Pressing the flesh - Patrick; Goldberg get Caucus endorsements
After the buzz about a showdown between rival supporters of the Democratic gubernatorial candidates at the Aug. 29 endorsement meeting of the Massachusetts Gay and Lesbian Political Caucus — missives promising a “barnburner” and pleas for Deval Patrick supporters to renew their Caucus memberships and get to the meeting because “other candidates are making a serious play for the endorsement” — we eagerly anticipated a front-row seat for the fracas. After all, though Patrick has built a huge base of support in the LGBT community, Chris Gabrieli, despite his late entry into the race, has aggressively reached out to the community.
And just last week, Attorney General Tom Reilly, whose campaign has studiously avoided the gay community (for several months now, his campaign has put off requests from Bay Windows for an editorial board meeting), finally started talking up his positions on gay issues in an interview with In Newsweekly. Add a recent Boston Globe poll showing the three candidates in a dead heat and one could have reasonably concluded that the all of the candidates would have attempted to turn out some supporters to stump on their behalf.
Alas, only the Patrick camp had an organized presence, which included a corps of sign-toting volunteers outside the Harriett Tubman House in the South End, where the meeting was held, and Patrick’s wife Diane, who cheerfully greeted Caucus members as they entered the building.
In the end, the gubernatorial endorsement vote itself was shorter — and much less messy — than state Rep. Marie St. Fleur’s campaign for lieutenant governor. Here’s the blow by blow, which took all of about nine minutes, give or take a few: Caucus co-chair Arline Isaacson opened the nomination process for the endorsement, and Patrick was immediately nominated by activist Woody Kaplan, which in turn immediately brought about a small chorus of “seconds.” After a few moments of dead air, someone nominated Gabrieli, which was seconded, albeit a little less enthusiastically than Patrick’s nomination. And Reilly? Well, no one spoke for Reilly. Isaacson then opened up the floor for 10 minutes of debate on Patrick, at which time four Caucus members spoke briefly in his favor, among them state Rep. Liz Malia and longtime activist Barbara Hoffman, who proudly noted only that, “I’ve supported Deval Patrick since before he decided to run.”
No one piped up for Gabrieli — not even Craig Winskowicz, who spoke glowingly about Gabrieli at an LGBT event in July, but who seemed to reserve his endorsement enthusiasm for lieutenant governor candidate Deb Goldberg (more on that later). After a few more seconds of dead air, the endorsement was decided on a voice vote with nearly the entire voting membership of more than 50 people erupting in “ayes” for Patrick. But all was not completely lost for Gabrieli: When the vote was called for the candidate, a lone “Aye” from the back of the room came courtesy of Caucus member Peter Flynn. Stand by your man, Peter.
The quick turn of events in Patrick’s favor surprised Caucus co-chair Gary Daffin, who has presided over his share of contentious gubernatorial endorsements. “I think the Deval Patrick people obviously organized very well,” said Daffin. But he also observed, “it may reflect the real sentiment in the community. I haven’t seen a strong movement away from Patrick towards Gabrieli, other than some of the activists who got attention because they’re well known. But at the grassroots level I think tonight was a good example of how deep [Patrick’s] support is.” Daffin was impressed by the large turnout of Caucus members, particularly the crowd of state legislators (who are members thanks to their donations to the group) that included Reps. Mike Festa, Jim Marzilli, Byron Rushing, Carl Sciortino, Frank Smizik, Alice Wolf and Marty Walz — Patrick supporters all (state Sen. Dianne Wilkerson, another Patrick supporter but who is not a Caucus member, also turned out to observe the proceedings). Said Daffin, “They care about this race and I think that’s why so many people showed up.”
Patrick campaign spokeswoman Libby DeVecchi, who also turned out to observe the endorsement process, said that the candidate was “honored” to receive the Caucus’s support. “Deval has been so humbled by the fact that so many people — including GLBT people — have joined the campaign to change politics as usual.” Indeed, when a room full of gay activists can come to an agreement that fast, politics as usual must be changing.
More gays for Goldberg
Deb Goldberg’s lieutenant governor campaign seems to be gaining momentum in the LGBT community. The candidate got a big boost from a well-attended gay fundraiser in Boston last month; on Sept. 2, Provincetown resident Ken Weiss is hosting another LGBT event for Goldberg. And though it was a little rougher going for Goldberg than it was for Patrick, she also scored a Caucus endorsement. While Goldberg rivals Andrea Silbert and Worcester Mayor Tim Murray were both represented at the meeting, Goldberg showed up and stayed for the duration, a fact that swayed at least one Caucus member into her camp. “Symbolism matters,” said Marc Lewis. “It matters that she was the only one who was here tonight.” Lewis went on to make a passionate case for giving Goldberg the group’s endorsement, which appeared to make Goldberg a little verklempt.
While the majority of those who spoke up during debate over the lieutenant governor endorsement spoke on Goldberg’s behalf, her statements in a July debate that the Legislature should vote on a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage — as opposed to killing it procedurally — didn’t sit well with some, particularly the Silbert supporter who raised the issue (Silbert has consistently said that she does not think the Legislature should put the amendment to an up or down vote). Goldberg was given the opportunity to address the meeting, telling the Caucus that her statement that the Legislature should vote on the amendment was made on the assumption that there were enough votes to defeat it. Having since learned otherwise, Goldberg is of the mind that the Legislature should not take up the amendment (she later told Bay Windows, “I am not opposed to a procedural movement” to kill the amendment).
Votes were cast by secret ballot for the lieutenant governor endorsement. All of the candidates came up short of the two-thirds majority to win on the first ballot, although Goldberg mustered 29 of the 53 votes cast to Murray’s and Silbert’s 10 a piece (three people simply voted “present; one voted for Isaacson). Goldberg was victorious on the second ballot, garnering 33 of 48 votes cast, including one vote cast by Goldberg herself. (Goldberg is a member of the Caucus, having joined at the group’s fundraiser a few weeks back, according to Goldberg spokesman Patrick McKiernan. McKiernan said that Goldberg was unaware she was allowed to vote the first time around but she cast a vote on the second time around.)
“I am so pleased and so happy to have the endorsement of the Caucus,” she said afterward. She was also grateful for the supporters who stood and stumped for her, most notably Lewis. “This is someone who didn’t know me before, who had no vested interest … and if that’s an indication of where we’re going in this race,” said Golberg, “it’s very, very exciting.”
All told, the Caucus endorsed 58 candidates for political office. Other notable endorsements include state Sen. Dianne Wilkerson, who is running a sticker campaign to win reelection to the Second Suffolk Senate District and Sarah Peake, who is running for the open Fourth Barnstable House District. The Caucus also agreed to endorse a candidate who had requested that the Caucus not publicize the endorsement for fear that her district would react negatively if they learned she was being backed by a gay rights group.
Massachusetts Gay and Lesbian Political Caucus endorsements
Deval Patrick for governor. Deb Goldberg for lieutenant governor. Senate incumbents Edward Augustus (2nd Worcester), Harriette Chandler (1st Worcester), Susan Fargo (3rd Middlesex), Robert Havern (4th Middlesex), Brian Joyce (Norfolk, Bristol and Plymouth), Mark Montigny (2nd Bristol and Plymouth), Robert O’Leary (Cape and Islands), Stanley Rosenberg (Hampshire and Franklin), James Timilty (Bristol and Norfolk), Marian Walsh (Suffolk and Norfolk), and Dianne Wilkerson (Second Suffolk). House incumbents Demetrius Atsalis (2nd Barnstable), Deborah Blumer (6th Middlesex), Antonio Cabral (13th Bristol), Steve Canessa (12th Bristol), House Speaker Sal DiMasi (3rd Suffolk), James Eldridge (37th Middlesex), Mark Falzone (9th Essex), Jennifer Flanagan (4th Worcester), Ann Gobi (5th Worcester), Thomas Golden (16th Middlesex), Mary Grant (6th Essex), Denis Guyer (2nd Berkshire), Louis Kafka (8th Norfolk), Rachel Kaprielian (29th Middlesex), Jay Kaufman (15th Middlesex), Peter Kocot (1st Hampshire), Peter Koutoujian (10th Middlesex), James Leary (14th Worcester), Barbara L’Italien (18th Essex), David Linsky (5th Middlesex), Michael Moran (18th Suffolk), Tom O’Brien (12th Plymouth), William “Smitty” Pignatelli (4th Berkshire), Cheryl Coakley-Rivera (10th Hampden), Carl Sciortino (34th Middlesex), Harriett Stanley (2nd Essex), Marie St. Fleur (5th Suffolk), William Straus (10th Bristol), Ben Swan (11th Hampden), Eric Turkington (Barnstable, Dukes and Nantucket), Cleon Turner (1st Barnstable), and Alice Wolf (25th Middlesex). Candidates for open seats: Chris Hodgkins, running for the Berkshire, Hampshire and Franklin Senate seat, James Driscoll running for the 12th Hampden House seat, Patrick Driscoll running for the 6th Worcester House seat, Rosemary Miller running for the 28th Middlesex House seat, Claire Naughton running for the 1st Bristol House seat, Sarah Peake running for the 4th Barnstable House seat, Rosemary Sandlin running for the 3rd Hampden House seat, and Steven D’Amico running for the 4th Bristol House seat.
The Caucus voted to withhold an endorsement in the 6th Suffolk House race for the seat held by retiring Rep. Shirley Owens-Hicks, in which two candidates, Willie Mae Allen and William Celester, Sr. both returned perfect questionnaires. The Caucus endorsed Melissa Murgo in her challenge to Rep. John Fresolo for his 16th Worcester House seat. The Caucus declined to issue an endorsement in the 12th Essex House race between Rep. Joyce Spiliotis, whose questionnaire indicated strong opposition to same-sex marriage, and challenger Sean Fitzgerald, who declined to return a questionnaire. The Caucus also declined to endorse in the 5th Essex race between Rep. Tony Verga, who did not turn in a questionnaire, and Max Schenk, who is running a sticker campaign. At the federal level the Caucus endorsed the reelection campaigns of Sen. Edward Kennedy and Congressmen John Tierney, Stephen Lynch, and William Delahunt.
