As the senatorial candidates traded jabs over their positions on abortion restrictions, the current holder of the seat they all want, Sen. Paul Kirk, hopes the terms in the Stupak […]
Elections
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An election result you’ll be hearing about for the rest of your life
Assuming the results hold up, yesterday's election in Barnstable will be trotted out for years to come in "why you should vote" editorials. The Cape Cod Times reports that an […]
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Flaherty as change agent a shaky idea from the start
If there was a path to upset victory in yesterday's Boston mayoral race, it was never going to run through Michael Flaherty's "Good/Better" campaign, which always seemed to suggest that […]
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Fact-check: The US Senate debate
By Michael Jonas and Bruce Mohl The four Democratic candidates for US Senate met last night at the John F. Kennedy Library in Dorchester in the first formal debate of […]
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Khazei promises to shake things up
Alan Khazei, touting the endorsement of Max Kennedy and his wife Victoria, portrayed himself today as the change agent in the race for the US Senate seat of the late Edward […]
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Loyalty and the US Senate race
Today's Herald raises two questions about the special election to replace the late US Sen. Ted Kennedy: Is Attorney General Martha Coakley too deferential toward Boston Mayor Tom Menino? And […]
Posted inPolitics, State House News Service, The Download
What state are we in?
Here's a news flash you don't see often in this state: Republicans in the US Senate race outnumber Democrats, 2-1. Granted, that ratio includes only candidates who have made formal […]
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Turn toward politics a natural one for City Year cofounder
The newest name in the US Senate sweepstakes: Alan Khazei, cofounder of the national service organization City Year, who says he's considering entering the Democratic primary for the seat held […]
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US Senate race a snooze?
Dan Kennedy says that the special election to fill the late Ted Kennedy's Senate seat "may be over before it begins," thanks to Attorney General Martha Coakley's considerable advantages in […]
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Coakley and Lynch: Come on in, the water is fine
With the news that US Rep. Steve Lynch has joined Attorney General Martha Coakley in taking out nomination papers for US Senate, the first two candidates in the Democratic primary race may be […]
Posted inPolitics, State House News Service, The Download
Hollywood-style voting takes a baby step in Massachusetts
The attorney general's office has the list on the two dozen or so ballot questions that have been "certified" (that is, supporters can now start to collect signatures for them) […]
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“Schlumpy and shrill” need not apply?
The Boston Herald's Margery Eagan may have written the entire narrative of the upcoming election to replace US Sen. Ted Kennedy in two sentences. She thinks that Attorney General Martha […]
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The line on succession
As speculation continues to mount on who will run in a special election to succeed the late Sen. Edward Kennedy, little attention is being paid to who might succeed the successor […]
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89 years and counting
With Massachusetts and much of the country mourning the loss of Sen. Edward Kennedy, the anniversary of another monumental political event will likely go unnoticed. It was 89 years ago […]
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Gallup tags Bay State as most Democratic in US
According to a new Gallup poll on political party preferences, Massachusetts is the most lopsided state in the US, with respondents identifying with Democrats over Republicans by a 60-26 margin. […]
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The recession’s latest victim: campaign finance innovation
Al Franken isn't the only news in Minnesota politics. One of the Gopher State's more innovative approaches to good government — giving citizens refunds of up to $50 for political donations, […]
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Cattle call begins for Boston council candidates
They were packed into the Community Church of Boston last night for the first candidates' forum of this year's Boston at-large city council race. And there was a full house […]
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Candidates with more money won in Mass. last year — with a dozen exceptions
Legislative elections nearly always go to the candidate with more money, and the candidate with more money is almost always an incumbent. That's the upshot of the 71-page report released […]
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“Remember my name,” sing Arizona officials
If you're getting tired of reading about wasteful spending and narcissistic politicians in Massachusetts, why not read about wasteful spending and narcissistic politicians in Arizona? The Goldwater Institute has just […]
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Menino happy to debate, have root canal
Boston Mayor Tom Menino, who did all he could to avoid head-to-head sessions with opponents in past races, said today he'll agree to three debates with his challengers, and he acted like […]
Posted inEconomy, Politics, The Download
Patrick’s low ratings part of national trend
Before anyone writes Deval Patrick's political obituary over the 7News/Suffolk University poll released yesterday, it's worth noting that Patrick has plenty of bad-ratings company among his fellow governors. Judging by the range […]
Posted inPolitics, State House News Service, The Download
Watch the video of MassINC’s “No Contest” forum on the shortage of candidates in Mass.
The Bay State's longtime shortage of candidates for public office was the topic of "No Contest: Why So Few People Run for Office in Massachusetts – and What to Do About […]
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Mapping a possible Deval Patrick vs. Tim Cahill primary in 2010
What would the political geography look like if Treasurer Tim Cahill challenged incumbent Gov. Deval Patrick in next year's Democratic primary? It would be Faneuil Hall and Tanglewood vs. Plymouth Rock […]
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Haverhill City Council prefers to live at-large
Haverhill gets into the debate over at-large versus district city councilors, but change doesn't seem to be in the air. The Eagle-Tribune's Shawn Regan reports that most of the current nine at-large […]