Election Day, Who’s Running?

by David Trumbull

January 25, 2008

On Tuesday, February 5th, Republican voters in Massachusetts will be able to vote their preference for (in the order they will appear on the ballot):

John McCain Fred Thompson Tom Tancredo Duncan Hunter Mike Huckabee Mitt Romney Ron Paul Rudy Giuliani

Also on that ballot will be the election of the local Republican Ward or Town Committee and the selection of a Republican State Committeeman and Committeewoman for each of the 40 State Senatorial Districts.

A good indicator of the sad state of the GOP is the lack of contest for state committee. Of the 80 positions to be filled, there are contested races in just nine.

Richard Barros and Donald Howell are competing in the Cape and Islands District as are Renee Sherwood and Cynthia Stead.

In the Second Essex District (North Shore) Eaton Fennessy and John McCarthy are running against each other.

Out west in the 2nd Hampden and Hampshire Dist. Jeanne Boynton and Linda Vacon face off.

My good friend and great Republican Amos Eaton has a challenger in the 4th Middlesex Dist. of Woburn, Arlington, Billerica, Burlington, and Lexington, as does Paul Ferro in the Middlesex and Worcester Dist.

Down in the Quincy-Braintree area Matthew Sisk is opposed by Dominic Paulo.

In Brockton committeeman Larry Novak faces David Heidke while Jeanie Falcone and Janette Packard fight it out for committeewoman.

In 33 of the 40 districts the voters will find no contested races for Republican State Committee. In 18 cases there is no one on the ballot, meaning that any one who can get 50 write-in votes on election day can take a place on the GOP committee.

Here in Boston there is no man running in the Middlesex, Suffolk and Essex Dist. which also includes parts of Cambridge, Everett, Somerville, Chelsea, and Revere. Boston’s First Suffolk District has no candidate on the ballot for Committeeman or Committeewoman.

Other Boston district likewise show the lack of interest in the GOP. In the Second Suffolk Ellen Rooney is up for re-election, but there is no name on the ballot for Committeeman. In the First Suffolk and Middlesex Dist. which also includes parts of Revere, Winthrop and Cambridge, Paul Ronukaitus seeks re-election but no one is on the ballot for Committeewoman. And in the Second Suffolk and Middlesex, which also includes parts of Cambridge, Belmont, and Watertown, Bob Semonian seeks re-election but there is no name on the ballot for Committeewoman.

--30--