep Donald Wong (R-Saugus) ran unopposed.
Chris Finn is a current Town Meeting member for the town of Saugus and represents a strong chance to defeat a Republican incumbent.
My parents have just registered to vote in that district and I will push Finn for them. Glad to see Wong get a challenger. Saw a few of his signs in Wakefield during my stay with them this weekend.
Anyone know whose the most progressive candidate to replace Lewis in the adjacent rep district?
Here are some of the other legislative races in the area:
Second Essex & Middlesex (Senate; Andover, Dracut, Lawrence, Tewksbury) – being vacated by Barry Finegold to run for TRG. Candidates include former State Rep. Barbara L’Italien (favored to win at least the nomination), Lawrence School Committeeman Pavel Payano, who seems to only be campaigning in Lawrence, and Doris Rodriguez. The nominee will face Andover Selectman Alex Vispoli who unsuccessfully sought the same GOP nomination last time.
First Essex (Senate; Amesbury, Haverhill, Merrimac, Methuen, Newburyport, Salisbury, and 1/2 of North Andover) – Regional School Committeewoman Jessica Finnochiaro is challenging incumbent Sen. Kathleen O’Connor Ives, who has the most conservative voting record of any Senate Dem. Nominee will face Shaun Toohey who I believe was also the GOP candidate for this seat last time.
First Essex (House; Amesbury, Newburyport, Salisbury) – Newburyport City Councilor Ed Cameron and Bob Lavoie are vying to succeed retiring Rep. MIke Costello. Nominee faces James Kelcourse.
14th Essex (House; pieces of Haverhill, Lawrence, Methuen, and North Andover) – Incumbent Rep. Diana Dizoglio is being challenged by DSC member Phil DeCologero and Oscar Camargo. Nominee faces Rosemary Smedile.
Unfortunately the Dems have left a few seats uncontested:
2nd Essex House (Georgetown, Groveland, Merrimac, Newbury, West Newbury, parts of Boxford and Haverhill) – GOP incumbent Leonard Mirra has primary challenger.
18th Essex House (parts of Andover, Boxford, North Andover, and Tewksbury) – Jim Lyons
22nd Middlesex House (coterminous with Billerica) – Marc Lombardo
1st Essex & Middlesex – Bruce Tarr is incumbent, but I’m too lazy to list all the communities.
Here are some of the other legislative races in the area:
Second Essex & Middlesex (Senate; Andover, Dracut, Lawrence, Tewksbury) – being vacated by Barry Finegold to run for TRG. Candidates include former State Rep. Barbara L’Italien (favored to win at least the nomination), Lawrence School Committeeman Pavel Payano, who seems to only be campaigning in Lawrence, and Doris Rodriguez. The nominee will face Andover Selectman Alex Vispoli who unsuccessfully sought the same GOP nomination last time.
First Essex (Senate; Amesbury, Haverhill, Merrimac, Methuen, Newburyport, Salisbury, and 1/2 of North Andover) – Regional School Committeewoman Jessica Finnochiaro is challenging incumbent Sen. Kathleen O’Connor Ives, who has the most conservative voting record of any Senate Dem. Nominee will face Shaun Toohey who I believe was also the GOP candidate for this seat last time.
First Essex (House; Amesbury, Newburyport, Salisbury) – Newburyport City Councilor Ed Cameron and Bob Lavoie are vying to succeed retiring Rep. MIke Costello. Nominee faces James Kelcourse.
14th Essex (House; pieces of Haverhill, Lawrence, Methuen, and North Andover) – Incumbent Rep. Diana Dizoglio is being challenged by DSC member Phil DeCologero and Oscar Camargo. Nominee faces Rosemary Smedile.
Unfortunately the Dems have left a few seats uncontested:
2nd Essex House (Georgetown, Groveland, Merrimac, Newbury, West Newbury, parts of Boxford and Haverhill) – GOP incumbent Leonard Mirra has primary challenger.
18th Essex House (parts of Andover, Boxford, North Andover, and Tewksbury) – Jim Lyons
22nd Middlesex House (coterminous with Billerica) – Marc Lombardo
1st Essex & Middlesex – Bruce Tarr is incumbent, but I’m too lazy to list all the communities.
(Attn eds.: When I tried posting this last night the browser timed out resulting in it showing when I’m logged in with the note that it is awaiting moderation, but not publicly. If you see two copies of this comment feel free to delete one.)
In that copy the Dem candidates’ names are hyperlinked to their websites.
Uncle Dave lives in 2nd Essex, and has been in a more Democratic mood lately. Also, I was told by another uncle that Keenan was retiring in Salem?
I’ve briefly discussed this in other posts, but my Senate and House districts are both experiencing a campaign. I live in the Worcester, Hampden, Hampshire, and Middlesex Senate district, where Sen. Steve Brewer is retiring. Rep. Anne Gobi is the Democratic candidate running here, a 13-year incumbent representing the center of the Senate district (who has always been re-elected by a comfortable margin). The Republican candidates are James Ehrhard and Mike Valanzola, both from the southern section of the (very vertical) district, and both members of the Tantasqua School Committee. Ehrhard is a more partisan, tea-party type candidate, whereas Valanzola seems (from my limited knowledge) to be supported by the Republican establishment to some extent.
In the northern part of the district, there is overlap with the 2nd Franklin state house district, where Rep. Denise Andrews is running for a 3rd term. Several towns in this northern area should turn out well for Gobi on the Senate level, as she had represented them before redistricting. She is facing Susannah Whipps Lee, an Athol selectwoman who was the Republican nominee last time (and lost narrowly to Andrews), and Karen Anderson, who is another insurgent candidate. Interestingly, the House caniddates in this district seem to have paired off for the primary with the Senate candidates, with an Ehrhard-Anderson alliance and a Lee-Valanzola effort as well. This will be an interesting development, especially if the nominees are mis-matched after the primary.
In the 5th Worcester, the district Gobi is vacating, there are two Democrats running: Matt Castriotta, Hubbardston Selectman, and George Yiantsidis, New Braintree small business owner. There are three Republicans: Stephen Comtois, Brookfield selectman (and Republican nominee against Gobi in 2008 and 2008), Jen Gaucher, former Spencer selectwoman, and Donie Berthiaume, former Spencer selectman. It will be interesting to see if the Democrats can hold this district that has been represented fairly consistently by a Democrat for years despite a Republican lean up-ticket.
Finally, I’ll mention the 6th Worcester race, where Karen Spiewak, a very energetic Democrat, is running against incumbent Peter Durant.
More background on the candidates can be found on my original post on this race.
Councillor Steven Ultrino has been racking up endorsements from an impressive array of local officials (ranging from colleagues with whom he has served on the Malden City Council and School Committee to State Senator Jason Lewis and Congresswoman Katherine Clark), advocacy groups, and unions. Since the beginning, Ultrino’s supporters have said he is “the real Democrat” vs. primary opponent Neil Kinnon, who is a Democrat in name only. Those wanting proof need only examine a video of a local TV program recorded November 2012 in which Kinnon said he was a registered Democrat but did “not claim to be one anymore” and could “not vote for the Elizabeth Warrens out there.” Responding to a short video clip of highlights that surfaced this week, Kinnon said his comments had been taken out of context. The Ultrino campaign has since posted the link to the full one-hour video, actually more compelling than the clip. Kinnon has continued to tout his business experience, paint Ultrino’s endorsers as “outside interests,” and emphasize that he will reduce voters’ taxes. Ultrino’s messages of strong public education, inclusion and fairness for all residents, and a fair shake for working families–in addition to his reputation for an open, collaborative approach, have brought him strong local support, reinforced by enthusiasm at the Malden Democrats BBQ this week. Kinnon did not make an appearance at this annual event, though un-enrolled candidate John Matheson did!
Matheson, who will face the Democratic primary winner in November, has joined in the lawn sign war and has recently been seen knocking doors in his ward with the Republican candidate for State Senate (5th Middlesex), Melrose Alderman Monica Medieros–including the door of the Chair of the Malden Democratic City Committee! 🙂
Upcoming events include a business-oriented debate, sponsored by the Malden Chamber of Commerce, to be held September 4.
I am supporting Steve Ultrino as the candidate who is passionate about public service, will stand up for all Malden residents, and will focus his efforts on doing what’s best for working families. (For more on Ultrino, visit http://www.ultrinoforrep.com) The Ultrino campaign has been knocking on doors and calling voters since May, but the big challenges now are to deliver our message through the mails and get out the vote on primary day. If you can spare time to volunteer, please email volunteers@ultrinoforrep.com. Please also consider making an online donation to help send a real Democrat to the State House.
For the updates, these down ballot races are important. I know my parents saw Lewis at the Italian festival in Wakefield, so I know he isn’t sitting at home on this one. Glad to see Steve campaigning do eagerly as well.
I’ve seen Jason at three local events recently, and in addition to getting to know his constituents he’s been a strong supporter for Steve Ultrino.
Steve has never taken voters for granted. When he was running unopposed in his last bid for City Council, he still campaigned and made it clear that he appreciated voters’ confidence in him. I barely knew him then, but that impressed me. I believe he will be exceptionally accessible and responsive as a State Rep.