Who Returned Papers to Compete in Central Mass Elections

Wednesday, May 02, 2012

Walter Bird Jr., GoLocalWorcester Reporter

The deadline for submitting nomination papers to city hall in order to run for office this fall has passed. Yesterday was the deadline. GoLocalWorcester has a look at who has entered the political race.

Republican Brian O’Malley will now face a primary in the 15th Worcester District race, replacing former state Rep. Vincent Pedone, who left Beacon Hill to pursue other career opportunities. His move left the 15th District without representation, but O’Malley and several others stepped up to ensure that wouldn’t be the case for long.

Write-in candidate

On Tuesday, the last day for candidates to return nomination papers to city hall for certification, Jeffrey Potter, of 50 Franklin St., dropped off a note indicating he would run a write-in campaign as a Republican.

“It wasn’t really a surprise,” O’Malley said of Potter’s decision. “I had met him before and he had told me he was going to run. The only surprise is he didn’t pull out papers. I just find it curious.”

Actually, Potter said he did take out nomination papers, but his plans were for a Republican organization to help gather signatures. That never materialized, he said, so he opted to run a write-in campaign, instead.

Potter didn’t say much in a phone interview with GoLocalWorcester, other than he has gained “quite a lot of support from young people and the elderly.” He said he is an investor, but did not elaborate when asked his profession. Potter said he received an honorary degree from Fryeburg Academy in Maine in 1960.

Ready for election

If elected, Potter said he would fight for reductions in the meals, gasoline and liquor taxes as well as smaller government. He said he was on good terms with O’Malley, but Potter believes he has a good chance at winning the primary. If that happens, he said he’ll be ready for the general election.

“Oh yes,” he said, “if I win the primary, of course.”

Potter said he is single and has no children.

‘Good feeling’

The emergence of a challenger has O’Malley gearing up for a fight. He acknowledged the campaign will be different now that he has an opponent, saying, “It will keep me a little more focused. I’ll have to be a little more aggressive now, but I’ve got a good feeling.”

O’Malley said he and Potter appear to “agree on a lot of issues,” but added, “A lot can happen between now and September.”

Biancheria set to go

Five Democrats submitted more than the 150 signatures required to get on the ballot for the 15th District, including Frank Beshai, School Committee member Dianna Biancheria, City Councilor Kate Toomey, Mary Keefe and Ralph Perez. The winner of that primary will square off against either O'Malley or Potter.

Biancheria is already a step ahead of the game. While candidates have until 5 p.m. May 29 to submit their certified nomination papers to the Secretary of State’s office, Biancheria said she has already done so.

“There’s no hemming and hawing,” she told GoLocalWorcester. “This is a serious race and serious times. We are moving forward, just as we moved forward in January when we announced I was running. We need a consistent, determined voice, someone who knows the neighborhood.”

Other candidates

The big contest is in the 15th District, but over in the 14th Worcester District, incumbent James O'Day must fend off a challenge from Republican William McCarthy, a former candidate for city council and sheriff. According to Joshua Medina, assistant director of elections in Worcester, Winthrop Handy of West Boylston submitted nomination papers with three signatures as an un-enrolled candidate in the 14th District. GoLocalWorcester could not immediately confirm whether he submitted additional signatures in his hometown.

Incumbent Democrat John Binienda Sr. appears to be running unopposed in the 17th District, but Medina said William LeBeau of Leicester submitted papers with 58 signatures to run against Binienda. Like Handy, LeBeau needed to submit enough signatures in his hometown to be included on the ballot.

Incumbent Democrat John Mahoney is unopposed in the 13th Worcester District, as is incumbent Democrat John Fresolo in the 16th. State Sen. Harriette Chandler, D-1st Worcester, also does not have an opponent.

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