Durant swept to what appeared to be a double-digit victory in an election that offered a glimmer of hope that Republicans can actually win seats on Beacon Hill. An amiable conservative, Durant appealed to the rural, conservative-leaning voters in the central Massachusetts district and did a better job of getting his voters out in a low-turnout special election to find a replacement for Democrat Anne Gobi.
Elections
Posted inPolitics
Danielle Allen says we have work to do on Massachusetts democracy
Harvard professor Danielle Allen says a health democracy hinges on inclusionk participation, and competitiveness. “One each of those dimensions, we can see room for improvement in Mass.,” she says
Posted inOpinion
Using big data to make elections fairer
IN 1812 the Boston Gazette first used the term gerrymander in response to a set of voting districts devised by Massachusetts Gov. Elbridge Gerry. The Herald suggested that one of the districts looked like a salamander, and so created the (admittedly awkward) portmanteau for the map, calling it the “Gerry-mander.” Today, gerrymandering has roughly the […]
Posted inPolitics
Durant wins primary — to face Zlotnik for open Senate seat
REP. PETER DURANT of Spencer emerged victorious from Tuesday’s special election Republican primary and will face off in November against his House colleague, Rep. Jonathan Zlotnik of Gardner, in the race for a vacant central Massachusetts Senate seat that appears to be up for grabs. Durant cruised by his opponent in the Republican primary, Bruce […]
Posted inPolitics
Former senator indicted on ethics violations
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE FORMER STATE Sen. Dean Tran was indicted Friday by a Suffolk County grand jury and charged with two counts of violating state ethics laws, Attorney General Andrea Campbell announced. The newest charges against Tran, who was indicted by then-Attorney General Maura Healey in July 2022 on charges that he stole a Colt […]
Posted inState Government
State GOP settles in Fattman campaign finance case
THE MASSACHUSETTS Republican Party this week settled a 2 ½-year-old case that focused on efforts by Sen. Ryan Fattman of Sutton to financially support his wife’s campaign for register of probate in Worcester County. The state party, which had been accused of serving as an illegal conduit channeling $137,000 from Fattman’s campaign to his wife’s […]
Posted inEducation
MTA gearing up to push for new ballot questions
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE MASSACHUSETTS VOTERS in 2024 could be asked to settle two major education debates, but retailers may pass on bringing tax cuts to next year’s ballot. The state’s largest teacher’s union is considering ballot questions that would eliminate the graduation requirement associated with statewide standardized testing and create a “debt free college […]
Posted inOpinion
Why stopping the super PAC ballot question is important
ON JANUARY 21, the famous Supreme Court decision of Citizens United vs the FEC celebrated its 13th anniversary, but here in Massachusetts the efforts to undermine this expansion of our right to free speech and association before an election continues. If it’s not stopped now, it would most likely result in unions having the loudest […]
Posted inNews Analysis
Mass. poll indicates popularity of Democratic leaders sagging
POLL NUMBERS for key Democratic leaders are sagging between apathy and anonymity, according to a new poll of Massachusetts voters by the MassINC Polling Group. Favorability and reelection numbers are tepid at best. Just 43 percent of registered voters hold favorable views of Sen. Elizabeth Warren (38 percent unfavorable). For newly elected Gov. Maura Healey, […]
Posted inPolitics
SJC hears challenge of Healey ballot question rejection
THE SUPREME JUDICIAL COURT heard arguments Monday on a thorny and novel question of political spending and free speech rights. Proponents of a potential 2024 ballot measure limiting individual campaign contributions to political action committees are asking the high court to find the measure was improperly rejected by then-Attorney General Maura Healey’s office last year. […]