THE SUPREME JUDICIAL COURT heard arguments Monday on a thorny and novel question of political spending and free speech rights. Proponents of a potential 2024 ballot measure limiting individual campaign contributions to political action committees are asking the high court to find the measure was improperly rejected by then-Attorney General Maura Healey’s office last year. […]
Elections
Posted inOpinion
Progressives aren’t the problem, voting approach is
GREG MAYNARD’S insights regarding the shrinking influence of the Massachusetts Democratic Party was a much needed effort to critique the party’s shortcomings. However, instead of analysis, Maynard mixes up the issues in order to take gratuitous potshots at the party’s progressive wing. It’s scarcely news that unenrolled voters now outnumber both registered Republicans and Democrats […]
Posted inPolitics, State Government
House declares Scarsdale winner of disputed race
DEMOCRAT MARGARET SCARSDALE of Pepperell is expected to be sworn in Wednesday as a state representative after a special House committee of two Democrats and one Republican upheld her seven-vote victory over Republican Andrew Shepherd of Townsend. The special committee, in a decision that was filed with the House clerk after 5 p.m. on Tuesday […]
Posted inOpinion
Mass. Democratic Party isn’t all that different from GOP counterpart
THE DYSFUNCTION of the Massachusetts Republican Party has captured attention and headlines for the last few years, but it is the quiet collapse of the Massachusetts Democratic Party that should be concerning. In February 2006, Deval Patrick rocked the world of Massachusetts Democrats when he swept caucus after caucus, with slates of first-time activists beating […]
Posted inPolitics
2 Republicans blame human error in unusual election challenge
TWO REPUBLICANS who narrowly lost races for the House in November told a three-member legislative committee tasked with declaring a winner that there were irregularities in the counting of votes but no fraud and no attempt by anyone to steal the election “I don’t want anyone to think this was a stolen election,” said Republican Rep. […]
Posted inPolitics, State Government, State House News Service
House panel will try to decide who won 2 rep races
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE A PANEL OF LAWMAKERS will convene two public hearings on Friday to examine a pair of House races decided by extremely narrow, but certified, recounts, a move that will keep winners from being seated until at least the end of the week. The three representatives on the panel — Democrat Michael […]
Posted inPolitics
Mariano says House will review 2 election results
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE TOP HOUSE DEMOCRATS plan on Wednesday to task a special committee with examining the results of two elections decided by microscopic margins following recounts, a process House Speaker Ronald Mariano expects will “temporarily delay” the apparent victors from taking office. Mariano announced in a statement on Tuesday evening that the House […]
Posted inPolitics
Super PAC with ties to Baker accused of breaking law
MASSACHUSETTS REGULATORS accused a super PAC with close ties to Gov. Charlie Baker of breaking state campaign finance law by holding a fundraiser in July where the governor was the guest of honor. The super PAC, called Massachusetts Majority, agreed to settle the charge by agreeing to “purge” $17,500 that was raised at the event. […]
Posted inPolitics
Recount in rep race gives edge to Dem by 1 vote
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE DEMOCRAT KRISTIN Kassner jumped into the lead over five-term Republican Rep. Lenny Mirra after a district-wide recount erased her narrow deficit and put her ahead by a single vote, an infinitesimally tight outcome that the incumbent plans to challenge in court. Mirra led Kassner by 10 votes out of more than […]
Posted inPolitics
In-person Election Day voting boosted turnout to 2.5m
THERE WERE 2.5 million Massachusetts residents who cast ballots in the November 8 midterm election, and despite the availability of vote-by-mail, more than half of them returned to the tried-and-true method of in-person voting on Election Day. With 2,508,298 ballots cast, voter turnout was the second highest it has been for a midterm election, after […]