Note to online readers: I won’t be linking like crazy this week since I’m crunched for time, but if you want to know more about any of the candidates mentioned, check out the link collection at left and go nuts.
State Representative Jeffrey D. Perry (R – Sandwich) has been named one of the National Republican Congressional Committee’s “Young Guns” for the 2010 election season, which means he gets to ride with Emilio Estevez and Lou Diamond Phillips robbing banks.
(Hello, fellow children of the ‘80s!)
Actually it’s a “recruitment and training program” for potential House Republicans, and Rep. Perry, who is running for US Representative of the 10th Congressional District, is one of only two Massachusetts candidates “on the radar” with the NRCC (along with Jon Golnick, a candidate in the fifth district).
So what does that make his primary rivals Joseph D. Malone and Ray Kasperowicz? Old Guns? The Coot Couple? The Fogey Squad, in color, a Quinn-Martin Production?
Rep. Perry has also announced that he’s filed nearly four times the number of signatures necessary to secure a spot on the ballot, so he’s a lock for September.
The man is on a roll, and I’ll say this again: on the GOP side of the coin, he is shaping up to be the man to beat.
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Ah, but this is not to say that Joe Malone is without love. Last week he got an official thumb’s up from no less than Rudy Giuliani.
“Many candidates claim to be reformers, but Joe Malone has proven that he’s the real deal,” Rudy G. said in a press release that – amazingly – did not ONCE mention 9-11. “I’ve traveled all over the country, talking with people about the issues facing our nation. Joe Malone stands out in my mind as one of the most promising leaders in these tough times.”
Mr. Malone’s camp also announced that Giuliani will be visiting Massachusetts in June and accompanying the candidate for a tour of the district. Details on that have yet to be firmed up.
For those of you keeping score, Malone has landed endorsements from two former Massachusetts governors, one former US Attorney, and now a former NYC mayor/Presidential candidate.
Jeff Perry just has some guy named Scott Brown on his side. Has he done anything of note?
(Sarcasm, people, sarcasm.)
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Before I leave the subject of Republican Congressional candidates, the Sandwich Republican Town Committee conducted at last week’s Patriot’s Day event a straw poll on the major 2010 races, and Rep. Perry, not surprisingly, was the top choice: 79 votes to Malone’s one and Kasperowicz’s zilch.
The only other contested race covered by that poll was for state auditor, and Mary Z. Connaughton bested Kamal Jain there, 58 votes to 10.
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An amendment to last week’s brief about campaign fundraising in the Congressional race: I mentioned that unenrolled candidate Peter A. White’s report for the period ending March 31 indicated he had raised no money.
He has in fact raised $3,000 for his campaign, but has not reported it yet as there is a $5,000 minimum reporting threshold, hence the appearance of nothing in the bank. The next update will be issued at the end of the June reporting period.
With that in mind, it makes you wonder about State Senator Robert A. O’Leary’s (D – Barnstable) finances, because his report was also showing straight zeroes — and his campaign declined to announce how much it had raised so far.
He ended 2009 with about $14,000 in his state senate account, and you’d think that he’d have transferred that amount over by now. What is doubly curious is how Democratic rival William R. Keating, who officially entered the race after Sen. O’Leary, is already reporting more than $122,000 in his coffers.
I know, money shouldn’t be the be-all-end-all measure of a candidate, but it is a decent indicator of a candidate’s support base…or how much he’s selling out to special interests, but either way you get a sense of which way the wind is blowing.
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Sheila R. Lyons, Democratic candidate for State Senator of the Cape and Islands, finally has her campaign website up. Go to http://lyons.davidechase.com. It’s still a bit of a work-in-progress, and could use a proofreader…unless there is a process for obtaining an “absenette ballot” I’m unaware of.
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Time for a couple of quick reminders for upcoming campaign events…
James F. Munafo Jr., Republican candidate for State Representative of the Second Barnstable District, has scheduled his campaign kickoff event. He’ll bet at the Hyannis Golf Course on Saturday, May 8 from 5 to 7 PM. Contact the campaign at 508-771-8101 or votemunafo@integrity.com.
Republican David T. Vieira of Falmouth, candidate for State Representative of the Third Barnstable District, is holding his kick-off fundraiser at the Falmouth Navigator (just off Sandwich Road in Hatchville) on Tuesday, May 11 from 5 PM to 8 PM. Tickets are $25. To purchase tickets, call Addie Drolette at 774-836-0100.
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Wait! Wait! Grace C. Ross is still alive!
The former Green-Rainbow Party member-turned-Democrat had all but vanished from the face of the Earth after announcing in February she planned to challenge Governor Deval L. Patrick in the Democratic primary, but she recently added a couple of campaign events to her previously dead-empty calendar.
Okay, she may not be all that alive. She’s perhaps at best a zombie candidate.
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, David Vieira, Governor Deval Patrick, Jeff Perry, Joe Malone, Rob O'Leary, Scott Brown, Sheila Lyons, State Representative - 2nd Barnstable, State Representative - 3rd Barnstable, State Senate - Cape & Islands, William Keating
The views and opinions in the Enterprise blogs are those of the author and are not neccessarily shared by Falmouth Publishing.
