Excuse me, people. I believe when I let for vacation I told you not to do anything interesting while I was gone. But did you listen? Noooooooooo!
Yep, there was a lot of movement last week, and let’s start with what is shaping up to be the big race on the Cape, the race for US Representative of the 10th Congressional District. On Sunday Republican Joseph D. Malone made his candidacy official with a special kick-off event at Plimoth Plantation. The former state treasurer has vowed to reach out to voters of all political persuasions in his campaign.
His official campaign website is up at http://joemalonecongress.com.
With Mr. Malone all in, we now have a slate of six candidates, and we’re waiting on a seventh in William Keating, the Norfolk County District Attorney who has been planning to formally end his bid for Massachusetts Attorney General and shift his attention to the seat currently held by Congressman (and former Norfolk County DA) William D. Delahunt (D).
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One of the other Republican candidates for the Congressional seat, State Representative Jeffrey D. Perry (R – Sandwich), is beefing up his campaign in anticipation of a very active primary race.
Rep. Perry recently announced he was adding Swift Current Strategies — which worked on US Senator Scott P. Brown’s (R) campaign — to his team, and launched a new social networking website for supporters dubbed “Perry’s Patriots.” You can find that at www.perryspatriots.com (just look for the logo that is just similar enough to the New England Patriots logo to get him in dutch with Bob Kraft).
Perry's Patriot and Pat the Patriot - separated at birth?
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Another candidate in this hectic race is State Senator Robert A. O’Leary (D – Barnstable), and his pending departure from the state Legislature has so far attracted three Democrats interested in succeeding him: Sheila R. Lyons, a member of the Barnstable County Board of County Commissioners; Mark D. Forest, longtime aide to Rep. Delahunt; and Daniel A. Wolf, CEO of Cape Air.
Mr. Wolf is well-known in the Cape business community so he’s not a non-entity, but his political experience is, to the best of my knowledge, virtually non-existent. Ms. Lyons has had relatively limited experience, all of it in county government, but she knows how to campaign and get her name out. Mr. Forest knows the game at the federal level and has connections throughout the district, so I have to call him the odds-on favorite.
Barnstable and Mashpee readers can learn more about the candidates in the front section.
So far only one Republican, Eric Steinhilber, is in the mix, but word is that Barnstable Town Councilor James Crocker Jr. has taken out nomination papers.
Since I’m talking about this race, now’s a good time to mention that Ms. Lyons, Mr. Forest, and Mr. Wolf are scheduled to appear at a candidates’ forum sponsored by the Harwich Democratic Town Committee. That’s happening on Tuesday, April 6 at 7:30 PM, and will be held at the Harwich Community Center.
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The slate is almost full!
State Representative Susan D. Williams Gifford (R – Wareham) was this close to running unopposed for re-election, but Democrat David A. Smith of Wareham is preparing his run for the second Plymouth district seat.
I’ve found no info on the dude in my initial Google search, but as I learn more about the chap, I’ll pass it along.
As I wrap this week’s column up, the only member of the Cape delegation without an opponent for 2010 is State Representative Timothy R. Madden (D – Nantucket).
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Last week I mentioned that Republican David T. Vieira of Falmouth was officially in as a candidate for state representative of the third Barnstable district. Well, first of all, his campaign website is now live, and that’s at www.votevieira.com. He’s also announced his kick-off fundraiser at the Falmouth Navigator (just off Sandwich Road in Hatchville) for Thursday, May 6 from 5 PM to 8 PM. Tickets are $25.
Meanwhile, incumbent state rep Matthew C. Patrick (D – Falmouth) is officially kicking off his re-election campaign tonight. Rep. Patrick, supporters, and special mystery guests will be at Oysters Too in East Falmouth tonight from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM. There is a suggested donation of $50, but all are welcome to attend.
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Oliver P. Cipollini Jr., Democratic candidate for governor’s councilor of the first district, has his new campaign website up and hummin’. Beat feet over to www.olivercipollini.com and check it out.
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An unenrolled candidate has thrown his name into the ring for Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth. James Henderson of Stow filed his paperwork with the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance, and now joins incumbent William F. Galvin and Republican William Campbell of Woburn.
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Now this, I must say, is kind of cool.
Republican gubernatorial candidate Charles D. Baker Jr. marked St. Patrick’s Day in an unusual way: People who went to his website last week and made a donation of $20.10 (as in Campaign 2010) received as a thank-you a download of “(F)lanagan’s Ball” by the Dropkick Murphys.
The Dropkick Murphys? Really? How unexpectedly hip of Baker. What next, Christy P. Mihos trading donations for Foo Fighters MP3s?
On that note: those two gentlemen will square off tonight at the Cape Codder Resort. This head-to-head debate starts at 7 PM (doors open at 6:15 PM, presumably to sell beer, popcorn, and giant foam fingers). The Cape Cod Republican Club and the Women’s Republican Club of Cape Cod are co-sponsoring the event.
Political news and announcements may be sent to Michael Bailey, Region editor and senior political reporter, at bailey@capenews.net
Tags: 10th Congressional district, 2010 election, Bill Delahunt, Bill Galvin, Charlie Baker, Christy Mihos, Dan Wolf, David Vieira, Democratic Party, Eric Steinhilber, GOP, Governor's Council - 1st District, Jeff Perry, Mark Forest, Massachusetts Legislature, Matt Patrick, Rob O'Leary, Sheila Lyons, State Representative - 3rd Barnstable, State Senate - Cape & Islands, Susan Williams Gifford, Tim Madden
The views and opinions in the Enterprise blogs are those of the author and are not neccessarily shared by Falmouth Publishing.
