Few things matter as much in elections as who is Springfield’s voice on Beacon Hill. The third largest city in the state, it has its share of reps and senators, but the quality has varied. Today, we may be experiencing a high(er) watermark of enthusiasm
Due to tight schedules and limited resources, we will have no Markup/Takedown this Week. We’ll be back with the news you need for your political week on Monday.
In Massachusetts, there exist more than a few arcane and esoteric offices. The Governor’s Council, a throwback to colonial days which confirms judges, labor relations commissioner and other posts appointed by the governor and approves pardons and notaries, is one such body. Its 8th district
UPDATED 9/6/16 8:26: For clarity and accuracy. SPRINGFIELD—For Michael Ashe, 2016 has become the omega to his alpha in 1974, when he stunned the Hampden County political world by winning the Democratic nomination—the real contest—for sheriff. The sheriff’s latest and greatest campaign, however, is also
UPDATED 11:04PM: To reflect comments from Republican executive editor Wayne Phaneuf and reflect the editorial’s posting. The Republican newspaper’s endorsement in the Hampden Sheriff’s race got out ahead of schedule, revealing the paper choice in the fiercely contested Democratic primary. Not altogether surprisingly, the editorial
By the time the Massachusetts legislature is sworn in next January, three of Springfield’s members of the House of Representatives shall have been serving for less than three years. Two new reps from the city were elected two years ago and in January a third
…And the World: We begin today in Brazil where impeached President Dilma Rousseff is battling to save her political career. The lower house of the Brazilian legislature voted earlier this year to impeach Rousseff for fudging budget numbers—the nation faces a fiscal nightmare brought on,
SPRINGFIELD—Fairly or not, Thomas Ashe’s political scorecard perhaps invites charges of being a political climber. An ambitious run for mayor and a stab at Clerk of Courts were unsuccessful. But unlike those other bids, the four-term councilor appears to have many of the goods voters Hampden County
SPRINGFIELD—Under ticket races in Western Massachusetts have not been entirely ignored this cycle. Yet given the contentious Hampden Sheriff primary and the national war for the White House, others have flown under the radar. Nevertheless, the race for the 8th District Governor’s Council race has had heat and, in
…And the World: We begin today in France, where a former President Nicolas Sarkozy has announced he will again run for the presidency in next year’s election after failing to win reelection four years ago. François Hollande, who beat Sarkozy in the 2012 election, is polling in