2007 Cambridge
Candidate Pages 

Barrios Vacancy
State Senate - Middlesex, Suffolk, & Essex 

Primary Election - Sept 11

Tim Flaherty 

Anthony Galluccio 

Paul Nowicki 

Jeff Ross 

General Election - Oct 9 
(no other candidates)

Aug 7 - Four candidates on the ballot for the Sept 11 primary to fill the State Senate seat vacated by Jarrett Barrios

According to the Mass. Secretary of State's Office, four candidates have met the required minimum of 300 certified voter signatures to qualify for the Sept 11 Democratic primary election. They are Cambridge City Councillor Anthony Galluccio, Cambridge resident Tim Flaherty, Jeff Ross (who only moved to Cambridge when Barrios announced he was vacating his seat), and Chelsea City Councillor Paul Nowicki. At least two other potential candidates filed signatures but failed to meet the minimum. To the best of my knowledge, there are no Republican or independent candidates at this time for the Oct 9 general election, so the winner on Sept 11 will almost certainly be the one to succeed Barrios.

It is in the nature of special elections that the winner is often the candidate who can conduct the most effective get-out-the-vote campaign to get "their voters" to the polls on election day. In this race, that advantage probably goes to Galluccio who has built up a substantial organization in Everett and elsewhere in addition to his home town. Other candidates, notably Nowicki and Ross, are resorting to "robo-calls" - pre-recorded phone messages delivered to every available phone number in the district like e-mail SPAM. It's not clear how effective these calls are, but it seems like a popular alternative for candidates with little or no field organization. Time will tell how much money is sunk into this race by the four candidates, but the word on the street is that Mr. Ross has already committed to pulling $100,000+ of his own money out of his carpetbag to buy this seat - a very "progressive" sum indeed.

A most unfortunate outcome in this race would be for the three Cambridge candidates to split the Cambridge vote and hand the election to the other candidate with less than a majority vote. This most unfortunate side-effect of plurality elections is preventable by having a runoff election (or using "Instant Runoff Voting"), but a this is not an option for this election and will likely never be available as an option as long as our head-in-the-sand Mass. Democratic Party remains comfortable with the devil they know. Neither the Democratic nor Republican parties in Massachusetts have expressed much interest, if any, in reforms proposed in the name of achieving fair elections. -- RW

June 12 - Galluccio's Running.... Wolf is Not

The Cambridge Chronicle today reported that State Representative Alice Wolf sent a fax saying, “After much thought, I have decided not to run for the senate seat being vacated by Senator Barrios. There are many factors that played a part in my decision, and the strongest factor is that I love my job serving in the House of Representatives and representing the people of Cambridge and the 25th Middlesex district. I appreciate all the support and encouragement I have received from my constituents and from people across the senate district. I look forward to continuing to work with them on common goals.”

Later in the day, Anthony Galluccio told the Chronicle that he would be seeking the seat.

Here's the Chronicle story on Galluccio's entry into the race for the seat being vacated by Jarrett Barrios.

It is my understanding that Chelsea City Council President Roseann “Rosie” Bongiovanni will also be a candidate for the seat. [Nope - not registered as a Democrat]]

2007 Municipal Election Calendar (and Advice for Candidates) Mon, July 2: Municipal Election Nomination Papers available at Election Commission office, 8:30am-8:00pm. Nomination papers will be available through the July 31 submission deadline, but it is advisable that a candidate pick up papers early and get started collecting signatures. The process is an excellent way for a new candidates to “get their feet wet” and acclimate to the process of asking for support. The first page of your nomination papers must be notarized, by the way, and there are a total of three sheets. [Kinko's will notarize documents, by the way.] You will also want to get a current database of registered voters. This is available from the Election Commission free of charge to any candidate who has pulled nomination papers. Voter history files and the street listing are also available. If you are a legitimate candidate and want a merged file showing all currently registered Cambridge voters with their ten year voting history in Cambridge elections (if they voted - not who they voted for!!), you can request it from me free of charge. Tues, July 31: 5pm deadline to submit nomination papers & statements of financial interest for candidates. A minimum of 50 valid signatures must be filed and a candidate may submit up to 100 signatures. Once a voter's signature has been recorded for a particular candidate, it cannot be used for another candidate in the same race. That is, a voter should sign for exactly one candidate for City Council and one candidate for School Committee. Candidates should submit as many signatures as possible over the minimum of 50 because it is very likely that some signatures will not be certified. It is advisable that all signatures be checked against the voter registration list before submitting them. Candidates do not have to submit all their signatures at one time, and it is advisable that signatures be submitted as each sheet becomes full. The Election Commission staff traditionally checks signatures soon after they are submitted, so it is possible to know how many signatures have been tentatively certified in case it is necessary to obtain more signatures to reach the minimum of 50 certified signatures. Actual certification is only official when the Election Commission votes to approve them. Tues, Aug 14: 5pm deadline for Election Commission to certify signatures on nomination papers.  Thurs, Aug 16: 5pm deadline for municipal candidates to file withdrawal of nomination. Wed, Oct 17: 8pm deadline to register to vote in municipal election. In person registration hours are 8:30am to 8:00pm at the Election Commission office only. (Mail in registration must be postmarked by October 17). Mon, Oct 29: 5pm deadline for School Committee candidates and Political Committees to file Municipal Campaign & Political Finance Reports. (City Council candidates should consult their OCPF packets regarding depository-filing requirements). City Council candidates are required under state law to set up a depository account at a bank. The bank will report all deposits and expenditures directly to the state's Office of Campaign and Political Finance (OCPF). School Committee candidates are not required to set up a depository account, but they must file a campaign finance report in mid-October and at the end of the year. Sat, Nov 3: Election Commission office will be open 9am to 5pm for over-the-counter absentee voting. Mon, Nov 5: Noontime deadline to apply for absentee ballot, either for mail-in or over-the-counter voting. Tues, Nov 6: Municipal Election. Polls are open 7:00am until 8:00pm. All absentee ballots must arrive at the Election Commission office by 8:00pm to be counted. Ballot count begins at the Cambridge Senior Center, 806 Mass. Ave., Central Square after the polls close. It is expected that the Election Commission will report preliminary election results Tuesday evening, but this tally does not include write-in ballots and other ballots not counted for a variety of reasons. Wed, Nov 7: 9am-5pm. Ballot count resumes at Senior Center, 806 Mass. Ave., Central Square. The entire process is usually complete by early evening and the unofficial election results will be announced upon completion. Federal law requires an additional ten days to allow for any overseas military absentee ballots to arrive, and the final official election results will be announced then. [There were no such ballots in the 2005 election.] The Election Commission Office is open Mon, 8:30am-8:00pm; Tues-Thurs, 8:30am-5:00pm; and Fri, 8:30am-Noon (except July 4, Sept 3, and Oct 8). The 2007 Cambridge Candidate Pages are now under construction. Check back as the campaign season progresses.

Q: Who's to succeed Robert Travaglini in the Mass. Senate? The Special (Democratic) Primary Election is May 29. The uncontested state election is June 26.  - Answer: Petrucelli
Anthony Petruccelli: http://anthonypetruccelli.com            Dan Rizzo: http://danrizzo.org 

Nov 1 - What the gubernatorial election it's really all about: Speculating rampant on filling state positions (Boston Globe)

Sept 6, 2006 - Recommended reading:  Elections aren't about issues (Boston Globe Op-Ed by Paul Waldman)

Do you really want to read up on the defining issues in the Massachusetts gubernatorial election?
Read the MassINC Briefing Book.

June 3, 2006 - The good folks at the Boston Globe hit the nail on the head in today's editorial (see below). Let's not forget that when voters had an actual choice between Jarrett Barrios and Gerry Leone for District Attorney, Barrios dropped out. Then when voters had a choice between Anthony Galluccio and Jarrett Barrios for State Senate, Galluccio dropped out. Could there be anything more insulting to voters? The Democratic Party delegates at this weekend's convention will have an opportunity to deliver the worst insult of all. If they prevent either Tom Reilly or Chris Gabrielli from being on the September primary ballot, they will have raised a middle finger at all registered Democrats and unenrolled voters in Massachusetts. Same goes if they fail to give John Bonifaz a place on the September primary ballot for Secretary of State. – RW

Addendum - Gabrielli, Patrick, and Reilly will all be on the September Democratic Primary ballot for governor. Tim Murray, Andrea Silbert and Deb Goldberg will all be on the ballot for Lt. Governor. Both John Bonifaz and William Galvin will be on the ballot for Secretary of State. Now, if only we had Instant Runoff Voting for the three-way races we could determine a majority winner and not have to worry about vote-splitting. Look to Vermont if you're really a progressive.

Incumbents rule – June 3, 2006 Boston Globe Editorial 

RESULTS ARE in from the candidate filings with city and town clerks statewide, and the winners are: the incumbents. And the losers are: the voters.

Only 14 of the Senate's 40 seats, and only 58 of the 160 seats in the House, are being contested this year, raising the question of where democracy has gone.

If you think of it, to “elect” means to choose. If there's no choice, how can there be an election? And if there's no true election, where's the democracy?

The fact is that Massachusetts has a disgraceful record of non-competitiveness in its legislative races, ranking worst, or next worst, of all the states over the last two decades. The 2004 state election saw what appeared to be a healthy spike, with 125 of the 200 seats contested, largely due to Republican Governor Mitt Romney's efforts to recruit Republican challengers. But most were ineffective. And those who followed the advice of Romney's hired consultants ran bruising attack campaigns that were rightly and soundly squashed by the voters. The GOP lost seats in both branches.

Romney could have tried again, with better technique, but he did not. So now the ledger is back near its low point, with candidates in nearly two-thirds of the districts running completely unopposed. One reason is that the General Court is full of legislators who think the current system is fine -- after all, it put them in office. So when a reform such as the public-financing Clean Elections Law comes along seeking to give challengers a better chance, legislators kill it, even though it was approved by the voters. It is an equal-opportunity travesty: Despite the dominance of the Democratic Party in the Legislature, Republican incumbents are almost as likely to escape challenge as the Democrats.

The phenomenon is not confined to the Legislature. In an extraordinary development, the high office of attorney general, being vacated by Tom Reilly, will apparently go to Middlesex District Attorney Martha Coakley uncontested by a challenger from either party. [Correction: Coakley will face Republican challenger Lawrence Frisoli, a Cambridge attorney.] Voters will not be asked to express an opinion.

Massachusetts enjoys a reputation as a birthplace of democracy and a hotbed of politics. But for legislative incumbents, and some others, the home of the Freedom Trail has become the home of the free ride.

The Year of the Unelection – Galluccio Drops Out of Senate Race

Just as Jarrett Barrios bailed out of the Middlesex County DA race when the hill became too steep, Anthony Galluccio yesterday bailed out of the State Senate race against Barrios. The theme is no longer "let the people decide," but instead "I've decided for you." Uncontested (or barely contested) elections have become the new standard.

Here's what Galluccio had to say:

“Over a year ago, I began my campaign for the Middlesex, Suffolk and Essex State Senate seat, which at the time was being vacated by Senator Jarrett Barrios. As you have seen over the past few months, our campaign had gained considerable momentum, garnering widespread support from elected officials, community leaders, organized labor and thousands of residents across this district.”

“Over the past few weeks, I have carefully analyzed what the impact of the re-entry of Senator Barrios – a well-financed, incumbent, Democratic State Senator - into the race would mean for my candidacy. It became increasingly evident to me that we were facing an uphill climb that would turn into a divisive battle that would divide our communities and the party. After careful consideration with my family and key supporters, I have made a decision to withdraw from the race, instead choosing to build on the strong foundation that our campaign has formed so that one day, I will be able to represent you in the State Senate.”

“The outpouring of support that I have received during my campaign has been a truly humbling experience. I feel no regrets, only appreciation for the support I have received and friendships that I have made. While my campaign for State Senate ends today my determination to help people remains intact. I consider myself one of the most fortunate elected officials in the world.”

Your friend, Anthony D. Galluccio

I hear Senator Travaglini may be hitting the road soon. Could it be that Anthony is waiting in the on-deck circle? - RW

Barrios drops out of DA race

April 5, 2006 – It's official. Jarrett Barrios has dropped out of the Middlesex County District Attorney race leaving a clear path for Gerald Leone to win the primary and the general election. Instead, Barrios will seek reelection to his Senate seat, the same seat now being sought by Anthony Galluccio. In Barrios' message, he says, "I have no doubt that we would have been successful on Election Day." He states that his primary motivation for dropping out of the DA race is the need to spend more time with his children.

This is going to be an unusual race. I don't know anything about the other candidates who are considering running for this Senate seat, but I do know Anthony Galluccio and Jarrett Barrios. Both are very good men and both would serve us well in the State Senate. However, why can't anyone just speak openly and honestly any more? It is OBVIOUS that Jarrett is dropping out of the DA race because he would be slaughtered in the primary. There's no shame in admitting this. To claim otherwise is “slippery.” I used this same term last week at a Democratic ward committee meeting at which Anthony spoke. Anthony is a great guy who belongs in the state legislature. He's also a human being, just like you and me, and he occasionally screws up. Rather than dodge questions on his several episodes of bad judgment behind the wheel of a car, he would be much better off giving a sincere apology, admitting his mistakes, and moving on to where he stands on the issues - and he's VERY GOOD on the issues.

It could be worse. There are two other Cambridge candidates who previously expressed interest in the Senate seat. Thankfully, one chose to hold onto her (uncontested) state rep. seat and the other turned around and ran back to the relative safety of the Cambridge City Council.

Feb 24, 2006 - Edward J. Sullivan, Middlesex County Clerk of Courts, has announced he will not seek reelection later this year. City Councillor Michael A. Sullivan, has indicated that he will run for the office to succeed his uncle. [Courting retirement, by Brian Mooney, Feb 24 Boston Globe] 

With Councillor Anthony Galluccio running [unopposed so far] to succeed Jarrett Barrios in the State Senate and Councillor Tim Toomey already serving as a State Representative, this raises the question of what limits there may be to holding multiple government positions. Speaking personally, I would like to see all three of these men remain on the City Council. Opinions will vary on this and there may even be some fundamental reasons why two jobs may be incompatible. Nonetheless, Councillor Sullivan knows more about how the Cambridge City Council should operate than anyone else in the (appropriately named) Sullivan Chamber, and I'd hate to see him exit the chamber. He's also a hell of a nice guy and I would prefer to see the 70+ year tradition of electing a member of the Sullivan family remain intact. I'm a sucker for history. Any Sullivans out there interested, just in case?

The issue of holding multiple positions also begs the question of how burdensome is the job of a city councillor. When controversial issues arise and there is a flood of phone calls, e-mail, and meetings to attend, then the burden rises. However, this is not the rule most of the time. The fact that city councillors have successfully held multiple offices and additional jobs supports this view. In fact, most city councillors - past and present - have held other jobs, and that's the way it ought to be.

A related issue, and one which we may be hearing more about in the near future, is whether city councillors should have personal staff in addition to the current shared staff of the City Council Office. I believe the answer is an emphatic NO. The people are not well served in a moderate-sized city like Cambridge when contact with their elected representative is filtered through unnecessary staff. Elected officials should return their own phone calls and e-mails and write their own letters. The responsibility of submitting orders and resolutions should also be in their hands and not in the hands of others. The existing staff of the City Council Office and the Office of the City Clerk are capable and available when the need for additional support arises. They are also not tied to the political campaigns of any councillor - and that's an important distinction when we're talking about the expenditure of public funds for staff.

This matter came before us several years ago in the wake of resentment among some city councillors when Frank Duehay was Mayor and then Vice-Chair Anthony Galluccio received additional support from the Mayor's Office beyond what other councillors were granted. At the time, this was seen as a reward for the mayoral vote. During the following term when Anthony Galluccio was mayor, Vice-Chair David Maher (I believe) received no additional staff support. However, the controversy led other councillors to call for their own personal staff, a proposal which the City Manager strongly opposed based on cost and potential conflicts with the Plan E Charter. Hearings were held and the matter was put to rest, perhaps coincidentally, when councillors were granted a significant pay raise with permanent cost-of-living adjustments built into the ordinance so that they would never again have to vote on their own salary increases.

Two years later, during the first mayoral term of Michael Sullivan, Vice-Chair Henrietta Davis did get additional staff support. Last term, the practice was taken to a new level when we saw the use of the phrases "Office of the Vice-Mayor" and "my assistant" from the Vice-Chair of the City Council. There are indications this term that a deal may have already been struck to grant personal staff out of the Mayor's Office to some councillors - possibly justified by appointment as chair to more Council subcommittees than other councillors. This back-door effort, if true, is troubling.

I guess we would all like to have personal secretaries and/or other assistants to cater to our every need. That wish, however, doesn't necessarily translate into good fiscal sense or better representation by our elected officials.

– Robert Winters