CMassPolitics.com

Hashing it all out

2012-02-16T20:54:00.001-05:00

Since most of my thoughts are posted on my twitter feed these days, I thought I compile a list of hashtags that I use/follow. Let me know if there are other hashtags related to Massachusetts politics that I should add to the list:

#CMass -- Central Massachusetts
#westernma -- Western Massachusetts
#mapoli -- Massachusetts Politics
#bospoli -- Boston Politics
#worcpoli -- Worcester Politics
#magov -- Governor and Candidates for Governor
#masen -- Senator and Candidates for Senate
#maleg -- Massachusetts House and Senate
#ma01 -- Congressional District 1
#ma02 -- Congressional District 2
#ma03 -- Congressional District 3
#ma04 -- Congressional District 4
#ma05 -- Congressional District 5
#ma06 -- Congressional District 6
#Worcester -- Worcester
#Fitchburg -- Fitchburg
#Leominster -- Leominster

2012 Races -- Massachusetts Senate

2012-02-16T10:25:00.001-05:00

Here are the State Senate races and candidates CMassPolitics.com will be following in the 2012 cycle. CMassPolitics.com is most interested in those districts that represent communities in Worcester County and far Northwestern Middlesex County. Websites and twitter feeds are campaign-based, unless otherwise noted. This listing will be updated as changes warrant.

Contested Races
Middlesex and Worcester
Jamie Eldridge (D-Acton) -- Incumbent website, twitter
Dean Cavaretta (R-Stow) website, twitter

Worcester and Middlesex
Jennifer Flanagan (D-Leominster) -- Incumbent website, twitter
Aaron Arsenault (U-Leominster)

First Worcester
Harriette Chandler (D-Worcester) -- Incumbent website, twitter
Dominick King (R-Worcester)

Second Worcester
Michael Moore (D-Millbury) -- Incumbent website
Stephen Simonian (R-Auburn)

Uncontested Races
Worcester, Hampden, Hampshire, and Middlesex: Stephen Brewer (D-Barre) -- Incumbent website
Worcester and Norfolk: Richard Moore (D-Uxbridge) -- Incumbent website, twitter

2012 Races -- Massachusetts House

2012-02-16T10:25:00.000-05:00

Here are the State House races and candidates CMassPolitics.com will be following in the 2012 cycle. CMassPolitics.com is most interested in those districts that represent communities in Worcester County and far Northwestern Middlesex County. Websites and twitter feeds are campaign-based, unless otherwise noted. This listing will be updated as changes warrant.

Contested Races
Second Franklin:
Denise Andrews (D-Orange) -- Incumbent website, twitter
Genevieve Fraser (D-Orange) twitter

Third Middlesex:
Kate Hogan (D-Stow) -- Incumbent website
Chuck Kuniewich (R-Hudson) website

Fourth Middlesex
Steven Levy (R-Marlborough) -- Incumbent website, twitter
Danielle Gregoire (D-Marlborough) twitter

Eighth Middlesex
Carolyn Dykema (D-Holliston) -- Incumbent website, twitter
Martin Lamb (R-Hopkinton) twitter

Fourth Worcester
Dennis Rosa (D-Leominster) -- Incumbent website, twitter
Justin Brooks (R-Leominster) website, twitter

Eighth Worcester:
Kevin Kuros (R-Uxbridge) -- Incumbent website, twitter
Bob Dubois (D-Blackstone) website

15th Worcester -- OPEN SEAT

Dianna Biancheria (D-Worcester)
Ralph Perez (D-Worcester)
Kate Toomey (D-Worcester) website, twitter
Brian O'Malley (R-Worcester) website

18th Worcester
Ryan Fattman (R-Sutton) -- Incumbent website, twitter
Donald Bourque (D-Webster) website, twitter
Jennifer Callahan (D-Sutton)* website

* Undeclared, but has raised money during 2011.

Uncontested Races
First Hampden: Todd Smola (R-Palmer) -- Incumbent websiteFirst Middlesex: Sheila Harrington (R-Groton) -- Incumbent website, twitter
37th Middlesex: Jennifer Benson (D-Lunenburg) -- Incumbent website, twitter
First Worcester: Kim Ferguson (R-Holden) -- Incumbent website
Second Worcester: Rich Bastien (R-Gardner) -- Incumbent website, twitter
Third Worcester: Stephen DiNatale (D-Fitchburg) -- Incumbent
Fifth Worcester: Anne Gobi (D-Spencer) -- Incumbent website
Sixth Worcester: Peter Durant (R-Spencer) -- Incumbent website
Seventh Worcester: Paul Frost (R-Auburn) -- Incumbent
Ninth Worcester: George Peterson (R-Grafton) -- Incumbent website
10th Worcester: John Fernandes (D-Milford) -- Incumbent website
11th Worcester: Matt Beaton (R-Shrewsbury) -- Incumbent website, twitter
12th Worcester: Harold Naughton (D-Clinton) -- Incumbent website
13th Worcester: John Mahoney (D-Worcester) -- Incumbent
14th Worcester: Jim O'Day (D-West Boylston) -- Incumbent
16th Worcester: John Fresolo (D-Worcester) -- Incumbent website
17th Worcester: John Binienda (D-Worcester) -- Incumbent

The State House Money Race

2012-02-07T12:10:00.000-05:00

Who has the most money as we look forward to the 2012 elections? Year-end reports were due to OCPF late last month; I've compiled this list of House incumbents and candidates (either publicly announced or campaign committee filed with OCPF). Here are the results (amount listed is cash-on-hand as of December 31, 2011):

Second Franklin
$1,483.77 -- Denise Andrews (D-Orange) -- Incumbent

First Hampden
$20,021.34 Todd Smola (R-Palmer) -- Incumbent

First Middlesex
$2,143.27 -- Sheila Harrington (R-Groton) -- Incumbent

Third Middlesex
$10,033.42 -- Kate Hogan (D-Stow) -- Incumbent

Fourth Middlesex
$15,045.82 Steven Levy (R-Marlborough) -- Incumbent
$1,453,35 -- Danielle Gregoire (D-Marlborough)

Eighth Middlesex
$11,145.76 -- Carolyn Dykema (D-Holliston) -- Incumbent
$7,887.10 -- Martin Lamb (R-Hopkinton)

37th Middlesex
$16,735.88 -- Jennifer Benson (D-Lunenburg) -- Incumbent website, twitter

First Worcester
$12,382.39 -- Kim Ferguson (R-Holden) -- Incumbent

Second Worcester
$3,460.91 -- Rich Bastien (R-Gardner) -- Incumbent

Third Worcester
$40,148.13 -- Stephen DiNatale (D-Fitchburg) -- Incumbent

Fourth Worcester
$20,232.42 -- Dennis Rosa (D-Leominster) -- Incumbent
$3,482.24 -- Justin Brooks (R-Leominster)

Fifth Worcester
$6,427.75 -- Anne Gobi (D-Spencer) -- Incumbent

Sixth Worcester
$5,437.38 -- Peter Durant (R-Spencer) -- Incumbent

Seventh Worcester
$6,042.45 -- Paul Frost (R-Auburn) -- Incumbent

Eighth Worcester
$9,956.62 -- Kevin Kuros (R-Uxbridge) -- Incumbent

Ninth Worcester
$14,246.91 -- George Peterson (R-Grafton) -- Incumbent

10th Worcester
$13,396.14 -- John Fernandes (D-Milford) -- Incumbent

11th Worcester
$6,625.55 -- Matt Beaton (R-Shrewsbury) -- Incumbent

12th Worcester
$12,403.98 -- Harold Naughton (D-Clinton) -- Incumbent

13th Worcester
$6,548.64 -- John Mahoney (D-Worcester) -- Incumbent

14th Worcester
$28,959.94 -- Jim O'Day (D-West Boylston) -- Incumbent

15th Worcester -- OPEN SEAT

$526.59* -- Dianna Biancheria (D-Worcester)
$4,404.70* -- Kate Toomey (D-Worcester)
*Balance in municipal election account.

16th Worcester
$74,639.23 -- John Fresolo (D-Worcester) -- Incumbent

17th Worcester
$402,923.38 -- John Binienda (D-Worcester) -- Incumbent

18th Worcester
$39,951.09 -- Ryan Fattman (R-Sutton) -- Incumbent
$1,661,10 -- Donald Bourque (D-Webster)
$13,205.60 -- Jennifer Callahan (D-Sutton)

The State Senate Money Race

2012-01-20T21:14:00.001-05:00

Who has the most money as we look forward to the 2012 elections? Year-end reports were due to OCPF this week; I've compiled this list of Senate incumbents and candidates (either publicly announced or campaign committee filed with OCPF). Here are the results (amount listed is cash-on-hand as of December 31, 2011):

State Senate

Middlesex and Worcester
$59,719 -- Jamie Eldridge ( D-Acton) Incumbent
No Report -- Dean Cavaretta (R-Stow)

First Worcester
$145,655 -- Harriette Chandler (D-Worcester) Incumbent
No Report -- Dominick King (R-Worcester)

Second Worcester
$46,755 -- Michael Moore (D-Millbury) Incumbent

Worcester, Hampden, Hampshire, and Middlesex
$154,820 -- Stephen Brewer (D-Barre) Incumbent

Worcester and Middlesex
$19,519 -- Jennifer Flanagan (D-Leominster) Incumbent
No Report -- Aaron Arsenault (U-Leominster)

Worcester and Norfolk
$97,583 -- Richard Moore (D-Uxbridge) -- Incumbent

2012 Races -- U.S. Congress

2012-01-18T21:46:00.000-05:00

Here are the U.S. Congressional races and candidates CMassPolitics.com will be following in the 2012 cycle. CMassPolitics.com is most interested in those districts that represent communities in Worcester County and far Northwestern Middlesex County. Websites and twitter feeds are campaign-based, unless otherwise noted. This listing will be updated as changes warrant.

Contested Races
New District 1 (Old District 2)
Richard Neal (D-Springfield) -- Incumbent website, twitter
Andrea Nucifaro (D-Amherst) website, twitter
Bill Shein (D-Alford) website, twitter

New District 3 (Old District 5)
Niki Tsongas (D-Lowell) -- Incumbent website, twitter
Jon Golnik (R-Carlisle) website, twitter

District 4 -- OPEN SEAT

Micheal Burstein (D-Brookline) website
Marty Farren (D-Sharon) website, twitter
Paul Heroux (D-Attleboro) website, twitter
Joseph Kennedy III (D-Cambridge) website, twitter
Jules Levine (D-Brookline)
Herb Robinson (D-Newton) website
Sean Bielat (R-Norfolk) website, twitter
Elizabeth Childs (R-Brookline) website

Uncontested Races
New District 2 (Old District 3): James McGovern (D-Worcester) -- Incumbent website, twitter

Retiring
Old District 1: John Olver (D-Amherst) -- Incumbent, Retiring website*, twitter
Old District 4: Barney Frank (D-Newton) -- Incumbent, Retiring website*

*Official U.S. House website, not campaign website.

Five thoughts on the Fitchburg mayor's race

2011-11-04T21:03:00.000-04:00

With just four days until Election Day, the big question is if Mayor Lisa Wong, who is looking to secure her third three-year term, can come back from a very poor showing in the September preliminary election. She finished a distant second-place to Councilor Joseph Solomito, who pulled well over 50% in elimination stage. Here are five thoughts leading up to Tuesday's election:

1. How much does last week's snowstorm help Mayor Wong? I think it could help a lot. Following the 2008 Ice Storm, parts of Fitchburg were without power for nearly two weeks. Wong, along with Sen. Jennifer Flanagan (D-Leominster) and Reps. Jennifer Benson (D-Lunenburg) and Steve DiNatale (D-Fitchburg), were very vocal advocates for the city in the wake of the storm and put a lot of pressure on Unitil to improve their preparations for future events. While some surrounding areas are still without power as of Friday, Fitchburg was essentially all powered up within three days after the storm. If storm preparation is an issue over the weekend, it will help Wong quite a bit.

2. Will voters accept Wong's argument that austerity was necessary? Councilor Solomito has argued that Wong was wrong in shutting off street lights and cutting other services in order to build up the city's reserve fund, which has reportedly grown from $40,000 four years ago to around $3 million today. Wong's detractors also suggest that the improvement in the city's bond rating (which makes borrowing money cheaper) is the result of factors other than Wong's fiscal conservatism. The mayor's retort is that the city was on such poor financial footing four years ago that extreme measures were necessary to right the ship. It's very easy for voters to relate to the reality that library hours were cut or that their streets are dark at night. If Wong can't get them to believe her argument that those things were necessary to put the city on a stronger financial footing, she loses.

3. Was the preliminary election a sign that Solomito is heading for a landslide, or an indication that Wong didn't worry about the prelims? I think the result had more to do with the latter. The prelim was essentially a waste of time since the third candidate, Kevin Lynch, was more famous (or infamous) for his legal troubles than for his political positions. While I doubt that Wong spent much, if any, effort to get the vote out in September, I think the result probably surprised her and her supporters. My expectation is that Solomito has a lot less room to grow his support than Wong does. That's a double-edged sword for both candidates. On the one hand, I think the Solomito voter is more reliable--I'd guess that a lot of his voters vote in prelims, generals, special elections, you name it. On the other hand, Wong was a fantastic organizer in 2007 when she won for the first time. She has a lot of room to grow if she can be as well organized this weekend.

4. So, can Wong get her people out? I don't know. I suspect yes, but there's no telling for sure. In addition to her own organization, she has the advantage of having the support of some powerful politicians. While Sen. Flanagan has not endorsed a candidate, she is close to Mayor Wong and it wouldn't surprise me if her volunteers were helping the mayor. Flanagan may be the most popular figure in the North County and is probably the most organized. I'd be surprised if some of her people weren't helping get the vote out. I also think last week's endorsement by State Treasures Steve Grossman may be a bigger deal than meets the eye Will more than five voters change their vote because of Grossman? Probably not. Will a number of party activists get the message that if they have nothing else to do this weekend they should get to Fitchburg and pound the pavement for Mayor Wong? Probably so. Getting more feet on the ground and voices on the phone banks can only help.

5. So who will win? I don't know. Solomito has the advantage of high-value voters and the emotional argument that Fitchburg should have been spending money to make life better now instead of saving it for a rainy day. Wong likely has the advantage of organization. I realize this is a cop-out, but I think it is too close to call. The pressure is on Wong to change September's result. I think she will, but I'm not convinced it will be enough to be reelected for a third term.

Unenrolled candidates hurt Alicea in special election

2011-05-11T10:28:00.000-04:00

A quick look at the results from yesterday’s Sixth Worcester House special election suggests that the presence of the two unenrolled candidates took most of their votes from Rep. Geraldo Alicea (D-Charlton), and likely provided Rep.-elect Peter Durant (R-Spencer) with the margin of victory.

In three of the four towns that Durant won in both elections, his percentage of the vote remained remarkably consistent, while Alicea’s percentage dropped at the hands of Peter Boria (U-Charlton) and Bob Cirba (U-Spencer).

TOWN              Nov. ’10           May ‘11
                  Durant -- Alicea   Durant -- Alicea -- Others
E. Brookfield       59.8 --   40.2     61.8 --   32.6 --    5.6
Oxford              54.5 --   45.5     54.5 --   31.2 --   14.3
Spencer             59.5 --   40.5     62.0 --   31.8 --    6.2

In Charlton, the effect was less pronounced, however Durant still increased his margin over Alicea from +7% to +12%. In fact, Boria, a Charlton selectman, finished second ahead of the incumbent representative.

TOWN              Nov. ’10           May ‘11
                  Durant -- Alicea   Durant -- Alicea -- Others
Charlton            53.7 --   46.3     40.4 --   28.0 --   31.6

Only in Southbridge did the unenrolled candidates appear to take more support away from the Republican, but the effect was less pronounced than it was in the other four towns.

TOWN              Nov. ’10           May ‘11
                  Durant -- Alicea   Durant -- Alicea -- Others
Southbridge         38.3 --   61.7     30.6 --  58.9  --   10.5

The other indicator that the extra candidates hurt Alicea is that if the vote percentages from each town in the November election were used to predict the vote based on the May turnout, Alicea would have won by 165 votes. Here is the predicted vote using that method.

TOWN              Nov ’10 Percentage   May ’11       May ’11 Predicted
                  Durant -- Alicea     Turnout       Durant -- Alicea
Charlton            53.7 --   46.3       2,768        1,486 --  1,282
E. Brookfield       59.8 --   40.2         578          346 --    232
Oxford              54.5 --   45.5         339          185 --    154
Southbridge         38.3 --   61.7       3,118        1,194 --  1,924
Spencer             59.5 --   40.5       1,142          679 --    463

TOTALS                                   7,945         3,890 -- 4,055

It seems clear to me that for all of the discussion that the election should have been a straight runoff with no new candidates -- much of it from Republicans who claimed that one or both of the unenrolled candidates were “Trojan horses” drafted to hurt Durant -- the candidate that was hurt the most by the open field was soon-to-be former Rep. Alicea.

How Lisa Wong became a Senate contender without even trying

2011-01-31T07:30:00.001-05:00

A recent news item on Swing State Project, a well-respected and widely read liberal election blog, included this little note that could shake up the political landscape in Central Mass:

We've already seen the mayors of some of Massachusetts's cities cited as potential [U.S. Senate] candidates (especially Newton's Setti Warren), but here's another one to keep in mind: Salem mayor Kim Driscoll, who has been asking around about the race. Two other mayors get cited in the piece as additional down-in-the-weeds possibilities for the Dems: New Bedford's Scott Lang and Fitchburg's Lisa Wong.

If that seems like news to you, you’re not alone. CMassPolitics.com hasn’t heard even the slightest buzz about a Mayor Wong challenge to Senator Scott Brown (R-Wrentham). In searching the internet, the story of Wong’s potential candidacy is a fascinating example of how one public appearance can turn into a potential campaign in a few short months, without comment from Wong (or any source at all, for that matter).

The saga began innocuously enough as Mayor Wong appeared on CNN on October 12, 2010 to talk about programs in Fitchburg to better engage the minority and immigrant community in civic affairs.

While the brief interview did not touch on any possible future campaigns and did not even mention Senator Brown, it did catch the eye of reporter Matt Murphy of the State House News Service. In an October 29 article examining the possibility that Newton Mayor Setti Warren may be a challenger for Brown’s Senate seat, Wong is mentioned as one of a handful of young Massachusetts mayors:

As a young mayor with experience at both the national and local levels and a military background that could offset Brown's own service record, Warren could be an attractive candidate to many voters looking for new blood, sources told the News Service, explaining the rationale for a possible Warren candidacy

Some put him in the category of several promising young Massachusetts mayors, including Fitchburg Mayor Lisa Wong and Fall River Mayor Will Flanagan, both of whom voters could have spotted giving national interviews on CNN in recent weeks.

"It's all about who can raise the money," said one Democratic official who agreed to speak anonymously, and acknowledged the chatter around Warren. "He could probably raise national money by tapping into the national veterans groups and African-American donors. Look at what [U.S. Rep. Joseph] Sestak and Patrick Murphy have done."

While one could infer that Wong and Flanagan were potential Senate candidates (and Flanagan subsequently confirmed his interest), Murphy does not compare Warren to Wong and Flanagan as prospective candidates, but as mayors with similar pedigrees.

The potential Wong candidacy first went national just before Christmas. Writing for the National Journal, Jim O’Sullivan, formerly a colleague of Murphy’s at the State House News Service, named Wong in a list of potential contenders that included Warren and a legion of others:

In a state with a relative dearth of prominent female politicos, Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll is eyed as an ascendant pol, and has had conversations about a potential run at Brown.

“I’m certainly always intrigued by these ideas, but I like what I’m doing right now a lot,” she told National Journal Tuesday. “I don’t think I have itchy feet, but I definitely think that having the local perspective would be great.”

Another young mayor, Newton’s Setti Warren, an Iraqi War veteran and former Kerry aide, has drawn attention. Patrick’s outgoing energy and environment chief, Ian Bowles, lost a race for Congress in 1996 and distinguished himself in Patrick’s Cabinet as its least press-averse inhabitant. Fitchburg Mayor Lisa Wong won statewide visibility with her 2007 election as the state’s first female Asian-American mayor. New Bedford's Scott Lang is one of the most active municipal CEOs in the state, and politically attuned enough to have won favor with some Patrick advisers.

The interview with Driscoll caught the eye of the Salem News’ Chris Cassidy, and three weeks later he included Wong in a “list of potential 2012 Democratic challengers:”

The [National Journal] story lists Congressmen Michael Capuano, Stephen Lynch and Edward Markey among the most likely challengers and goes on to mention lesser-known Bay State Dems, including former AG Scott Harshbarger and fellow mayors Setti Warren of Newton, Lisa Wong of Fitchburg and Scott Lang of New Bedford.

It was this news item that caught the attention of Swing State Project and put talk of a potential Wong Senate campaign back into national view. Note that nowhere along the line has a reporter actually received a comment from Wong on a potential candidacy. In fact, there is no mention of any source whatsoever pegging Wong as having interest in a Senate run.

Despite all of the speculation, there is currently only one declared Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, Bob Massie (D-Somerville).

Evangelidis elected Worcester County Sheriff

2010-11-02T22:56:00.000-04:00

With nearly 80% of the precincts reporting, State Rep. Lew Evangelidis (R-Holden) is cruising to victory over Tom Foley (D-Worcester) and Keith Warren (U-Warren) in the race to replace outgoing Worcester County Sheriff.

Evangelidis leads Foley by 52% to 42%, building a margin of more than 21,000 votes with approximately 40,000 votes still outstanding.

Durant upsets Incumbent Alicea by two votes in Sixth House District, recount inevitable

2010-11-02T22:38:00.000-04:00

According to the Associated Press, challenger Peter Durant (R-Spencer) has defeated incumbent Rep. Geraldo Alicea (R-Charlton) by two votes.

With all 12 precincts reporting, Durant leads Alicea 6,583 votes to 6,581 in unofficial results.

Durant won every town in the district except for Southbridge, which gave Alicea a 1,019 vote lead.

Benson wins reelection in 37th Middlesex

2010-11-02T22:34:00.000-04:00

According to Twitter updates from Rep. Jennifer Benson (D-Lunenburg) and WickedLocal.com, Benson has defeated Kurt Hayes (R-Boxboro) in her quest for reelection.

Naughton cruises to victory in 12th Worcester

2010-11-02T22:30:00.000-04:00

Rep. Harold Naughton, Jr. (D-Clinton) appears to be cruising to reelection over challenger James Gettens (R-Sterling). With 5 of 11 precincts reporting, Naughton leads 65% to 35%.

Among the precincts left to report are the four precincts in Naughton's hometown of Clinton, which has historically supported Naughton by wide margins.

Alicea wins Southbridge big, takes narrow lead with only Spencer to report

2010-11-02T22:17:00.000-04:00

With the Democratic stronghold of Southbridge going heavily for Rep. Geraldo Alicea (D-Charlton), the incumbent has taken a 399-vote lead over challenger Peter Durant (R-Spencer). However, the two precincts left to report are the two in Durant's hometown. If Durant wins Spencer, the race could be headed for a recount.

Benson leads Hayes in 37th Middlesex, wins both candidates home towns

2010-11-02T22:06:00.001-04:00

Incumbent freshman Rep. Jennifer Benson (D-Lunenburg) narrowly leads Kurt Hayes (R-Boxboro) in the 37th Middlesex House District, however she has won both Lunenburg and Boxboro.

With 5 of 11 precincts reporting, Benson holds a 53%-47% lead. She won Lunenburg by 328 votes and defeated Hayes by 15 votes in Boxboro.

Acton, which is the home of Democratic State Senator Jamie Eldridge--the most recent state representative in the district--is among the towns that have still not reported results. Harvard has also not reported results, but Benson had tweeted earlier in the night that she had won Harvard.

Incumbent Rep. Alicea in danger of losing Sixth Worcester District

2010-11-02T21:55:00.000-04:00

Incumbent Rep. Geraldo Alicea (D-Charlton) trails Peter Durant (R-Spencer) by nearly 10 points in his attempt to be reelected to the state house from the Sixth Worcester District.

With 5 of 12 precincts reporting, Alicea trails by 620 votes. Included in the count is Alicea's hometown of Charlton, which rejected the incumbent by a 460-vote margin. Southbridge, considered a Democratic stronghold and Spencer, where Durant is a selectman, are the two towns left to report.

Beaton wins 11th Worcester, succeeds Polito

2010-11-02T21:43:00.000-04:00

Matt Beaton (D-Shrewsbury) has defeated Kevin Byrne (R-Shrewsbury) in the race to succeed State Rep. Karyn Polito (R-Shrewsbury), who left the state house to run for Treasurer.

With 9 of 11 precincts reporting, Beaton holds a 62% to 38% advantage. All nine precincts that have reported were from the candidates' hometown of Shrewsbury.

Byrne was a late addition to the ballot. Dennis Leary (D-Shrewsbury) was the only candidate on the Democratic primary ballot in September, but was forced to dropout due to health issues. Byrne was nominated to replace Leary at caucus of the Shrewsbury and Westboro Democratic Town Committees.

Republicans pick up 8th Worcester, Kujawski reportedly concedes

2010-11-02T21:34:00.000-04:00

Rob Eno of Redmassgroup.com has reported on his twitter feed that incumbent Rep. Paul Kujawski (D-Webster) has conceded to Kevin Kuros (R-Uxbridge). The victory for Kuros, an Uxbridge selectman, marks the first house seat in Central Massachusetts to switch parties.

Mahoney wins 13th Worcester

2010-11-02T21:28:00.000-04:00

According to a Twitter update from Worcester Magazine, John Mahoney (D-Worcester) has won the 13th Worcester State House seat "in a landslide" over Paul Franco (R-Worcester) and Ronal Madnick (D-Worcester).

Olver wins reelection to U.S. House in First District

2010-11-02T21:02:00.000-04:00

The Associated Press has declared incumbent John Olver (D-Amherst) the winner in the First Congressional District. He was opposed by Bill Gunn (R-Ware) and Micheal Engel (U-Southampton).

With 8 percent reporting, Olver was pulling 62% of the vote.

Andrews takes commanding lead in 2nd Franklin

2010-11-02T20:52:00.000-04:00

Denise Andrews (D-Orange) has won the town of Greenfield in her bid to win the House seat in the Second Franklin District.

With all nine precincts reporting, Andrews pulled in 65% of the vote. Steven Adam (R-Orange) trailed with 31% and Genieveive Fraser )U-Orange) took 4%.

Adam will have to make up a deficit of nearly 2,000 votes in the remaining 8 precincts if he is to pick up the open seat for the Republicans.

Benson claims early lead in 37th Middlesex

2010-11-02T20:46:00.000-04:00

Incumbent Rep. Jennifer Benson (D-Lunenburg) told supporters via her Twitter feed that she has defeated Kurt Hayes (R-Acton) in the town of Harvard. Benson did not report the vote totals and they have not yet been reported by the AP.

Franco leads in early results -- 13th Worcester

2010-11-02T20:35:00.000-04:00

Paul Franco (R- Worcester) has taken the town of Paxton in his race against John Mahoney (D-Worcester) and Ronal Madnick (I-Worcester). According to the Telegram, Franco earner 981 votes, to 817 for Mahoney and 79 for Madnick.

Mahoney was also unable to win Paxton in the Democratic primary, losing the town to Gina DiBaro (D-Worcester).

Back in the Saddle -- at least for a night

2010-11-02T20:12:00.000-04:00

PHILADELPHIA -- We're back...at lease for a night.

Suffice to say, it wasn't my intention for this site to go dark right after the primary, but as I was trucking around Worcester County on September 14, I got a call offering me a job. A very good job. So, out of an abundance of caution and a lack of abundance of free time, I allowed the site to go dark.

(In fact, the dateline says Philadelphia because that's where I am. I'm here on business and looking out over South Broad Street from my hotel room while watching NECN on the internet and CNN and MSNBC in the room.)

But I'll be keeping an eye on all of the local races from this vantage point, and updating throughout the night. Stay with CMassPolitics.com for coverage of all the races in Central Massachusetts.

CMassPolitics.com Interview with Rep. Jim McGovern

2010-09-26T10:39:00.001-04:00

Interview with Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Worcester), candidate for reelection to U.S. Congress in the Third Congressional District.

Press Release: U.S. Senator Brown Endorses Evangelidis For Sheriff

2010-09-21T17:14:00.000-04:00

The following press release was sent by Lew Evangelidis (R-Holden), candidate for Worcester County Sheriff.

United States Senator Scott Brown Endorses Lew Evangelidis

WORCESTER - Worcester County Sheriff candidate Lew Evangelidis announced today that he has received the endorsement of United States Senator Scott Brown. The endorsement was officially announced at an event for Evangelidis which Brown attended this past weekend.

In his address to the overflowing crowd at Coral Seafood on Shrewsbury Street, Brown said, “It was my pleasure to serve with Lew Evangelidis in the legislature where he earned his reputation as a reformer. It was important for me to come out to Worcester to support Lew’s campaign because I know the challenges he will face going up against the political machine.”

Brown continued, “I spent a great amount of time in Worcester County during my campaign for Senate and I know the voters will be receptive to a new kind of sheriff who is professional and independent."

Evangelidis said, “Senator Brown’s election to the United States Senate this past January sent a clear message that folks are ready for new leadership that is independent and not part of the old political machine. I truly appreciate Senator Brown’s endorsement and his support throughout the remainder of our campaign.”

Lamb discusses bankruptcy, challenges McGovern to limit spending

2010-09-18T14:29:00.001-04:00

Marty Lamb (R-Holliston) filed bankruptcy a decade ago because of nearly a quarter-million dollars in credit card debt, a report in yesterday's Telegram revealed. Lamb, who is a favorite of the Tea Party and is running on a platform of fiscal responsibility, told the Telegram he ran up the debt while trying to save his law practice:

Martin A. Lamb of Holliston, the GOP candidate for Congress promoting fiscal responsibility, filed for personal bankruptcy in 1999 and was cleared of more than $226,000 in credit card debt....

An opponent of government bailouts for private institutions, he has called for major cuts in federal spending and says the country should be paying off the national debt.

In an interview, the 53-year-old said he amassed significant debt while trying to keep his fledgling law firm afloat. He said he started a law practice with a partner 15 years ago. The business struggled, so Mr. Lamb poured more money into it — more money than he had.

“Most people, when they start a business, it's a failure,” he said. “Sometimes it goes bust. I'm a business creator. I understand the hardships and the pitfalls, the good and bad — unlike Jim McGovern, who's never created jobs and doesn't understand.”

Coincidentally, Lamb and the third candidate in the race, Patrick Barron (U-Worcester), each proposed measures Thursday to limit campaign spending. In a press release, Lamb challenged Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Worcester) to keep spending under $300,000:

"If Congressman McGovern wants to pretend that he is not the incumbent in an attempt to hide from his record, then why not give up his war chest too," challenged Lamb. "Let's go message to message."

Lamb is proposing a $300,000 spending cap for the General Election. That figure will give candidates roughly $1 per voter to spend.

"Does he believe enough in his message to accept my challenge? As the incumbent, he has more name ID so this is more than a fair offer," said Lamb.

The most recent campaign finance reports indicate that McGovern has nearly $1 million in cash on hand and holds roughly a 100-to-1 edge in that category over Lamb, who reported $9,500 to spend.

For his part, Barron called on both candidates to sign a pledge eschewing donations from "Special Interests" and asked them to return any unspent special interest money. It reads, in part:

I pledge to never take any special interest money from any corporation, union, any other political action group or representative thereof. I will not take any special interest money for any position I may seek, any candidacy I may have or any position I currently hold.

If I have previously received special interest money for a position I have sought or now hold, if this money is available and not clearly and verifiably committed it will be immediately returned from the largest donor first to the smallest.

Although Lamb has received support from Political Action Committees, the pledge is clearly aimed at McGovern, who has a 400-to-1 edge in available cash on the unenrolled Barron.

Feeley-Knuuttila endorses O'Neill-Laperriere, shuns fellow Democrat

2010-09-17T15:44:00.000-04:00

Democratic Party unity is dead along the Mohawk Trail, as yet another fallen Democrat has declined to endorse the winner of a state house primary.

Colleen O'Neil-Laperriere (U-Gardner) announced on her website this afternoon that she had received the endorsement of Democratic runner-up Amy Feeley-Knuuttila (D-Winchendon) in her quest to win the representative's seat in the Second Worcester District.

Feeley-Knuuttila lost Tuesday's primary to Pat Gerry (D-Gardner) by a nearly two-to-one margin, despite winning three of the five towns in the district. Gerry won Gardner overwhelmingly on his way to the nomination.

Earlier today, Lee Chauvette (D-Athol) in the neighboring Second Franklin District announced that he would not be supporting nominee Denise Andrews (D-Orange).

Chauvette declines to endorse Andrews in Second Franklin race

2010-09-17T09:17:00.001-04:00

Saying that he supports "voter choice," Lee Chauvette (D-Athol) announced this morning that he is declining to endorse nominee Denise Andrews (D-Orange) in the race for state house in the Second Franklin House District.

In declining to offer his support, Chauvette acknowledged that he is breaking a "unity call and agreement to move forward with the winner."

"Party unity is a great thing but my message became that of trying to fight for the voters and to be a clear and unattached voice and support electing the person not the party," said Chauvette in a written statement. "This is a value that I hold very high. I have decided to step away from the normal and expected process and support voter choice in the 2nd Franklin District for the November 2 election."

Saying that his decision "is not based on 'sour grapes' for losing the election," Chauvette, who finished last among the four candidates vying for the nomination, said he would like his supporters to consider and evaluate all three candidates, including Steven Adam (R-Orange) and Genevieve Fraser (U-Orange).

"I hold nothing but respect for Denise, Genevieve and Steve and have zero personal issues with any of them," Chauvette said, "but this is an open seat election and I believe that best form of Democracy from this point forward is to allow you the voters the right to decide on who you feel most comfortable in supporting."

Thursday Roundup: Foley wins Sheriff race

2010-09-16T11:55:00.000-04:00

Thanks to this year's late primary (September 14 is the latest possible "second Tuesday") and the early general election (November 2 is the earliest possible "Tuesday after the first Monday"), candidates are left with a seven-week sprint to the finish in their effort to win election.

For most, that race began within hours after the polls closed, but for Tom Foley (D-Worcester), the start of the general election campaign had to wait until Wednesday. From the Telegram:

Mr. Foley, a former superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police, will face Republican Lewis G. Evangelidis, a state representative from Holden who had no opposition in the primary, and independent candidate Keith E. Nicholas of Warren. Mr. Warren is a UMass Memorial Medical Center policeman and part-time Warren police officer.

Mr. Foley, a Governor’s Councilor, received a call from his primary opponent, Scot J. Bove of Holden, conceding the election about 8:45 a.m. yesterday. Mr. Bove is an assistant deputy superintendent at the Worcester County Jail and House of Correction in West Boylston.

Mr. Foley took 52 percent of the vote, winning the primary by 1,660 votes, according to unofficial results. About 40 percent of the victory margin of Mr. Foley, who still lives in his native city of Worcester, came from Worcester, which he won by 676 votes.

As first reported by CMassPolitics.com, Bove decided around 1:00 am Wednesday to wait until results of several cities had been reported before conceding. At the time, Bove trailed by just over 1,000 votes with Milford, Gardner, Southbridge among the precincts not yet reported.

New England Cable News also reported on Foley's victory.

Elsewhere, while candidates gear up for the sprint, reporters and editors were catching up on rest and recharging the batteries...

13th Worcester House District
An advisor to gubernatorial candidate Charlie Baker (R-Swampscott) told the State House News Service that the loss of Margot Barnet (D-Worcester) in the state house primary showed the weakness of the Lt. Governor Tim Murray (D-Worcester) "political machine." The advisor suggester that Barnet was Murray's "preferred candidate;" Murray's campaign noted that Murray did not endorse anyone in the race.

Second Congressional District
Rep. Richard Neal (D-Springfield) is feeling some heat from the left, as the Progressive Democrats for America and "Jobs for Justice" organizations protested the lack of job growth at the Springfield Federal Building. Organizers said it was the ninth time they had requested a meeting with Neal, to no effect.

Second Franklin District
The Telegram notes that the next state representative will definitively be from Orange, as Republican nominee Steven Adam, Democratic nominee Denise Andrews, and unenrolled candidate Genevieve Fraser all hail from Franklin County's Easternmost burg.

Second Worcester House Update

2010-09-16T11:15:00.000-04:00

In a report Thursday night that Pat Gerry (D-Gardner) had secured the Democratic nomination for state representative in the Second Worcester District, CMassPolitics.com omitted the names of the two unenrolled candidates that had qualified for the ballot.

In addition to facing Rich Bastien (R-Gardner), Gerry will also contend with Carolyn Kamuda (U-Gardner) and Colleen O'Neil-Laperriere (U-Gardner) in the November election.

Kim Roy qualifies for ballot in Worcester and Norfolk Senate District

2010-09-16T11:10:00.000-04:00

According to an update posted yesterday on her Facebook page, State GOP Committeewoman Kim Roy (R-Sutton) has easily qualified for the Republican nomination for state senate in the Worcester and Norfolk District.

Roy was not on the ballot and needed to receive at least 300 write-in votes to qualify for the general election slot opposite Sen. Richard Moore (D-Uxbridge). According to her Wednesday post, she had received at least 800 votes. In an update this morning, Roy estimated that she would ultimately wind up with as many as 1,000 votes once write-ins had been certified in all of the towns in the district.

Lamb to face McGovern, says he "will not be silenced"

2010-09-15T09:00:00.000-04:00

Marty Lamb checks election results as his supporters look on.

(Photo by Emily Hopkins)

NORTHBOROUGH -- The national wave of Tea Party successes swept into Massachusetts last night, as Marty Lamb (R-Holliston) defeated four other candidates to claim the GOP nomination for representative in the Third Congressional District.

Lamb will challenge Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Worcester) and Patrick Barron (U-Worcester) in the general election in November.

Lamb, who announced his candidacy at a Tea Party rally last year and specifically courted "Tea Party Patriots" in his radio advertisements, told supporters that he and they will "not be silenced" in November.

"These lambs won't be silenced anymore," said Lamb, referencing the Academy Award-winning film Silence of the Lambs. "McGovern ignored us. When we protested Obama care, he didn't listen. When we complained about government spending, he didn't listen. These lambs won't be silenced.

"McGovern can run but he can't hide from us."

For his part, McGovern shows no intention of hiding. In a statement last night, McGovern congratulated Lamb and proposed a series of debates in the coming weeks.

"I congratulate Marty Lamb on his hard-fought victory in the Republican primary," McGovern said. “I call on both of my opponents to join me in a series of debates around the district to allow the voters to hear our competing views for moving our communities forward.”

Lamb told CMassPolitics.com that he expects to compete for voters of all political persuasions in the run to November. "It's all about jobs and the economy, for Democrats and Republicans alike," he said. "I'm not campaigning for Republicans or Democrats, I'm campaigning for everyone."

Emily Hopkins of Worcester Wired contributed to this report from the Lamb post-election headquarters in Northborough.

Foley confident of sheriff victory

2010-09-15T03:08:00.001-04:00

WEST BOYLSTON -- This time six years ago, in another Democratic sheriff primary, Guy Glodis was dancing to the tune of "I Shot the Sheriff" at Union Station in Worcester, as seemingly every town's return pointed to an upset of incumbent Sheriff John Flynn.

Last night, the acoustic guitarist set the tone around 9 p.m. with another Bob Marley tune, singing, "Don't worry about a thing, every little thing's gonna be alright."

There was a lot of time for worrying. From 8 p.m. until 10 p.m., Foley's guests at the Wachusett Country Club had few indications of how the election was going, other than grapevine news that it was too close to call. As reports trickled in, Foley kept a consistent lead of 1,000 to 1,200 votes -- the apparent nominee, but close enough that a landslide losses in a few unreported towns could change the result.

Foley kept his vigil until 2:30 a.m., waiting for all but a few precincts to report. By the end of the night, his campaign's unofficial count stood at 20,349 for Foley, 18,825 for Scot Bove, but Foley said he wouldn't declare victory officially until final numbers were reported later on Wednesday.

In remarks to his supporters much earlier in the night -- just before 10:30 p.m. -- Foley had acknowledged his slim lead in the polls and the tough challenge represented by Bove and by the Democratic winner's general election opponents, Republican Lewis Evangelidis and independent Keith Nicholas.

"I would like to have sent a very clear message, [winning] 4-1, but these are some very crazy times," Foley said. "This was a little tighter than I would have liked. ... I know the next run is going to be very, very negative. I'm still going to stay positive. I think qualifications should count."

Foley repeatedly said that of the two Democrats in the race, he was the one who took the high road and focused on issues and policies rather than personalities. He also chided the media.

"Get rid of the politics; let's deal with facts," he said. "I'm disappointed that people are listening to that spin out there. We're in such a cynical time that it's very difficult to run for office. Please take a second, wipe the B.S. off the top, and actually see what the positions are."

Leicester Selectman Thomas Brennan Jr., a Foley supporter, echoed the Worcester Democrat's assessment of his own campaign, saying Foley had run a "positive, upbeat campaign."

Later that night, Foley promised not to "engage in negative politics" during the general election campaign.

Video: Golnik accepts the GOP nomination for congress in the Fifth

2010-09-15T01:34:00.000-04:00

Sheriff's race won't be settled until Wednesday

2010-09-15T01:29:00.001-04:00

With a handful of cities still left to report, Scot Bove (D-Holden) told CMassPolitics.com that he will wait until Wednesday to determine whether or not to concede defeat in the race for the Democratic nomination for Worcester County Sheriff.

As of 1:00 am, Bove trailed Tom Foley (D-Worcester) by 1,020 votes. However the cities of Gardner, Milford, and Southbridge had still not reported results to the Associated Press, along with a handful of smaller towns.

The winner of the primary will face off against Lew Evangelidis (R-Holden) and Keith Nicholas (U-Warren) in the November 2 general election.

Bove within 910 votes of Foley, some cities still out

2010-09-15T00:14:00.000-04:00

According to the Associated Press, Scot Bove has cut Tom Foley's lead in the Sheriff's race to 910 votes, with a number of towns still to report.

Cities and towns not yet reporting results:
Blackstone
Gardner
Milford
New Braintree
Southbridge
Sterling
Sutton
Westborough

Feeley-Knuuttila concedes Second Worcester race, Gerry wins

2010-09-14T23:53:00.001-04:00

According to a post on her Facebook page, Amy Feeley-Knuuttila (D-Winchendon) has conceded defeat to Pat Gerry (D-Gardner), her opponent for the Democratic nomination for state representative in the Second Worcester District.

The Associated Press reports that Feeley-Knuuttila still leads at this hour, with Gardner yet to report. However Feeley-Knuuttila wrote on Facebook that Gerry had overwhelmingly won Gardner on his way to the nomination.

Gerry will face off against Rich Bastien (R-Gardner) in the November general election.

Reich, Harrington cruise to wins in First Middlesex

2010-09-14T23:45:00.000-04:00

Jesse Reich (D-Ayer) and Sheila Harrington (R-Groton) have won the chance to face off for the open seat in the First Middlesex House District.

With all towns except Pepperell reporting, each candidate leads their respective races with over 58% of the vote.

If the interest in the primaries are any indication, Harrington has the advantage going into the November general election. Nearly 1,000 more voters in the district pulled Republican ballots in today's primary.

Durant to win in Sixth Worcester District

2010-09-14T23:36:00.000-04:00

Peter Durant (R-Spencer) will defeat Mike Jaynes (R-Southbridge) in the race for the GOP nomination in the Sixth Worcester House District. Durant will face incumbent Geraldo Alicea (D-Charlton) in the general election.

With seven of twelve precincts reporting, Durant had a nearly three-to-one lead. The Spencer selectman's lead appears to be insurmountable; Jaynes would need to pull in nearly all of the votes from his hometown of Southbridge in order to pull off the upset

Tom Wesley Wins 2nd District

2010-09-14T23:33:00.003-04:00

According to the Boston Globe, the AP has officially declared Tom Wesley the winner of the 2nd District Republican primary over Jay Fleitman. With just 27 out of 223 precincts left to report, Wesley held a 55% to 45% edge, with nearly 2,000 more votes.

Bove's chances looking "grim"

2010-09-14T23:21:00.001-04:00

With over 75% of precincts reporting, Tom Foley's lead over Scot Bove in the Worcester County Sheriff's race has widened to about 1,100 votes, according to reports from Bove headquarters. Bove would have to win the remaining quarter of the votes by about a 60-40 margin in order to close the gap.

After the latest round of results, a Bove supporter reported to other Bove backers at the party across the street from headquarters that the numbers looked "grim."

Lamb Wins, According to McGovern

2010-09-14T23:16:00.003-04:00

The Worcester Telegram is reporting that Marty Lamb has won the 3rd District Republican Primary, at least according to Democratic incumbent Jim McGovern, who offered Lamb his congratulations even though Lamb's opponent Brian Herr has yet to officially concede.

Still, the writing is on the wall, as Lamb now boasts a lead of 6,317 to 4,990 with 178 of 190 reporting. Even without access to complete voter registration rolls, we're doubtful that there are enough potential voters left to even theoretically bridge that gap.

So, there you have it: according to McGovern and the laws of mathematics, Marty Lamb is the Republican nominee.

Sam Meas Concedes 5th District; Jon Golnik Earns Nomination

2010-09-14T23:04:00.003-04:00

According to our man on the scene, Sam Meas has just conceded to Jon Golnik in the 5th District Republican primary.

In his speech accepting the nomination, Golnik vowed to continue the battle against Democratic incumbent Niki Tsongas, stating several times that he doesn't believe Tsongas represents the interests of the 5th District. Instead, he said that she votes with Washington rather than for her constituents and said that during the remaining 49 days before the general election he would push hard to make sure he and the Republican party were successful in defeating Tsongas.

Golnik also vowed to continue what he called a clean campaign, stating that "we will bring civility back to the process." He also said that while it is easy to look backwards at the mistakes that have been made, he prefers to look forward towards the future instead.

Lowell Reports! Still Not Enough for Meas

2010-09-14T22:56:00.002-04:00

The long wait is finally over, as Lowell has reported in the 5th District Republican Primary. And while Sam Meas did in fact carry the city, the margin wasn't nearly enough to allow him to overcome Jon Golnik's lead, making it increasingly likely that Golnik will win the nomination.

With 162 of 196 precincts now reporting, including all 33 of Lowell's wayward precincts, Golnik leads Meas 8780 to 6,244.

More to come when things become official.

Early Returns -- Picture Becoming Clearer

2010-09-14T22:39:00.002-04:00

We're still burning the 10:30 oil here at CMassPolitics, but two of our four outstanding races are nearing their conclusions and it's starting to look like a good night for Tom Wesley in the 2nd District and Marty Lamb in the 3rd District.

With 183 of 223 precincts reporting in the 2nd District Republican primary, Wesley has opened a lead of more than a thousand votes over Jay Felitman, 7,865 to 6,427.

Meanwhile, in the 3rd District's Republican primary, Marty Lamb has similarly pulled away from Brian Herr to the tune of 5,562 to 4,567 with 162 or 190 precincts in.

We haven't received word of any concessions yet in either race, but we'll let you know as soon as they happen.

Report From Jon Golnik's Headquarters

2010-09-14T22:25:00.005-04:00

Our man on the scene at Jon Golnik's campaign headquarters has sent us this photo of Golnik studying the results as they come in. We can't actually see what's on his screen of course, but it's nearly certain that he's reading CMassPolitics to get his news. And thus, when he sees this picture of himself reading this post about himself, the circle will be complete -- or the universe will implode. One or the other.

And to update things: with 118 of 190 precincts reporting, Golnik is still ahead of Meas 38% to 25%. But again, Lowell only has one of its 33 precincts in, and that one went 41 to 5 in favor of Meas. So until the folks in Lowell finish their game of minesweeper and count up the votes, we won't know for sure what's happening with the 5th District.

Results -- Treasurer, 2nd Worcester House District

2010-09-14T22:21:00.002-04:00

A couple of results here for you. Steve Grossman has defeated Steve Murphy in the Democratic race for State Treasurer, while Patrick Gerry has defeated Amy Feeley-Knuttila in the 2nd Worcester District Democratic primary. Both of these blurbs courtesy of the AP by way to the Worcester Telegram.

Early Returns -- The Night is Still Young, Somewhere

2010-09-14T22:11:00.003-04:00

We've got three barn burners on our hands tonight along with one barn that's mostly already burned down, which all adds up to a long night for people who do things like blog election results. Here's a quick rundown of where we stand right now:

2nd District Republican Primary

With 123 out of 233 precincts reporting, Tom Wesley has opened a bit of a gap between himself and Jay Fleitman, with the count currently at 4,971 to 3,783.

3rd District Republican Primary

With 94 out of 190 precincts reporting, this one is about as close as it can possible get, as Brian Herr leads Marty lamb by just 18 votes, 3,246 to 3,228. Nails will be bitten.

5th District Republican Primary

With 115 of 196 precincts reporting, Jon Golnik remains well ahead of Sam meas to the tune of 6,975 to 4,528. But Lowell still hasn't reported, so anything is possible if they have a massive turnout there.

Worcester Sheriff Democratic Primary

With 127 out of 233 precincts reporting, Tom Foley has opened a slight lead over Scot Bove, 10,343 to 9,683. Still far too early to call though.

Mahoney squeaks by Barnet, looks ahead to Franco

2010-09-14T22:09:00.000-04:00

WORCESTER -- Telling his supporters that they will need to work just as hard for the next six weeks as they have in the run to the primary, John Mahoney (D-Worcester) accepted his party's nomination for state representative in the 13th Worcester District.

"After what we did in the primary, we're going to kick ass in the fall!" said a jubilant Mahoney, just moments after second-place finisher Margot Barnet (D-Worcester) called to concede defeat.

Mahoney credited his victory to his on the ground in the days and weeks leading up to today's primary. "I met so many people who told me 'I wrote in your name two years ago,'" he said. "And so many others told me that they had met me at there home.

"I only missed four days of the campaign and our hard work paid off in the end."

Unofficial results showed that Mahoney had defeated Barnet by about 120 votes out of only 5,600 or so cast.

Speaking earlier in the evening, Barnet thanked her supporters and told them that their efforts had not gone for naught. "We can hold our heads up high. We fought for a positive future for all of us."

Barnet also lamented the lower-than-expected turnout. "Only about half of the voters who told us they were supporting us came out to vote," Barnet said to a crowd of about 30 supporters. "We found that a number of them took out Republican ballots."

Mahoney said he was not concerned that the low turnout in the Democratic primary would be a problem for him in the general election race against Paul Franco (R-Worcester) and Ronal Madnick (U-Worcester).

Early Returns -- 5th District

2010-09-14T21:49:00.004-04:00

Jon Golnik has opened up a significant lead over Sam Meas in the Republican primary for the 5th District, but he still has an ace up his sleeve, as only one of Lowell's 33 precincts has yet reported. Still, with 110 out of 196 precincts tallied, the figures look like so:

Jon Golnik -- 6,564 votes
Sam Meas -- 4,362 votes
Tom Weaver -- 3,467
Bob Shapiro -- 2,792

Will Lowell make a big enough difference for Meas? He was expected to be strong in Haverhill, his home town, and indeed won by a significant margin there, while Lawrence also proved to be a Meas stronghold as expected. One thing that could be a problem, though, is low voter turnout; less than 900 people voted in the Republican primary in Lawrence out of a population of over 70,000. If Lowell follows suit with that kind of low turnout, it's probably over for Meas.

Glodis Concedes; Bump Wins

2010-09-14T21:42:00.004-04:00

According to the Telegram, Guy Glodis has conceded the race for the Democratic nomination for State Auditor to Suzanne Bump. He said he will support her in the general election. The concession comes with less than half the votes tallied; only 48% of the precincts have reported according to the Glode, which currently gives Bump the edge by a wide margin at 49% to 32%.

An excerpt from the telegram report:

"“Sue Bump ran a great campaign,” Mr. Glodis, who served eight years in the
Legislature and six as sheriff, said about 9:30 tonight. “I want to thank the
voters of Worcester County for their overwhelming support over 14 years.”

You can read the rest here.

2nd District Results -- Andrews Wins

2010-09-14T21:38:00.002-04:00

According to MassLive.com, Denise Andrews has won the Democratic Primary for the 2nd District. Here are the final figures:

Denise Andrews -- 1,490 votes
David Roulston -- 971 votes
Roxanne Wedegartner -- 746 votes
Lee Chauvette -- 705 votes
Martin McGuane -- 134 votes

Both Roulston and McGuane were hindered by lack of support outside of Greenfield, where Roulston received 717 of his 971 votes and where McGuane received all but 30 of his. Meanwhile, Chauvette had the opposite problem, bringing in only 68 of his 705 votes in Greenfield. Andrews was the only candidate who polled well across the board, hence the win.

Early Returns -- 3rd District

2010-09-14T21:32:00.003-04:00

With almost a third of the votes tallied -- 60 out of 190 precincts reporting in this case -- Marty Lamb holds a slight edge over Brian Herr in the Republican primary for the 3rd District seat. The numbers, via the Boston Globe:

Marty Lamb -- 1,895
Brian Herr -- 1,654
Michael Stopa -- 1,184
Everyone else -- Bupkis

Early Returns -- Sheriff

2010-09-14T21:30:00.003-04:00

Scot Bove and Tom Foley are in a knock-down brawl for the post of Sheriff; according to the Boston Globe, with 61 out of 223 precincts reporting, Foley holds a narrow margin of just 51% - 49%. The numbers:

Tom Foley -- 5,229
Scot Bove -- 4,929

More to come, of course.

Early Returns -- State Auditor

2010-09-14T21:21:00.006-04:00

With 32% of the votes tallied so far, Suzanne Bump is maintaining a healthy lead over Guy Glodis in the race for Auditor. The raw data one third of the way through the counting:

Suzanne Bump -- 58,019 votes -- 49%
Guy Glodis -- 38,723 votes -- 32%
Mike Lake -- 22,883 votes -- 19%

This with 60% of Worcester included in the vote. However, no portion of Worcester county north of the city itself has yet been tallied, meaning much of the Glodis base of support has yet to be figured in. Still, CMassPOlitics sources indicate that the Glodis camp believes their chances are "dwindling by the minute."

Stay tuned.

13th District Goes to Mahoney by 80 Votes

2010-09-14T21:15:00.005-04:00

The Telegram is reporting that John Mahoney has defeated Margot Barnet in the race for the 13th District.

According to their article, the margin was a slim 80 votes, with Mahoney ending up at 1,352 compared to Barnet's 1,272. Figures for the other four candidates were not immediately available.

Note that the figure of 80 votes is significantly different from the 140 which Margot told her supporters she had lost by. Not sure where the discrepancy lies, but it's probably not enough to change the outcome.

Barnet announces to supporters she has lost

2010-09-14T21:13:00.002-04:00

Margot Barnet just announced to her supporter that John Mahoney has won by 140 votes. The results are unofficial. WIll update with comments from the candidate.

Early Returns -- 2nd District

2010-09-14T21:08:00.002-04:00

We're up to 13 out of 17 precincts reporting in the race for the 2nd District Democratic nomination and so far Denise Andrews still has a lead over David Roulston. Her lead is widening, though, as it now stands at 1174-878. Those earlier figures were comprised entirely of Greenfield's nine precincts, so it looks as though Andrews is picking up steam away form the big city, while Roulston is fading.

It should also be noted that none of Lee Chauvette's three home town Athol precincts have yet reported, but with only 227 votes so far he has a long way to go to make up the gap. His support, though, may spell trouble for ROulston's efforts to make up ground on Andrews.

Early Returns -- 13th District

2010-09-14T20:58:00.002-04:00

According to the Telegram, it looks like it's narrowing down to a two horse race in the 13th District; with Paxton having reported along with 7 of the 10 Worcester districts, Margot Barnet is unofficially leading John Mahoney by the razor-thin margin of 1161-1127. Gina DiBaro has faded to a distant third with 687 and the other three are making mimosas as we speak.

You can read the whole thing here.

Early Results -- 2nd District

2010-09-14T20:51:00.004-04:00

With over half of the precincts reporting, the race in the 2nd District Democratic Primary is neck and neck and neck according to masslive.com. Here are the figures with 9 out of 17 precincts and 53% of the votes tallied:

Denise Andrews -- 734 votes
David Roulston -- 717 votes
Roxanne Wedegartner -- 547 votes
Martin McGuane -- 104 votes
Lee Chauvette -- 68 votes

Looks like our interview with Chauvette earlier today was a little too late to provide the patented CMassPolitics Bump.

Bove, Foley neck and neck in Worcester

2010-09-14T20:45:00.000-04:00

With 32% of the precincts reporting (16 of 50), Scot Bove is within inches of Worcester native Tom Foley, trailing 52% to 48%.

Unconfirmed reports out of Paxton had Bove winning in the town.

Early Election Returns -- 8:40

2010-09-14T20:39:00.005-04:00

The Telegram has more figures on the race for the 13th District. Here they are, fresh off the internets:

Ward 1, precinct 3, Assumption College

Mahoney, 114
Barnet. 81
Smith, 61
Perotto, 36
Sharry, 36
DiBaro, 31

Ward 1, Precinct 4

Barnet. 227
Mahoney. 160
Smith, 132
Sharry, 64
DiBaro. 51
Perotto, 37

Some quick napkin math tells us that Barnet is so far slightly ahead of Mahoney to the tune of 401-389 with three precincts reporting (well, two plus Paxton), while DiBaro and Smith are still relevant at 278 and 266 respectively. Perotto and Sharry so far look like they'll have plenty of time to tweak their fantasy football rosters after tonight, with totals of 136 and 178 so far.

Note: the Telegram's main page also has totals including the 2nd precinct, but not the 3rd, so there's a lot of intense math going on somewhere. We'll bring you updates as soon as we can figure them out.

First results from Worcester -- Barnet up in first results

2010-09-14T20:35:00.002-04:00

1 of 10 Worcester precincts have officially reported (no word on which one):

Barnet 132
DiBaro 22
Mahoney 20
Smith 15
Perotto 6
Sharry 5

Calls coming in from Paxton have DiBaro winning there, followed by Mahoney and Barnet.

Early Election Returns -- 8:35

2010-09-14T20:34:00.002-04:00

Some statewide races are also being contested tonight of course, and much as the rest of the state hates to admit it, Central Mass is part of the state. So with that in mind, we're keeping an eye on the race for Auditor, featuring local favorite and driver of the big black bus, Guy Glodis.

Early returns from the Boston Globe have Glodis trailing, though. Maybe he isn't our Guy after all? Or maybe 1% of the vote isn't enough to call the race just yet. But here are those early figures:

Suzanne Bump -- 3,790
Guy Glodis -- 1,401
Mike Lake -- 1,045

Steve Grossman is continuing to pile up votes as well and has taken an overall lead of 4,434 to 1,593 according to the Globe.

Early Election Returns -- 8:28

2010-09-14T20:27:00.002-04:00

In the Democratic primary for State Treasurer, Steve Grossman appears to have gotten the (very) early jump on Steve Murphy according to the Worcester Telegram. Their figures:

Auburn
Grossman 852
Murphy 366

Paxton
Grossman 349
Murphy 189

Also, according to the Boston Globe, someone likes Sam Meas in the Republican primary for the 5th District Rep; with a whopping 1 out of 196 precincts reporting, Meas has a commanding 79% of the vote. Which sadly for him is only 41 votes. But if the season were to end now...

Live from Margot Barnet's Headquarters

2010-09-14T20:22:00.000-04:00

WORCESTER - I've just settled in to a table at Nancy Chang restaurant on Chandler Street in Worcester to wait for results to come in. I chose the Barnet headquarters because I know they have wi-fi access. As a bonus, they have TELNET election reporting software hooked up to one of the big screens, so not only vcan I blog, but I can get official results as they come in.

To give you an idea of how focussed the folks here are on the 13th Worcester Race and that race alone, the national results are coming in on the Fox News Channel on a TV across the bar. I'd guess this is the first time most of the Barnet supporters have been in a room with Bill O'Reilly on TV for longer than it takes to switch channels.

Some results are starting to come in by phone...

Early Election Returns -- 8:17 PM

2010-09-14T20:16:00.003-04:00

Our first election data of the evening is rolling in courtesy of the Worcester Telegram and it comes from the scenic and influential town of Paxton. The headliner? Scot Bove took a shovel to Tom Foley in the Sheriff race to the tune of 321-71.

Also straight outta Paxton are the following figures in the race for State Rep. for the 13th Worcester District:

Gina DiBaro - 196
John Mahoney - 115
Margot Barnet - 93
Donald Sharry - 78
Joffrey Smith - 73
Mike Perotto - 63

The Telegram is attributing these results in part to an active Tea Party presence in Paxton. So there's that.

On the trail with Joff Smith, 13th Worcester rep. candidate

2010-09-14T16:53:00.000-04:00

WORCESTER -- CMassPolitics.com caught up with Joffrey Smith, Democratic candidate for state representative in Paxton and part of Worcester, at his Barry Road polling place at The Willows on primary election day.

Don't forget to check back at CMassPolitics.com this evening for results and analysis from the 13th District Democratic primary vote!

On the trail with Don Sharry, 13th Worcester rep. candidate

2010-09-14T16:51:00.000-04:00

WORCESTER -- CMassPolitics.com caught up with Don Sharry, Democratic candidate for state representative in Paxton and part of Worcester, at the Temple Emanuel polling place on primary election day.

Don't forget to check back at CMassPolitics.com this evening for results and analysis from the 13th District Democratic primary vote!

On the trail with John Mahoney, 13th Worcester rep. candidate

2010-09-14T16:47:00.003-04:00

WORCESTER -- CMassPolitics.com caught up with John Mahoney, Democratic candidate for state representative in Paxton and part of Worcester, at the Assumption College polling place on primary election day.

Don't forget to check back at CMassPolitics.com this evening for results and analysis from the 13th District Democratic primary vote!

On the trail with Margot Barnet, 13th Worcester rep. candidate

2010-09-14T16:45:00.001-04:00

WORCESTER -- CMassPolitics.com spoke with Margot Barnet, Democratic candidate for the state House in Paxton and part of Worcester, at her Pleasant Street campaign office this afternoon.

Don't forget to check back at CMassPolitics.com this evening for results and analysis from the 13th District Democratic primary vote!

On the trail with Scot Bove, Worcester County Sheriff candidate

2010-09-14T13:51:00.000-04:00

FITCHBURG -- CMassPolitics.com spoke with Scot Bove, candidate for Worcester County Sheriff, as Bove campaigned outside the Knights of Coumbus in Fitchburg.

On the trail with David Roulston, 2nd Worcester District

2010-09-14T11:49:00.000-04:00

ATHOL -- CMassPolitics.com spoke with David Roulston, candidate for state representative in the Second Worcester District, as Roulston campaigned in downtown Athol.

On the trail with Lee Chauvette, 2nd Worcester District

2010-09-14T11:21:00.000-04:00

ATHOL -- CMassPolitics.com spoke with Lee Chauvette, candidate for state representative in the Second Worcester District, as Chauvette campaigned in downtown Athol.

Stay with CMassPolitics.com on Election Day

2010-09-14T08:14:00.000-04:00

CMassPolitics.com is the place to be all day for coverage of the primary races in Central Massachusetts.

While the polls are open, editor Lance Harris will be in the field, filing reports and video updates from the candidates as they work to meet voters and get out the vote.

After the polls close, a team of reporters will fan out across the district to bring reaction from the winners and losers in the biggest races in the region:

Harris will be on the scene in the 13th Worcester House District, where six candidates are vying for the Democratic nomination to succeed outgoing Rep. Robert Spillane (D-Worcester).

Michael Ballway, a freelance journalist from Worcester with nearly a decade of experience reporting and editing across Worcester County, will be covering Tom Foley (D-Worcester) and Scot Bove (D-Holden) as they wait to see who prevails in the spirited and sometimes contentious race for Worcester County Sheriff.

Emily Hopkins, a writer with Worcester Wired, will be checking in from the headquarters of the candidates in the Third Congressional District, where five Republicans are fighting for the chance to face off against Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Worcester).

And Scott Harris, a freelance reporter from Clinton, will be updating town-by-town results as they come in.

CMassPolitics.com Interview with Tom Weaver

2010-09-12T22:57:00.000-04:00

Interview with Tom Weaver (R-Westford), candidate for U.S. representative in the Fifth Congressional District.

CMassPolitics.com Interview with Mike Stopa

2010-09-12T22:55:00.000-04:00

Interview with Mike Stopa (R-Holliston), candidate for U.S. representative in the Third Congressional District.

P.O. Box 13: 'A great campaign' ending (Part 5)

2010-09-11T21:55:00.002-04:00

The latest part of our look at campaign mailers in the 13th Worcester House District race. Also see Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4.

As you'll recall, we received solid mailers from each of the front-runners on Thursday. Two of them sent more the next day. Here's what we received Friday and Saturday, Sept. 10-11.

Gina DiBaro
"Have You Heard?"
Gina DiBaro checks in for the first time this month with four testimonials -- half of them from Paxton (!), all from "regular people" and not government or political officials. That's either a good thing or a bad thing. The reverse (not pictured) says DiBaro will bring "a New Voice, New Vision and New Results ... my priorities are job creation, public safety and fiscal responsibility. It is time for Full Time Representation!" Not sure I like the capitalization, but I'm definitely detecting an attack on state Rep. Robert Spellane, who's leaving this seat. That would make this the first mailer (or the first since we started keeping track) to mention Spellane, even in a veiled fashion.

John Mahoney
"You're Getting Soaked"
Say what you will about Joff Smith's "silhouette" mailer, but this is the first entirely negative mailer of the campaign: the only mention of its sender, John Mahoney, is in the return address. In a mailer that complains about negative attacks, the text begins with: "Under Joff Smith's failed leadership ..." (the reverse, aside from address information, shows a man being drenched, with the legend: "Feel like you're being soaked? You are.").

Another question: Since all of Worcester's woes are attributable to Smith's "leadership," is Mahoney conceding that Smith is a leader on the council? One attack that does hit home: Mahoney mentions Smith's vote to grant city councilors a pay raise.

Joff Smith
"My Name is Joff"
With a bare minimum of decoration, Joff Smith rehashes his résumé in a letter to voters. Do voters see an inconsistency in his arguments? "Government has neglected taxpayers ... can't fix problems by sending political insiders" ... but ... "I am the only candidate with experience governing through a fiscal crisis." So Smith, the only current elected official, is not a political insider? Overall, though, this mailer is a winner. He gets his message across and cites some specific votes and actions.

John Mahoney
"A Great Campaign"
The only mailer to arrive Saturday, and though John Mahoney has my full attention, he doesn't have much to say. The reverse (not pictured) is simply "John Mahoney - State Representative - September 14" in huge letters and a photo of him with his son. The phrase "this has been a great campaign" makes this seem a valedictory mailing -- will Mahoney be absent from what I assume will be a massive mailer crush on Monday?

This is the fifth in a series of "P.O. Box 13" blog posts about campaign mailers in the 13th Worcester House District race. The opinions expressed are those of a 13th Worcester District voter and not necessarily those of CMassPolitics.com. The series will continue.

P.O. Box 13: Testify, testify! (Part 4)

2010-09-11T21:53:00.001-04:00

Part 4 of our look at campaign mailers in the 13th Worcester House District race. This review includes mailings received on September 9. Also see Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 5.

Thursday, Sept. 9, produced a bumper crop, all from the supposed "front-runners" of the campaign. Margot Barnet, last heard from more than a week ago, again had multiple entries. Here they are:

Margot Barnet
"Your Vote Matters"
Here's another union mailer from SEIU (see Part 1). It's got the hallmarks of a statewide mailer, with no specifics about Barnet's policies and no mention of Worcester or Paxton -- just "... an important primary election for our community." Also, if you don't know where to vote, visit wheredoivotema.com (a state-run website) or call 800-462-VOTE. Nothing groundbreaking here.

Margot Barnet
"Someone We Trust"
This one's from Barnet's local office and focuses on her résumé as a community volunteer and organizer in Worcester: "We know we can trust her to be a champion for our concerns, because that is exactly what she has been doing for decades in our community." It's Barnet's strongest selling point and this is probably her most effective mailer yet.

John Mahoney
"Mahoney Momentum!"
Another big one -- 8.5" x 11". I just had to show the front side, because it's got that great headline, but the back is probably more interesting ... the entire purpose of the mailer is to show seven testimonials, including one from a Paxton resident. Mahoney gets a great cross-section to endorse him, from elected officials (Councilor Barbara Haller and School Committeewoman Dianna Biancheria) to former Police Chief Edward Gardella, a teacher and a senior citizen.

Next time the post office has to raise the price of a stamp because business is down, don't blame John Mahoney. The information on this mailer could have easily fit into a card half this size, but he's still paying to send the largest mailers the campaign has seen so far.

Joff Smith
"What People Are Saying"
I've got to go with first impressions here -- the color scheme is awful; a lot of dark-text-on-black. That said, Smith strikes back with his own list of testimonials, leading off with former School Committee member Dotty Hargrove and city boxing star Jose Rivera. Nobody identified from Paxton. Still, folks who risk eye damage to read the thing learn about Smith's attention to education, neighborhoods and seniors.

It should be said that while testimonials are better than vague promises, they're still not as good (in this voter's opinion) as specific promises or beliefs. I'm learning not to expect specifics in the mail, though.

This is the fourth in a series of "P.O. Box 13" blog posts about campaign mailers in the 13th Worcester House District race. The opinions expressed are those of a 13th Worcester District voter and not necessarily those of CMassPolitics.com. The series continues here.

P.O. Box 13: Smith goes negative (Part 3)

2010-09-11T21:49:00.002-04:00

Part 3 of our look at campaign mailers in the 13th Worcester House District race. This review includes mailers sent through September 8. Also see Part 1, Part 2, Part 4 and Part 5.

Entering the last week before the election, Joff Smith took the offensive with the first negative mailer of the campaign (or at least, the first one since we began keeping track), while John Mahoney followed up his first, biographical effort with one focused more on issues.

John Mahoney
"A Fresh Take on the Issues"
Finally, Mahoney lets us know he's more than just a tall guy, with another mammoth 8.5" x 11" job with nice, big type. Mahoney "will fight for tax incentives to entice businesses to locate in and around Worcester and Paxton." He also says the right things about education, protecting children from crime and bullying, and constituent service ("no issue is too small").

Don Sharry
"Vote for Don Sharry"
Exact same postcard as Sharry's last, and addressed to the exact same person, so it's probably not a case of being listed twice on his address list. If I was going to read it the second time, chances are I'd already read it the first time. See my reaction here.

Mike Perotto
"Experienced and Accomplished"
This Sept. 8 mailer is essentially the same message as the previous Perotto postcard, but in larger size (11" x 6"). His priorities are: "Create and retain jobs ... Increase Chapter 70 funding for education ... Lower taxes and spend wisely ... Service constituent requests." Lotta controversy there.

Joff Smith
"Stood Up for Taxpayers"
An 8.5" x 5" mailer that Rosalie Tirella hates, so it's got that going for it. Obverse is a four-paragraph letter with the usual "I know firsthand that we need to support our small businesses" and "change can't happen on its own" type of sentiment. Reverse is where the controversy is: Joff lined up next to silhouettes labeled "John Mahoney" and "Margot Barnet," and a paragraph next to each one. Joff's highlights his lowest-residential-tax-rate votes. Mahoney's blurb accuses him of being "part of the group" that wants a cut in the business tax rate, which would raise residential tax rates. Barnet's says she's "opposed to a bill that would create 15,000 new jobs in MA." It would be nice to know what bill this is (Tirella argues convincingly that it's the casino bill; Barnet is the only one of the six candidates to oppose casinos). The mailer implies that Barnet is controlled by special interests that want to raise property taxes. In both cases, the candidates' relationships to proposed residential tax hikes are a bit more nuanced than the mailer suggests; this is politics, but in terms of this week's catch, it's the only one to go negative, so it's an outlier in terms of tone.

This is the third in a series of "P.O. Box 13" blog posts about campaign mailers in the 13th Worcester House District race. The opinions expressed are those of a 13th Worcester District voter and not necessarily those of CMassPolitics.com. The series continues here.

P.O. Box 13: Résumés on postcards (Part 2)

2010-09-11T21:47:00.002-04:00

Part 2 of our look at campaign mailers in the 13th Worcester House District race. This review includes mailers received through September 4. Also see Part 1, Part 3, Part 4, and Part 5.

Only a couple mailers trickled in during the week after the big debate, both of them small and jam-packed with text, as opposed to the previous spacious, slick and graphics-driven efforts from the purported frontrunners:

Mike Perotto
"Leader for You"
First of the postcard-sized postcards, but also the wordiest one yet; break out the magnifying glass (don't let the image fool you -- this one was the size of an average tourist's postcard, tiny compared to the other mailers). Easily the most specifics yet; he gives highlights of his 14-year tenure on the City Council and promises to (among other things) "be an ambassador to startup and high-tech businesses"; "scrutinize the budget"; and "return your phone calls and e-mails the same day or the following morning." This is damning with faint praise, though; he still doesn't give any truly specific proposals.

Don Sharry
"Vote for Don Sharry"
Slightly longer than a postcard; more photos than Perotto's. Under the heading "Uniquely Qualified" on the back, says he's a health insurance professional and a business owner, specializing in employee benefit plans. Well ... so is Perotto, isn't he? Can't both be "unique." Obverse is a six-paragraph letter to district voters that probably would have worked better in bulleted format, although the boldface does help. "We need someone who has the experience and knowledge to help control spiraling budgets, unfunded mandates and ever-rising health insurance costs." OK, but how? We're invited to visit donsharry4staterep.com "to learn more," but the "Issues" page there (as of today) is simply the text of the mailer, without any explanation.

If Perotto and Sharry (and Gina DiBaro) are really shaping up to be also-rans, as scuttlebutt has it, they need great mailers even more than the three "front-runners." So why do campaigns spend the big bucks to send these things out, if they're not going to take full advantage of my attention and give me a reason to vote? Knowing the names of your kids isn't going to win you my vote. Maybe the next week will bring more specifics ... keep an eye on that mailbox and on this blog!

This is the second in a series of "P.O. Box 13" blog posts about campaign mailers in the 13th Worcester House District race. The opinions expressed are those of a 13th Worcester District voter and not necessarily those of CMassPolitics.com. The series continues here.

P.O. Box 13: Barnet triplets arrive (Part 1)

2010-09-11T21:30:00.002-04:00

Part 1 of our look at campaign mailers in the 13th Worcester House District race. This review includes mailers through August 31. Also see Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, and Part 5.

Supposing you're new to town, you don't subscribe to the newspaper, listen to talk radio or read political blogs like this one -- much less attend debates or volunteer on a campaign. How will you decide whom to choose in a six-way Democratic primary race?

Can you depend on campaign mailers? Let's take a look at how the campaigns look on paper -- in their own words -- when given a chance to bombard my house with junkmail. We'll start two weeks out, with the mailers that arrived Aug. 31, and update with other posts until the primary election Sept. 14.

Margot Barnet
"The Healthy Choice"
Here's a mailer with a Service Employees International Union logo on it (and Dorchester return address, and "authorized and paid for by 1199SEIU" disclaimer), carrying the nurses' and healthcare workers' union endorsement. SEIU says Barnet will "create and protect jobs," "protect access to quality, affordable healthcare," keep property taxes low while protecting "local services"; keep seniors and disabled independently at home. Not too much specific here, and not too much to differentiate her from Democratic opponents, who all promise the same things.

Margot Barnet
"For His Sake"
This 10" x 6.25" card also arrived Aug. 31, return address that hotbed of grassroots volunteerism, Ashburton Place on Beacon Hill in Boston. Margot has the Massachusetts Teachers Association endorsement, and apparently that's message enough because the mailer doesn't give any specifics on her education views. A quirk: the clip art of a cute elementary schooler is in color, but Barnet's mug is small and grayscale. I can't prove it but I'd bet dollars to doughnuts that identical mailers were sent to every contested Democratic primary district, with the local endorsee's name and likeness inkjetted onto the blank space in a preprinted card. Gotta love local campaigns. It's possible this was not a a district-wide mailing but rather an MTA-only effort; we have a teacher in the house.

Margot Barnet
"Her Work Made a Difference"
The third (maybe second?) Barnet mailer of the day, same size as the last one, but this one comes from her local campaign office, paid for by her local committee, and quotes a Worcester resident on the obverse. The reverse is four testimonials on how Barnet has "already made a difference in our community," and three of them are obviously local. She has Mayor Joe O'Brien's endorsement.

John Mahoney
"Head and Shoulders Above"
The 8.5" x 11" mailer that rival campaigns couldn't stop making fun of. Is he running for shooting guard? Perhaps an apple picker? The flyer is a gimmick, though, and I suppose anything that starts a conversation is fine. It took me a few looks to notice the five foreheads and haircuts that come up to waist-high on Mahoney. A little exaggeration there -- Mahoney is 6'3", which is tall, but not freakishly so. Now, this is nitpicking, but the "measuring stick" behind Mahoney is a ruler -- he appears to be 6 1/4 inches tall. And this is ridiculous nitpicking, but if you could see the ruler extend behind him, below his shoulders, it would end about half a foot (er ... about half an inch) above his wrist. So maybe he's as tall as 10 inches. Details, folks.

The back side is a positive get-to-know-me biography in bulleted format. All he really promises to do is "return your phone calls promptly, work diligently to improve your quality of life, and approach the issues from a fresh perspective." How?

I'm still surprised that Mahoney didn't mention in this mailer or (other than briefly) at the Aug. 31 debate what really sets him apart from his opponents -- he's the only one who ran for this office before it was an open seat (write-in candidate in 2008).

Next: the rest of the week.

This is the first in a series of "P.O. Box 13" blog posts about campaign mailers in the 13th Worcester House District race. The opinions expressed are those of a 13th Worcester District voter and not necessarily those of CMassPolitics.com. The series continues here.

Roundup: Neal trouncing challengers in money race; Herr, Lamb trade charges

2010-09-10T15:21:00.001-04:00

Continuing their look at the finances of candidates for Congress in Central Massachusetts, the Telegram reported Wednesday that Rep. Richard Neal (D-Springfield) had nearly $3 million in his bank account at the end of the most recent filing period, far outpacing the two Republicans vying for the nomination to oppose him in November.

According to Federal Election Commision reports, Jay Fleitman (R-Northampton) had a little over $54,000 remaining, putting the physician at a 48-to-1 disadvantage to Neal. Tom Wesley (R-Hopedale) had even less money to spend, reporting under $27,000 in available cash. The sum is more than 111 times less than Neal has banked.

Both candidates have heavily self-financed, with Fleitman loaning his campaign over $73,000 and Wesley lending around $33,000 to his effort.

One of the best ways to cope with a lack of funds is through free media, and both Fleitman and Wesley have taken advantage of the opportunities over the last few days. On Tuesday, the two appeared on Channel 22 in Springfield for a televised debate.

Wesley appeared on WHYN-AM Radio in Springfield to talk about his campaign.

Fleitman also did a radio gig, speaking with Bax and O'Brien on WAQY-FM.

The Springfield Republican previewed the race between Fleitman and Wesley, anointing Fleitman as the "higher profile" candidate.

Neal visited manufacturing facilities in Webster and Spencer, talking to employees and entrepreneurs about jobs and international competition.

Third Congressional District
The big news in the Third District was also about campaign finance, but instead of discussing how much was raised, two of the GOP candidates for the nomination were sniping back and forth about House ethics and FEC rules violations. From the MetroWest Daily News:

With less than a week before the primary, two Republicans in the 3rd Congressional District race exchanged broadsides yesterday, accusing each other with not following election rules.

The dispute between Brian Herr of Hopkinton and Marty Lamb of Holliston stems from Herr's failure to meet a May deadline for turning in a financial disclosure form listing personal income, assets and liabilities. The snag was first publicized by the Daily News, not Lamb's campaign.

The dispute has devolved into a nice bit of schoolyard taunting:

"I am very disappointed that Mr. Herr would blatantly attempt to mislead voters, but it seems to be a pattern with him," Lamb spokesman Shane Hayes said in the statement.

Herr said his campaign would not have mentioned the filings had Lamb not repeatedly raised the tardy financial disclosure form.

"The issue here is people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw rocks," he said.

The Telegram and Worcester Magazine have more. CMassPolitics.com posted both Herr's and Lamb's press releases on Wednesday.

One candidate who hopes the voters send both candidates to detention is Michael Stopa (R-Holliston). Stopa has been making the rounds on local radio, touting his platform yesterday on WCRN-AM's Peter Blute Show and speaking this morning with WTAG's Jim Polito.

Fifth Congressional District
The Lowell Sun rounds up the voting records of the four Republican candidates for the seat currently held by Niki Tsongas (D-Lowell). While earlier coverage had focused on Jon Golnik (R-Carlisle) and his eight-and-a-half year refusal to even register to vote, the Sun's piece points out that most of the other candidates also have their gaps:

...Westford's Tom Weaver was the only one of the four Republican candidates to vote in the October 2007 special election that sent Tsongas to Congress to replace former U.S. Rep. Marty Meehan, who resigned to become chancellor of UMass Lowell.

"I think your public history matters, and that's comprised of voting record, community service and involvement and where you've worked," Weaver said. "People have to put whatever weight they feel is important on that, but I've been saying, tongue-in-cheek, that I'm the only candidate who has been running against Niki Tsongas since 2007."

Golnik, Sam Meas of Haverhill and Robert Shapiro of Andover all failed to vote in that special election that gave Tsongas her first electoral victory by just 6 percentage points over Republican Jim Ogonowski of Dracut.

Tsongas is scheduled to be a guest on Channel 5's "On the Record" Sunday morning. Portions of the interview have been made available online.

First Congressional District
Rep. John Olver (D-Amherst) touted the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act in a visit to North Adams, saying the economy needs more stimulus spending in the near future to continue recovery.

A post on the liberal site Firedoglake.com touts Michael Engel (U-Southampton) as a "True Activist Progressive Leftist" and says he "is a true grassroots reformer, a democratic socialist in the mold of Bernie Sanders."

Second Worcester District: Brother can you spare a dime

2010-09-10T09:40:00.000-04:00

According to campaign finance reports filed earlier this week, the two candidates for the Democratic nomination in the Second Worcester House District had so little money in the bank at the end of the reporting period that the candidates couldn't get together for dinner without bankrupting their accounts.

Pat Gerry (D-Gardner) and Amy Feeley-Knuuttila (D-Winchendon) combined to report $114.90 in cash on hand as of August 27, the end of the reporting period.

The two combined to raise just over $6,000 in the period from January 1 to August 27. Nearly all of that money was Gerry's, as the Gardner city councilor pulled in $5,670 during the reporting period. Of those contributions, over $1,700 was provided by Gerry himself. All of his itemized contributions before August 27 came from inside the district.

Gerry also listed a $300 donation from outgoing State Rep. Robert Rice (D-Gardner). The donation came from Rice's personal finances, not from his campaign account, which explains the large gift. Donations from one campaign to another are capped at $100.

Gerry's coffers were boosted after the reporting period with an additional $1,500 from Boston donors. As reported by CMassPolitics.com on Tuesday, $1,000 of that money came in the form of two maximum donations from members of popular Boston band, The Dropkick Murphys. The other $500 donation came from the owner of a tattoo parlor, who listed the same address as one of the musicians.

Gerry had just $62.93 left in his account before the influx of money from the Boston rockers.

Feeley-Knuutila reported just $369 in total receipts for the period. Her one large donation was from Richard Dumont of Winchendon, who gave $199 to the campaign. The other $170 in receipts were un-itemized.

Feeley-Knuutila ended the reporting period with just $51.97 in the bank.

Incredibly, the two Democrats were still in better financial shape than one of the two unenrolled candidates. Carolyn Kamuda (U-Gardner) reported a negative final cash balance, at $336.14 underwater.

Senator Richard Moore draws a write-in opponent

2010-09-09T12:44:00.001-04:00

Republican State Committeewoman Kimberly Roy (R-Sutton) has announced her intention to wage a write-in campaign for the Republican nomination for senate in the Worcester and Norfolk District.

According to a campaign flyer Roy posted on her Facebook page, the married mother of two is hoping to "stick it to beacon hill...and remove a 31 year tax-and-spend Democrat incumbent." Sen. Richard Moore (D-Uxbridge) currently holds the seat.

If Roy is successful in getting at least 300 write-in votes on September 14, she will appear on the November 2 ballot opposite Moore.

Roy is a graduate of Western New England College and has worked as a Pharmaceutical Representative for Johnson and Johnson. She was elected to her seat on the Republican State Committee 10 months ago.

Press Release: Herr Makes Phony Attack on Rosh Hashanah

2010-09-09T09:06:00.000-04:00

The following press release was sent by Marty Lamb (R-Holliston), candidate for representative from the Third Congressional District.

Lamb: Shame on Herr
Herr Makes Phony Attack on Rosh Hashanah

Holliston, MA ...Today Marty Lamb, Republican candidate for Congress in Massachusetts Third District, is deeply disappointed with phony attack fellow Republican Congressional candidate Brian Herr has made.

Herr has taken an FEC advisory statements and suggested that they were complaints issued which is just not true. "I very disappointed that Mr. Herr would blatantly attempt to mislead the voters, but it seems to be a pattern with him," stated Shane Hayes.

Several times Mr. Herr claimed last night during the debate that his failure to file the financial disclosure statement was an FEC violation which is blatantly untrue again. Mr. Herr has violated Official Congressional Conduct rules that could result in fines up to $11,000 or 5 years in jail for failing to submit his ethics form. Presently Charlie Rangel is facing possible expulsion from Congress for omitting items off of his ethics statement. Herr just did not file.

"Mr. Herr is trying to equate apples and oranges. Mr. Lamb received an advisory notice and has done nothing wrong. On the other hand Mr. Herr is in serious trouble and has spent $13,000 to cover up a form he still refuses to produce," said Hayes. "Mr. Herr. produce your ethics form now. Ronald Reagan would have wanted you to abide by the law. Moreover, Reagan also said, "trust but verify." In this situation we can no longer trust you when it turns out you never filed for the extension and you won't produce the ethics form that is in the 'mail.'"

The Lamb campaign is also bothered that this phony attack was sent out after 5pm when Mr. Herr knew that Mr. Lamb would be celebrating Rosh Hashanah with his family.

Furthermore if Mr. Herr is looking for an FEC Violation he can look no further than his on attack press release. IT DOES NOT HAVE THE PROPER FEC DISCLAIMER ON IT.

From the Committee on Standard Official Conduct:

Failure To File or Filing False Disclosure Statements

The financial disclosure provisions of the Ethics in Government Act have been incorporated by reference as a rule of the House of Representatives, over which the Standards Committee has jurisdiction. In addition to any Committee action, EIGA authorizes the Attorney General of the United States to seek a civil penalty of up to $11,000 against an individual who knowingly and willfully falsifies or fails to file or to report any required information. Moreover, under federal criminal law, anyone who knowingly and willfully falsifies or conceals any material fact in a statement to the government may be fined up to $11,000, imprisoned for up to five years, or both.

The Committee is authorized to render advisory opinions interpreting the financial disclosure provisions of EIGA for any person under its jurisdiction. An individual who acts in good faith in accordance with a written advisory opinion shall not be subject to any sanction under the Act.

http://ethics.house.gov/Subjects/Topics.aspx?Section=114

Press Release: HERR TO LAMB: Before you throw out an attack, make sure it is not shaped like a boomerang

2010-09-09T09:01:00.000-04:00

The following press release was sent by Brian Herr (R-Hopkinton), candidate for representative from the Third Congressional District.

HERR TO LAMB: Before you throw out an attack, make sure it is not shaped like a boomerang

HOPKINTON - Brian Herr, Republican candidate for congress, responded to Marty Lamb's baseless attacks for missing the deadline to file his personal financial disclosure. Early on, Herr owned up to missing the deadline and has since filed the disclosure statement.

"Marty's attacks are just silly. This type of political mudslinging, scare tactics and name-calling has no place in politics," said Herr. "For someone who spent the better part of this year invoking Ronald Reagan's 11th Commandment, I am surprised that he would stoop to this type of gutter politics."

Herr continued: "To make matters worse, it is hypocritical for someone who has a long and extensive history of missing deadlines with the Federal Election Commission to attack me on missing a deadline. Before you throw out an attack, make sure it is not shaped like a boomerang."

Per the Federal Election Commission's online disclosure database, here is a partial list of problems Marty Lamb has had with the FEC:

1. Marty Lamb filed his Statement of Candidacy two month's late. According to the FEC, "A candidate running for the U.S. House, Senate or the Presidency, you must register with the FEC once you (or persons acting on your behalf) receive contributions or make expenditures in excess of $5,000. Within 15 days of reaching that $5,000 threshold, you must file a Statement of Candidacy." Marty Lamb reached the $5,000 threshold on March 30th. His Statement of Candidacy should have been filed by 4/15. It was filed on 6/14.

2. Marty Lamb received a Letter of Disavowal from the FEC in Q2 telling him to either file his candidacy or cease his campaign.

3. Marty Lamb filed his Q1 disclosure late, and failed to do so electronically as required

4. Marty Lamb failed to initially disclose Q1 expenditures

5. Marty Lamb filed his Q2 disclosure late, and failed to do so electronically as required

6. Marty Lamb filed his Pre-Primary disclosure late, and failed to do so electronically as required

7. Marty Lamb received a letter from the FEC dated 9/3 informing him that he had not satisfied his reporting requirements going back to Q1, prompting him to re-file all 3 prior disclosures.

8. Upon re-filing his Pre-Primary disclosure, Marty Lamb failed to record the repayment of a $5000 candidate loan and other expenses that appeared on the initial pre-primary report.

9. Upon re-filing his FEC disclosures, Marty Lamb's filings were signed by an unauthorized treasurer.

"The truth is that everyone makes mistakes and sometimes things happen. These are not the most important issues facing the voters of Massachusetts. I am disappointed that Marty Lamb would try and make this election about mistakes that the campaigns have made and not talk about the real issues like getting people back to work and cutting the size of government," concluded Herr.

Press Release: McGovern announces bid for reelection

2010-09-08T22:49:00.000-04:00

The following press release was sent by Rep. James McGovern (D-Worcester), incumbent candidate for representative from the Third Congressional District.

McGovern announces bid for reelection

Congressman Jim McGovern formally announced today his bid for reelection to the U.S. House of Representatives in Massachusetts’ 3rd Congressional District at JimMcGovern.com/announce.

“Today, I’m proud to officially announce my candidacy for Congress because I’m anxious to keep fighting: to grow jobs, to help small businesses, to increase renewable energy, and to expand biotechnology.”

“I’m impatient. I’m impatient to get things done -- to cut through bureaucratic red tape to get people back to work and to see our economy flourish. I’ve heard a lot of rhetoric about what some people are ‘against.’ Instead, my focus is on progress, growth, development, and the future.”

In a web-only video released today announcing his candidacy, McGovern stated his strong desire to see private sector expansion in the United States, rather than overseas.

McGovern said that his agenda for the upcoming term would be aggressively focused on bringing economic security and growth to the 3rd Congressional District. “We need to invest in infrastructure, and we need to invest in education. And to the extent we skimp on education, we’re going to lose our competitive edge.”
McGovern’s announcement video also features interviews with Hopkinton businessman Dan Brown and Massachusetts Biomedical Initiatives head Kevin O’Sullivan, who discuss McGovern’s work to develop new jobs.

“With Jim McGovern’s help, what we’ve been able to demonstrate so far is job growth,” said Brown.

“I’m very proud of our team in Massachusetts, and I’m also proud that we were able to bring these jobs back from overseas because this helps us in the economy.”

McGovern said he would build on his legacy of working with private companies, developers, and investors throughout the 3rd Congressional District to stimulate growth.

McGovern also pledged to continue to be a leader in the fight to bring our troops home safely from Afghanistan. “I’m tired of nation-building over there; it’s time we do some nation building here in the 3rd Congressional District.”

CMassPolitics.com Interview: Marty Lamb, 3rd Congressional District

2010-09-08T22:38:00.000-04:00

CMassPolitics.com spoke with Marty Lamb (R-Holliston) about his campaign for U.S. representative in the Third Congressional District.

CMassPolitics.com Interview: Jane Morriss, First Middlesex House District

2010-09-08T22:34:00.000-04:00

CMassPolitics.com spoke with Jane Morriss (D-Groton) about her campaign for state representative in the First Middlesex House District.

CMassPolitics.com Interview: Mike Perotto, 13th Worcester House District

2010-09-08T22:31:00.002-04:00

CMassPolitics.com spoke with Mike Perotto (D-Worcester) about his campaign for state representative in the 13th Worcester House District.

CMassPolitics.com Interview: Gina DiBaro, 13th Worcester House District

2010-09-08T22:28:00.000-04:00

CMassPolitics.com spoke with Gina DiBaro (D-Worcester) about her campaign for state representative in the 13th Worcester House District.

What are the GOP rep. candidates thinking?

2010-09-08T17:43:00.002-04:00

As interesting as all the personalities and "grilling" are, what do the five Republican candidates for 3rd District Congressman stand for? Here are a few of the ideas they proposed at Tuesday's debate in Westborough.

This being the Republican primary, take it as read that all five candidates dislike President Obama, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Congressman Jim McGovern (natch), amnesty for illegal immigrants, the concept of health care as a right, and "cap-and-trade legislation"; and are generally well disposed toward a broad reading of the Second Amendment, small government, tax cuts (including the "Bush tax cuts" set to expire in January), family, God, honesty and hard work. Their opinions of motherhood and applie pie were not solicited.

Robert Chipman (R-Plainville): First priority would be passing a Balanced Budget Amendment. Also supports the line-item veto (as a constitutional amendment; it was found unconstitutional when passed as a law in the 1990s). Is against the recent extension of unemployment benefits to 99 months.

Robert Delle (R-Paxton): Main economic plank is creating more enterprise zones for small businesses. All Defense Department spending should be done in the United States. Implement tax havens within U.S. territorial borders, to recapture the banking business that has fled to Caribbean islands and other low-tax or low-regulation countries. As a "free-market absolutist," believes illegal immigration is best curtailed by cutting off "free money" programs (welfare, public housing, etc.) to anyone who isn't a legal resident.

Brian Herr (R-Hopkinton): Touted potential dividends from improving local digital infrastructure, such as increased attractiveness to business, and easier sharing of medical records (to reduce the administrative costs of health care). Would send military troops to patrol the Mexican border.

Marty Lamb (R-Holliston): Has a seven-point plan to end illegal immigration. Advocates having troops on the border to defend against what he calls an "invasion." Would ask Supreme Court to interpret (not rewrite) the 14th Amendment as not applying to so-called "anchor babies" because the parents, illegal immigrants, were not "subject to the jurisdiction" of the United States. Instead of government health plans, he proposed giving tax credits for individuals to purchase insurance.

Michael Stopa (R-Holliston): Use unspent stimulus money to extend the Bush tax cuts two more years. Wants Washington out of the business of "social engineering and political payback" that drives most spending plans; would rather see partnerships with business. "These people [Democratic leadership] basically view profit with hostility. ... We're going down there not to fix the economy, but to fight with the people who are trying to destroy the economy."

Every candidate specifically mentioned wanting to repeal "Obamacare," though only a couple went into great detail. Herr said he'd like to see the health care system defined on a state-by-state basis, and said the real problem -- high costs -- can be tamed through better technology and tort reform. Stopa said he wants to follow "the Massachusetts model for dismantling Obamacare" -- he said he's the only candidate campaigning on this platform, which could have the recent health care law nullified "in 2012, with Michele Bachmann in the White House."

On Social Security, which the moderator called a "Ponzi scheme," Stopa said he'd like to raise the retirement age and perhaps privatize 1/3 of each account. Chipman agreed and added that he'd index benefits to prices, not wages. Delle called the program "Democrats at their best, free money for everyone." He would give people the option to "buy out" of the program. Herr stood against raising the retirement age, but would like to incorporate modern investment techniques into Social Security. Lamb called the existing accounts "sacred" but said he'd like to let new workers contribute to individual retirement plans instead of Social Security.

And who are these guys? Based on their own (often repeated) statements, Chipman's "the man of 'no'" on his School Committee and speaks for the "silent majority" awakened during the health care debate; Delle is a lawyer, true conservative and the only one who really understands Central Massachusetts; Herr is a small-government advocate who touts his local government experience (selectman and Planning Board) and his role helping craft a 0% increase town budget this year; Lamb is a Tea Party member (it means "Taxed Enough Already," he noted) and small business owner; Stopa is a Ph.D. physicist, "Reagan conservative" and founder of the Harvard University Tea Party ("I fight with liberals every day.").

Other takes on the Westborough debate (and I feel sorry for the two headline writers who inadvertently used the exact same phrase in this morning's newspapers):
MetroWest Daily News: Candidates Grill Each Other at 3rd District Debate in Westborough
Telegram & Gazette: GOP Candidates Grill Each Other; Victor to Face McGovern in 3rd

13th Worcester: Barnet leads in fundraising, cash on hand

2010-09-08T09:53:00.000-04:00

Buoyed by a $10,000 personal loan to her campaign, Margo Barnet (D-Worcester) led all of her Democratic challengers in fundraising for the 13th Worcester District House seat.

Barnet raised just over $33,000 in the reporting period from January 1 through August 27. She also has more cash remaining in her campaign account, reporting $14,694 left to spend in her quest for the open seat being vacated by Bob Spillane (D-Worcester).

However, a closer look at Barnet's report with the Office of Campaign and Political Finance indicates that she could be in for more criticism from fellow candidates over her perceived ties to special interests.

In last week's debate, Barnet came under fire for the endorsements she has received from Political Action Committees across the state. Campaign records show that Barnet has benefited from those PACs to the tune of $2,700, more than any other candidate in the race.

Her main critic at the debate, Mike Perotto (D-Worcester), has also been a top beneficiary of PAC money. Perotto's take from PACs was second in the district, with $1,900 logged from the organizations. No other candidate in the race has received more than $550 from PACs and two candidates, Gina DiBaro (D-Worcester) and Joff Smith (D-Worcester) reported no PAC money at all.

Barnet has also raised more money from out-of-state and out-of-district sources than any of the other candidates. 58% of the $23,159 she has raised (outside of her personal loan) have come from donors outside of Worcester or Paxton, with over $4,600 of that coming from outside of Massachusetts.

Despite leading all candidates in fundraising, Barnet has raised the least money from Worcester and Paxton, bringing in only a tick over $7,000 from the towns in the district. The best local fundraiser was DiBaro, who pulled in $10,420 from local donors.

(Smith only logged $6,975 in itemized receipts from the district, but logged over $3,000 in small, un-itemized contributions. While his verified contributions were less than Barnet's, he undoubtedly brought in more than $50 in small contributions from the district. Barnet itemized all of her receipts, claiming zero un-itemized contributions)

Smith and Don Sharry (D-Worcester) find themselves in a strong position to make a late push, each of them having over $12,000 still in the bank. Despite raising nearly $20,000 in the period, DiBaro has spent nearly all of it, leaving her campaign with just over $3,000 to spend in the last week of campaigning. Perotto's campaign is also nearly broke, with just $1,330 left out of nearly $17,000 raised.

John Mahoney (D-Worcester) raised the smallest amount in the period, banking just over $15,000, however he started the period with over $15,500 from his city council campaign coffers.

Here are some raw numbers:

Total Fundraising (1/1/10-8/27/10)
Margot Barnet...$33,159
Joff Smith...$19,714
Gina DiBaro...$19,430
Don Sharry...$17,245
Mike Perotto...$16,716
John Mahoney...$15,165

Cash on hand (as of 8/27/10)
Barnet...$14,694
Smith...$12,944
Sharry...$12,455
Mahoney...$9,117
DiBaro...$3,310
Perotto...$1,330

District Contributions*
DiBaro...$10,420
Sharry...$9,745
Mahoney...$9,250
Perotto...$7,550*
Barnet...$7,017
Smith...$6,975*

Out-of-District Contributions (Out-of-State in parentheses)*
Barnet...$13,442 ($4,621)
Smith...$9,700 ($550)*
DiBaro...$9,010 ($600)
Sharry...$7,250 ($900)
Mahoney $5,365 ($500)
Perotto $3,850 ($450)*

Political Action Committees
Barnet...$2,700
Perotto...$1,900
Mahoney...$550
Sharry...$250
DiBaro...$ 0
Smith...$ 0

*--"District" includes all contributions from Worcester and Paxton. Many contributions from Worcester may have been from parts of the city outside the district. Smith and Perotto each reported over $3,000 in un-itemized contributions, which are not included in the District and Out-of-District totals.

Who's on 3rd?

2010-09-08T04:09:00.005-04:00

Last week, the best question asked at the 13th Worcester House District Democratic debate was: "Who's the front-runner in this race, and why shouldn't we vote for him or her?"

They didn't ask that question at the 3rd Congressional District debate Tuesday in Westborough -- it might have seemed out of place on a dais where the candidates maintained a relatively collegial manner, with so many references to supporting whoever wins the primary on Sept. 14. However, each candidate was given the chance to ask a question to any two of his colleagues (or two questions to one), and we tracked each one down after the debate to ask whether the choice of whom to question gave any insight on who's ahead in this race of political newcomers trying to unseat Congressman James McGovern (D-Worcester).

Is Michael Stopa of Holliston the front-runner? He thinks so, and "I have the most articulated positions," to boot, he added in a quick interview after the debate. During the portion of the debate when candidates could ask each other questions, he and Herr were the only ones to be targeted twice by the same opponent -- Robert Chipman used both his questions on Stopa (he later said, "he's the [second-]best candidate, next to me"). Robert Delle also questioned Stopa. Stopa was asked whether he would voluntarily limit himself to three terms (no, he wouldn't make a unilateral limit, but he supports term limits in the form of a constitutional amendment that's binding on all candidates); what makes him think he knows the district after having been born outside it, and living several years overseas; and how he plans to stay in touch with the sprawling district, once elected (he hopes the contacts he's made in the campaign -- including Chipman -- will be his eyes and ears).

Is Brian Herr of Hopkinton the front-runner? He thinks so. Stopa identified him as the best fundraiser, "a really good resume" and the chief among his rivals. So did Marty Lamb, who said he believes the race is between he and Herr. Herr believes it's a three-way race, with he, Lamb and Stopa. ~~Both of his rivals~~ Lamb questioned Herr twice on his financial disclosure dustup earlier in the year. In response to the questions from ~~Stopa and~~ Lamb, Herr sharply criticized his opponents and newspapers for blowing what he termed "one missed deadline" out of proportion.

Is Marty Lamb of Holliston the front-runner? He thinks so, citing the support of Tea Party voters who recognize him as one of them. Delle used one of his questions to call Lamb "the master of the gimmick" and ask why he thought Congress could pass amendments to enact the line-item veto and a balanced budget requirenent -- key planks in Lamb's economic platform -- when the amending process is notoriously lengthy, and after the 1994 "Contract with America" Congress failed to make those proposals stick. Lamb said failure in 1994 shouldn't mean advocates should stop trying. Herr tossed a softball to Lamb, asking how he voted on a Proposition 2 1/2 override (a tax increase) in Holliston. Lamb said all three voters in his house voted "no." Stopa tried to tag Lamb as a Johnny-come-lately to conservatism, noting that Lamb had donated $500 each to Democratic leaders such as Ed Markey, Tom Daschle and Joseph Lieberman in 2005. The money, Lamb explained, was part of a lobbying effort to strengthen U.S. support for Israel; "I wasn't politically involved then; I am now."

What about the two Roberts? Neither one would identify a front-runner to CMassPolitics.com -- instead endorsing the field. Each was asked only one question from his rivals: Stopa asked Robert Chipman to talk about how he got involved in his local School Committee, in Plainville. Herr asked Robert Delle where he'd ever shown public leadership; Delle noted he'd been on the Planning Board in Westborough for more than six years. Herr, a selectman, said he'd still rather vote for a candidate who had "created jobs in the public sector."

Delle said his ties to the Worcester area -- he was born in the city and lives in Paxton after recently moving from Westborough -- make him the logical candidate to unseat the incumbent. "If you pull in someone from Middlesex County, they're going to have a hard time beating McGovern," Delle said. "As they say, 'he's a commie but he's our commie.'" Holliston and Hopkinton are both in Middlesex County, which hosts only four of the district's 28 cities and towns.

Later today we'll take a look at some of the issues discussed at the debate.

Update: Reporter's error -- Stopa didn't ask Herr any questions.

State Roundup: Candidate Overload

2010-09-07T15:12:00.000-04:00

With just one week to go before the primary, every news outlet, political committee, fair and parade organizer, and ice cream vendor is subject to a visit from a candidate. Here's a round up of items from late last week and the holiday weekend...

Worcester County Sheriff
The Telegram reports that Scot Bove (D-Holden) took a leave of absence from his job at the jail five weeks ago in an effort to distance himself from the appearance of a conflict of interest:

Scot J. Bove has taken a leave of absence from his job as assistant deputy sheriff while he runs for the Democratic nomination for sheriff.

Thomas J. Foley, his opponent, questioned how it is possible to be objective in supervising employees who either donated or refused to donate to his election effort. Mr. Foley, a former state police superintendent, said his policy is to not accept campaign contributions from sheriff's department employees.

Mr. Bove said he has taken a six-week leave of absence, ending with the primary Sept. 14 primary. He acknowledged that he continued working at the jail from the time he announced his candidacy in January until last month.

Bove also discusses the impact of the Sheriff's race on a tavern he owns in Worcester, saying he will recuse himself from all business operations should he be elected.

The Telegram also looks at the race from a high level, focusing on the candidates' differing views of the job description.

Second Worcester House District
All five candidates for state representative, including the two Democrats vying for the nomination next Tuesday, faced off in a debate at Mt. Wachusett Community College.

First Middlesex House District
Five challengers for this open seat also faced off last week in a forum in Townsend. There are three Democrats and two Republicans vying for their respective nominations next week.

The race is apparently so interesting that even the Globe sent a reporter outside of 495 to see what is going on out in the woods.

Second Franklin House District
Candidates for this open seat also continued their seemingly endless string of debates with two more events in Greenfield last week. Democrats faced off in a forum sponsored by the Greenfield Democratic Town Committee. The Franklin County School Committee Caucus, among others, also held a candidate forum to discuss the issue of education. Steven Adam (R-Orange) and Genevieve Fraser (U-Orange) joined the four Democrats in the discussion.

18th Worcester House District
Rep. Jennifer Callahan was in Blackstone for the first day of school, passing out backpacks to disadvantaged children.

37th Middlesex House District
Worcester and Middlesex Senate District
Rep. Jen Benson (D-Lunenburg) and Sen. Jennifer Flanagan (D-Leominster) served ice cream to and answered questions from seniors at the Pearl Brook Senior Housing Complex.

Middlesex and Worcester Senate District
Jamie Eldridge (D-Acton) spoke at a home in Marlborough that had been bought out of foreclosure by the city of Marlborough and refurbished for resale as affordable housing thanks to a state grant.

Sixth Worcester House District
Mike Jaynes (R-Southbridge) writes on SpeakOutSouthbridge.com that he is the most conservative candidate in the race for the Republican nomination.

Worcester, Hampden, Hampshire and Franklin Senate District
Daniel Dubrule (R-Ashburnham) officially announced his candidacy for the seat currently held by Sen. Stephen Brewer (D-Barre).

Governor's Council
The Sentinel and Enterprise takes a look at Jen Caissie (R-Oxford) and Fran Ford (D-Paxton), the two candidates running for the open Governor's Council seat.

Congressional Roundup: Democrats "slightly ahead" in fundraising by huge margins

2010-09-07T14:18:00.001-04:00

Congressional fundraising reports were due last week and now that the numbers are in, it looks like the Republicans running for Congress will have their work cut out for them. We start in the Fifth Congressional District, where the Sentinel and Enterprise headline writer says "Tsongas slightly ahead":

BOSTON -- Sluggish fundraising from the four Republican candidates running in the 5th Congressional District could put the winner of the primary election, now less than two weeks away, at a marked disadvantage against U.S. Rep. Niki Tsongas, who out-raised all of her opponents combined over the past two months....

Tsongas raised $121,323 in July and August, leaving her with about $517,000 on hand as she prepares to enter the general election campaign. Though she has far surpassed her opponents' fundraising efforts, her less-than-sizable war chest could force her campaign to make decisions down the stretch about where they want to spend and where they can cut back.

The cash-on-hand tally, according to the Sentinel:
Niki Tsongas (D-Lowell): $517,000
Jon Golnik (R-Carlisle): $77,600
Sam Meas (R-Haverhill): $28,600
Bob Shapiro (R-Andover): $3,300
Tom Weaver (R-Westford): Did not report

Pretty tough news cycle when your six-and-a-half to one money advantage is considered a "slightly ahead"...

Third Congressional District
According to the Telegram and Gazette, Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Worcester) has a slightly better than slight lead--as in a 64-fold advantage--over his opponents:

With nearly $1 million in the bank, U.S. Rep. James P. McGovern is easily winning the fundraising battle against his six challengers.

Five Republicans and one independent candidate are also running for the 3rd district seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. According to reports filed with the Federal Election Commission this week, the best financed Republican in the race, Brian J. Herr of Hopkinton, has $14,603 on hand, compared to Mr. McGovern's $964,303.

The Telegram's cash-on-hand tally:
James McGovern (D-Worcester): $964,303
Brian Herr (R-Hopkinton): $14,603
Marty Lamb (R-Holliston): $9,505
Michael Stopa (R-Holliston): $7,544
Bob Delle (R-Paxton): $4,600
Patrick Barron (U-Worcester): $2,500
Robert Chipman (R-Plainville): "almost nothing"

Yesterday, McGovern was the keynote speaker at the Labor Day breakfast in Worcester. According to the Telegram, he told the audience that he was tired of Republican criticism on the economy. "The people who drove us into this ditch shouldn’t be complaining about the size of the tow truck to get us out of the ditch," he said.

Late last week, McGovern visited a factory in Fall River that makes camouflage material for military uniforms. McGovern also appeared on WICN-FM Radio to talk about the issue of global hunger. Visitor's to McGovern's website can sign up before tomorrow to get a special web-only video announcement.

Lamb was also on the airwaves over the weekend, appearing with Rachel Miselman on the BlogTalkRadio.com network.

Not to be outdone, Delle has released his first radio ad.

Second Congressional District
Finally, Jay Fleitman (R-Nothampton) spoke out against the Democrats' handing of the economy at a Republican candidates' forum in South Hadley late last week.

Shippin' up to Gardner, Whoa, oh, oh

2010-09-07T13:11:00.000-04:00

According to a campiagn finance report filed this morning by Pat Gerry (D-Gardner), the Second Worcester House District candidate received maximum $500 contributions from two members of the Dropkick Murphys, Matthew Kelly and James Lynch.

No word on whether or not the band will accompany Gerry on the trail or at his campaing headquarters on election night.

CMassPolitics.com Interview: Bob Shapiro, 5th Congressional District

2010-09-06T09:40:00.000-04:00

CMassPolitics.com spoke with Bob Shapiro (R-Andover) about his campaign for U.S. representative in the Fifth Congressional District.