“We are both small business owners, we both have histories of advocating for those without a voice, and we both fight our party when we know they are wrong and we are right.”
–Marisa DeFranco
It may not help him much with Democratic voters, but Richard Tisei, Republican candidate for Congress, received the endorsement of Marisa DeFranco today.
In the Democratic primary for 6th Congressional District, DeFranco came in a distant third (6%) to Seth Moulton who captured the nomination with a resounding 51% and incumbent John Tierney, who came in second with 41% of the vote.
DeFranco, an activist and immigration attorney, made her first foray into Democratic politics in the crowded primary that led to Senator Elizabeth Warren’s nomination. She made news by refusing to back out of the convention, and our own EB3 and The Globe’s Joan Vennochi accused Democrats of playing hardball against her because she was kept off the primary ballot when she failed to earn 15% of convention vote. This accusation came as a surprise to convention goers who went to vote for Warren and whom no one pressed to change their votes. (Yep, I was one). Read the BMG conversation here.
“He’s a common-sense Republican, and he’s stuck his head on major issues to fight his own party,” DeFranco said. “I know he is going to put people and principle before party, and he has a record of doing what is right for the district.”
A lifelong Democrat, DeFranco said she didn’t take lightly the decision to support a Republican.
“I’ve never endorsed a Republican,” she said. “So this is huge.”
Moulton’s campaign dismissed DeFranco’s endorsement.
“In the primary, Seth was accused of being a Republican—turns out it was actually Marisa DeFranco,” said Moulton campaign spokeswoman Carrie Rankin.
American politics, like it or not, is a team sport. Tisei may be a moderate Republican (I haven’t followed his career), but he would only strengthen the Republican majority and further drown out Democratic voices in Congress. It’s hard to see how Tisei would further Democratic concerns. DeFranco’s is reputed to be a person authentically concerned about immigrants and progressive causes, but her endorsement of Tisei has finished her with the Democratic Party if she had any chance left to be taken seriously.
“I’ve never endorsed a Republican,” she said. “So this is huge.”
Ok then. Thanks?
Once again, this demonstates that neither EB3 nor Joan Vennochi have a clue as to how the convention process works!
If Ms. DeFranco did not get the required 15%, then she didn’t deserve to be on the ballot, period, full stop, end of discussion.
The type of ball being played matters not a tinker’s cusp. EB3 is not and I suspect never will be a Super-Delegate, so his opinion of the Democrat Party is completely irrelevant in this case.
Defranco can whine all she wants about the party establishment being against her…but the fact is in a 2 person race at the convention, she got 3% of the vote. That indicates it was far more than the establishment that did her in…it indicates it was Defranco that alienated 97% of the grassroots activist, the most liberal segment of the electorate.
Anyone who heard Defranco’s horrendous speech at the 2012 convention would understand very well why she only got 3%.
Sitting with the Malden delegation, many of whom had never heard of her — because she clearly made no effort to reach out widely to the delegates — I heard other delegates being overwhelmingly pretty unimpressed with her presentation to say the least.
Also too Elizabeth Warren’s campaign worked the hell out of the caucuses and that convention. That kind of had an impact too.
Some people just can’t handle losing at something. I wish the experience had had a similar effect on Baker. As it is, he’s preparing to win the gubernatorial election.
… for picking Elizabeth Warren instead of her. Well, at least now she’s showed her real colors. Don’t let the door hit you on the backside on your way out Marissa!
Excuse me, Ms. DeFranco? When was the Democratic Party wrong while you were right? When the party voted overwhelmingly to ignore you and get Elizabeth Warren, arguably the best senator on Capitol Hill, elected?
I’m surprised liveandletlive hasn’t crawled out of the woodwork to endorse Tisei as well…
Had Marisa taken the opportunity while she had the stage at the convention to make a formal withdrawal and endorse Warren saving us all from a lengthy vote and possible harmful primary, she’d be where Moulton is today, or more. Now this…….
I was suspicious of the way DeFranco obtained enough signatures to oppose Elizabeth Warren in 2012. She used “paid signature gatherers”, but she really didn’t have very much money. So, where did the money come from? Well, we know that republicans paid to gather signatures to place Ralph Nader on the ballot, so maybe they did the same with Marisa against Warern and Tierney?
Perhaps, DeFranco hasn’t been on our team for quite awhile. She is just a troublemaker for the other side.
This won’t help Tisei much as she had even less of a showing in this primary than she did at the convention. And we can cease pretending she’s anything other than a gadfly.
But everyone’s trashing her, and I dont see a single down vote in any of the comments. Which has got to be some kind of first…
I don’t think I’ve ever come across a nastier person in MA politics. She sucks. I wouldn’t trust her to refill a tray of ice cubes.
…that with direct access to the primary ballot without going through the convention step she would finally accept a popular loss:(
Not a team player in the least and just a bitter, inconsequential person. Anyone remember back in June when her media consultant’s blog called Senator Warren’s endorsement of John Tierney “another Fauxcahontas misstep,” complete with cartoon worthy of Legal Insurrection or Scott Brown’s buddies from the Eire Pub? They’ve taken the content down, of course, but some of us won’t forget.
The same media consultant expressed a desire to see more Blue Dogs:
She calls them “JFK Democrats” but the JFK my grandparents voted for was this guy.
Fuck Marisa DeFranco. Never getting my vote for anything.
Linked to the consultant twice. I meant to link to this for JFK.
Democrat in Name Only
came out for Tisei because she feels dissed by the Democratic party hierarchy in general and this is her way of striking out at them and their choice.
with Democratic primary voters rather than the party hierarchy. The party hierarchy by and large supported Rep. Tierney. Seth Moulton won the primary decisively, fair and square. Voters concerned with Tierney could have turned to Marisa DeFranco, but they didn’t.
It would be on the same order of magnitude as Bill Bradley claiming Gore stole the nomination from him and then endorsing Bush out of spite.
She needed to get 15%, she failed to do so since she is a lousy organizer and campaigner, evident by the fact that she got a distant third in a primary with a lousy incumbent and a suspect challenger in a race more localized to her home turf. I bet this will have the effect of moving De Franco and her immediate friends and family over to Tisei (though I am sure some of them are just saying they are voting for him so she’ll stop calling).
It should backfire and win Moulton more support if only because it represents a slap in the face to every self-respecting Democrat and principled Independent who believes in playing by the rules. Now she has proven herself to be what I have suspected all along–a shameless, egotistical, selfish, apostate and a Republican shill.
Fred Rich LaRiccia
Speaking of poor losers. It could not have been pleasant for Steve Grossman or Warren Tolman to show up at a Unity Breakfast and pledge support to someone who had just defeated them…but, they are honorable men. So what is Tierney’s excuse? Many of his supporters are embarrassed by his bitter behavior. Too bad to go out like that.
I haven’t heard from him one way or the other, but I doubt he’ll endorse Tisei.
Every Dem who has urged him to endorse Moulton has gotten the same answer. No way! He would rather see Tisei win than endorse Moulton. That’s just too bad…(and bitter.)
I’m not sure it would matter, but it would be a classy gesture.