Anyone got any opinions on any of the statewide races? I feel like this is a pretty sleepy campaign cycle, considering how far along we are in the process. I know I’m undecided on all the major offices, how about you?
Please share widely!
Reality-based commentary on politics.
I’ll go ahead and play. Right now we are in signature gathering and delegate persuasion season which always takes place a bit under the radar. Even caucus season was less lively because so many were virtual. (There was a curse of timing here. By the time caucuses actually happened more of them could have gotten away with hybrid rather than full remote. The state party did not allow in-person only and the deadline for making the hybrid/virtual decision was right in the middle of another COVID wave.) I think posting here is just a function of it being a less active site overall, which I still find very unfortunate. Anyway, here’s my two cents since, why not?
GOVERNOR – Leaning toward SCD at convention because I think her proposals should be part of the conversation. I’m generally not superstitious, but I’m slightly concerned about the AG curse. I’m mentally prepared for and am completely fine with Maura Healey as our nominee. Contrary to SCD’s call, I think debates should wait until after convention
LG – I’ll probably end up voting for Tami Gouveia based mostly on knowing her, though she was a much stronger cheerleader for the shut-it-all-down strategy than I would have liked a couple years ago. I also like what I’ve heard from Eric Lesser. This may be the one race where not everyone gets our of convention alive, the most likely victim being Bret Bero.
SoC – I’m glad Zakim ran last time which I think gave Galvin the shot in the arm he needed. Since then I’ve been more impressed with Galvin and am sticking with him this time.
AG – I am supporting Quentin Palfrey on both issues and resume. I also supported him for LG last time. I feel like Andrea Campbell isn’t campaigning very much, at least in my neck of the woods.
TRG – Incumbent Deb Goldberg is the only one running unopposed for the Democratic nomination. I believe the plan is to re-nominate her by acclamation during the Friday night session of convention.
AUDITOR – Diana DiZoglio’s campaign is the only statewide race I am actively assisting at this time, having known her for several years from her legislative tenure. I’m not entirely sure why Chris Dempsey got such overwhelming support from progressive organizations unless Diana just simply did not respond to their inquiries. If No Boston Olympics were part of my resume I’d campaign on it too, but it’s not a selling point for me since I very much disagreed with their goal.
Thanks for responding and Happy (almost belated at this point) Easter!
For Gov I am likely leaning in the direction of SCD in the primary and Healey in the general. SCD has a much more fleshed out policy agenda on her website, the PM endorsement and I suspect she will get the MTA endorsement for her work on shepherding the Student Opportunity Act to passage. That said, I do not see how she can win the nomination and do worry some of her more radical proposals could hurt her in the general. I think Healey will be a good nominee and governor, I just wish she would start talking about her priorities and policy agenda rather than simply run on her AG record fighting Trump as she is doing now.
I admit I forgot Tami was running. Nothing against her, just don’t have much of an impression of her.
Happy to learn more. I think with a Boston woman on top of the ticket either way, it might help to have a guy from Western MA to balance it out, and Lesser seems more formidable and policy oriented than Adam Hinds. Salem based colleagues of mine love Kim Driscoll, and I’ve long talked her up as a statewide candidate, although I am not sure if LG is really a step up for her. If she and Healey were on the ticket they’d be very formidable on the basketball court as they both played D1 ball.
Campbell impressed me the most out of the Boston mayoral candidates and I think it would be good to have someone with her policy background and electoral experience in the office. The other two seem like perennial statewide candidates at this point, but I’m open to hearing your case for Palfrey.
Treasurer and SoC I am likely to stick with the incumbents, although I may vote for Galvin’s challenger just to keep him on his toes (I do not expect her to win). It’s too bad Deb didn’t get one for the same reason.
On Auditor we are in complete agreement. I find DiZoglio to be very impressive as she’s the rare Democrat who has openly taken on legislative leadership on a host of issues from speaker term limits to sexual harassment. I think her fiscal moderation would be an asset in that office. Dempsey and I share a lot of mutual friends and I respect him, but I can’t help but think this is not the right office for him. Like Tommy Vitolo he is a transit and urban design expert who could be an asset in the legislature or on the Boston City Council. Not sure if Auditor is really the right wheelhouse for him.
The upside is there is nobody I can’t live with, the downside is, there’s nobody I’m really excited about.