Tomorrow, after a seemingly unending election season, we finally get to cast our ballots and then sit back and find out what direction our commonwealth and nation are headed in the next few years. Here is my ballot with a brief explanation of my votes, and my predictions for Election evening.Massachusetts Governor
I am voting for Democrat Deval Patrick. I am convinced that Patrick will bring a positive voice and attitude to the corner office, something that the sate has been missing for the last few years. I support his position to change high school graduation requirements to include additional methods beyond the MCAS of determining the worthiness of students. I do not believe that we can afford to roll back the income tax to 5.0% at this time. I agree with Patrick's assertion that children of illegal immigrants who live in Massachusetts should not be punished for the choices of their parents if they qualify to attend state colleges and universities. I don't think that any of the other candidates for governor have made the case to me that I should vote for them despite my agreement with Patrick on the issues. As such, I heartily endorse his candidacy and will proudly cast my vote for him. Prediction: Deval Patrick 55%, Kerry Healey 35%, Christy Mihos 8%, Grace Ross 2%.
Massachusetts State Representative
I am voting for Democrat Jennifer Flanagan. Representative Flanagan has served Leominster admirably in her first term as state representative and she deserves to be reelected. Despite being a freshman legislator, Flanagan increased local aid to Leominster and city projects by more than $4 million over the previous legislative session. She is unafraid to stand for progressive issues such as marriage equality and a woman's right to choose. She has shown legislative leadership by making school nursing a priority and providing additional so that local schools can hire more school nurses. Flanagan has shown an understanding of Leominster's place as the leading city in North Central Massachusetts and has used that understanding to work with other cities and towns on regional priorities. Representative Flanagan's opponent left the Democratic party because it had become "too liberal" and because she did not believe she could defeat Flanagan in the primary (she lost by a handful of votes in 2004). The challenger has said that regional and health care issues would not be a priority, and that she would focus solely on issues facing the city. Representative Flanagan gets my vote because she is a progressive leader who understands the importance of state and regional issues and their impact on the city. Prediction: Jennifer Flanagan 52%, Claire Freda 48% (a difference of under 600 votes).Ballot Question 1 -- Selling Wine in Supermarkets
I am voting yes on Question 1. I had been solidly in favor of the initiative until recently, when I became worried that the new law would require towns to add the new category of liquor license, instead of just allowing the town to issue new licenses. After reading the ballot question closely, I am convinced that local cities and towns will still have discretion over the licenses. Prediction: Yes 51%, No 49%.
Ballot Question 2 -- Fusion Voting
I am voting no on Question 2. Allowing multiple parties to endorse the same candidate--thereby allowing candidates to appear more than once on the same ballot--would be unnecessarily confusing. I am in favor of making ballot access easier for minor parties, but not in this fashion. Prediction: No 60%, Yes 40%.
Ballot Question 3 -- Collective Bargaining for Day Care Workers
I am voting No on Question 3. While I am generally in favor of unionization and collective bargaining, I am not comfortable with the thought of individual day care worker who take care of two or three kids in their homes being pressured to join a union. Prediction: Yes 55%, No 45%.
U.S. Senator
I am voting for Senator Ted Kennedy. He is one of the 10 greatest legislators in our nation's history. His opponent once went on the Judge Mathis show to resolve a legal dispute with a campaign aide. Prediction: Ted Kennedy 72%, Ken Chase 28%.
U.S. Representative
I am voting for Representative John Olver. Unfortunately, Leominster has been stuck in a district with Amherst and other Western Mass. towns. Leominster is an afterthought. Even so, Rep. Olver has fought for funding for highway projects in the region, and is a major proponent of the proposed Leominster-Fitchburg Rail Trail. Prediction: John Olver 63%, Billy Szych 37%.
Attorney General
I am voting for Martha Coakley. I believe she has been an excellent District Attorney for Middlesex County and will be an upgrade to current Attorney General Tom Reilly. Prediction: Martha Coakley 62%, Larry Frisoli 38%.
Secretary of State
I am voting for Green-Rainbow candidate Jill Stein. Incumbent Bill Galvin ignored Stein, refused to debate her, and then when he relented, he insisted on a five-minute debate in an undisclosed location. A particularly undemocratic response for the state's top election official. Prediction: Bill Galvin 82%, Jill Stein 18%.
State Treasurer
I am voting for Green-Rainbow candidate James O'Keefe. I have no beef with the job incumbent Timothy Cahill has done; my vote is to help the Green-Rainbow party achieve automatic ballot access by surpassing 3% of the vote. Prediction: Timothy Cahill 90%, O'Keefe 10%.
State Auditor
I an voting for Incumbent Democrat Joe DiNucci. Prediction: Joe DiNucci 78%, Rand Wilson 22%.
Register of Deeds
I am voting for Democrat Kathy Daigneault. She is a perpetual candidate from Leominster, to the point that she recycles her campaign signs by adding stickers with whatever office she is seeking this cycle. I'm hoping that if she wins, she'll ride incumbency to an easy victory in the next cycle and get rid of those signs. Prediction: Kathy Daigneault 44%, George Watts 32%, John Bowen 24%.
Tags: Massachusetts Election 2006 Debate Kerry Healey Deval Patrick
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