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State sets April 3 and May 1 for elections to replace Dorcena Forry
By adamg on Mon, 01/29/2018 - 1:43pm
The state Senate decided today to set an April 3 primary and a May 1 final election to select a replacement for Linda Dorcena Forry, who resigned on Friday as the senator for the 1st Suffolk District (South Boston and Dorchester). Whoever wins will then have to decide whether to run for re-election in the regular primary and general election this fall. Nomination papers are already available at the Secretary of State's offce at Ashburton Place.
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Comments
This looks like a job for...
...Doug Bennett!
Job for Doug Bennett
Accounts Receivable. The enthusiastic persistence will wear down any deadbeats.
The Home Despot at South Bay just ordered additional
plywood and green paint.
Doug doesn't buy his plywood
He just recycles it. He has plenty.
They should leave the seat empty for 9 months.
Having two elections this close together is silly.
Better still, they should have told the Senator
Sorry, but you can't resign before your term is up just so you can take a different job.
We really need a law that prevents elected officials from pulling this sort of nonsense. It doesn't serve the public one bit.
"It doesn't serve the public one bit."
That's not the concern/goal of 99% of politicians
This has been covered
and I don't think people are going to agree on this issue.
I can't imagine how it would work, but what if there was a $20k fine for leaving your seat earlier which could be paid by campaign funds or contributions? She has lots of money raised for political purposes - that should be refunded to the contributors after the cost of the special election is covered. If you are leaving to work for some fat cat like Suffolk, then they can kick in $20k to the special election costs like a transfer fee.
Fines like that are just another way
rich people can buy government.
Great, but..
She doesn't have $20k in her campaign account. She knew she was leaving.
Funny you bring that up
Her campaign sent out a letter seeking donations for her reelection, it’s dated January 24, 2018.
About that ..
I'm assuming you took a look at her campaign finance account like I did? Did seem as though she was paying down her balance, down to $16,000 or so as of Dec 31 2017 from a high in the 5 digits at other times.
And, geez, she sure spends a lot on non-campaign stuff (non-directly campaign stuff). Like, $5,000 on Bell Biv Devoe t-shirts, last summer??!
Did you notice?
Her purchase for $50 for a "senate jacket" or something?
Here's a wild idea-
Here's a wild idea-
Amend the state constitution. If somebody resigns an elected office before term is up, it automatically gets offered to whoever the runner-up was when they got elected. If that person turns it down, it goes to the next runner-up, and so on... even if needs to go down to the write-ins.
More seriously, since there
More seriously, since there are flaws with that idea...
I think it does get a little crazy with the number of actual elections in a year the public ends up on the hook for. I recall some year there were multiple special elections and primaries, in addition to the "regular" primary and fall general election.
I think there should be a maximum of two election days a year (each with primaries). General election in November, with primaries whatever usual period of time in advance. For anything else, if needed, there should be a cutoff date for establishing need for any statewide or district election. The special, if needed, would be six months opposite regular election day (so... first Tuesday after the first Monday of May), with a primary the usual amount of time beforehand.
Set a cutoff. Jan 25, Feb 15...I don't know exactly how much time is needed for party/primary mechanisms to get moving. A vacancy happens by the cutoff - replacement to complete the term determined by the May election. Any vacancy occurring after cutoff - replacement to complete the term determined by the November election. In either event, acting replacement appointed by Governor to serve until election.
Ditch most of the primaries
I like your idea, but I don't see the need for all these primaries. Take this case where the winner of the primary and then general gets to stay in office 7 whole months and meanwhile has to start running again immediately for primaries and general in the fall. Stupid. In this case for sure, just have one special election and if 22 people run, so be it. It's not like a Republican is likely to show up for the general election and win. I really don't see why people are assumed to be overwhelmed by more than 2 or 3 names on the ballot.
Slavery
That's indentured servitude, dude.
You planning to die at work, are ya?
And leave the people without
And leave the people without representation?
Dorcena Forry should be sent a bill to cover the cost of the special election for resigning for non-health related reasons.
Let's be real for a second
The State Senate is almost as useless as the City Council. You won't notice any difference.
Can anyone tell me one thing Sen Rush has done of note since getting elected to rep the Parkway? Other than getting his dad a patronage gig?
Sure
He's voted on every budget passed by the General Court.
I didn't even have to look that one up.
That's literally nothing
The budget would have passed regardless. My dog could replace him and if instructed to vote the party line and there would be no difference.
Sure
And if someone else held the seat, the same would be true.
The State Senate is almost as
Then why are we paying them and why don't we have a part time legislature like many other states do?
Bernstein article
http://www.bostonmagazine.com/news/2017/03/26/eliminate-massachusetts-ho...
The fact that we have senators and reps. is extremely stupid. There was a reason for the design of the national government but it just doesn't hold up in a small state level (or nationally TBH)
Okay but ..
Valid question but .. didn't MA have it here before the federal government?
And, I agree; the city councilor doesn't have much power, and the state house of representatives even less (bum-kissers) but the Senate does have a bit more to do and I respect them a bit more. I mean, we have to have some government, right?
Maybe?
We also used to put people in stocks and try people for witchcraft. Those are also bad ideas that were replaced.
The idea is that we have one elected representative on Beacon Hill (other than the governor). Call the position a rep or senator - there's no need to have two people in two different bodies representing your interests at the state level. Personally, I think state rep would be better as there would be more representation.
Better to come up with some
Better to come up with some sort of process for appointing a replacement. Say, have the current official propose 5 names, and let the governor pick one.
You want the person leaving
You want the person leaving to propose 5 names? Nepotism much?
I always felt that the Govenor's Council should appoint these empty seats. With the stipulation that the person appointed to the interim seat be barred from running for the seat during the next cycle.
Scratch John Barros
Will be staying in City Hall.