EagleTribune.com, North Andover, MA
Permalink
State rep., US Senate races top local ballots
Published: September 14, 2008
Heated state representative races in Methuen and Lawrence and a battle for a seat in the U.S. Senate are among the contests appearing on local primary ballots Tuesday.
In Lawrence, six-year state Rep. William Lantigua is being challenged in the Democratic primary by Marcos Devers, a former city councilor and interim mayor. There are no Republicans seeking the seat.
Devers, a fellow Democrat who first ran against Lantigua in 2006, said Lantigua has grossly overstated his political accomplishments. He believes the district needs change and a "real Democrat" to take the reigns.
Lantigua touts his political experience and ability to bring in millions of dollars in funding for education, health care, public safety and local nonprofit organizations. He said he wants to continue the community-enhancing initiatives he has launched.
Methuen state Rep. Linda Dean Campbell is running against newcomer Chris DiBella in the Democratic primary. The winner will face city councilor and independent candidate Joseph Leone in the Nov. 4 general election.
Over the past few weeks, DiBella has repeatedly attacked Campbell's voting record and said that in the last year, she worked an average of less than one day per week on Beacon Hill.
Campbell fired back, saying DiBella is spreading "slanderous" misinformation. She said she has a 99.7 percent voting record, and Methuen has received a "record level" of state funding during her time at the Statehouse.
One of the only other contested primary races pits incumbent Democrat Mary-Ellen Manning of Salem against Timothy Houten, a Middleton selectman, for a seat on the Governor's Council. Neither candidate is speaking gently of the other.
"She's just up there to say no to everybody and be discourteous, and that's what she sees as her calling," Houten said.
"He's never once been to a hearing, never once. So once again that's the kind of public service you'd be getting from Tim Houten — opinions and no facts," Manning said.
Both lawyers say they're the ideal reformer for the Governor's Council, a largely obscure body that appoints judges. The job pays $26,025 a year. With no Republicans running, the primary will likely decide the election.
On the national level, Gloucester attorney Edward O'Reilly, who received 23 percent of the votes at the state Democratic convention, is John Kerry's first Democratic opponent in 23 years.
O'Reilly previously supported Kerry as the 2004 presidential nominee, but decided to run for office because he feels the incumbent has not been strong enough in his opposition to the Iraq War or his support for gay marriage. He has also criticized Kerry for being an out-of-touch politician.
On the flip side, Kerry has pointed to his strong support at the state convention, where he received 78 percent of the vote.
The winner of the primary will face Republican Jeff Beatty, a former Army Delta Air Force officer from Harwich.
Staff writers J.J. Huggins and Mike Stucka contributed to this story. Material from the Associated Press was also used in this report.
