There was at least one surprise coming out of the 2012 primary election results held on Thursday, September 6, 2012. If you went to the polls, then you know the lines were short with low turnout of only 11% of registered voters casting ballots.
Patty Campatelli won the primary for Register of Probate against Sal LaMattina, 51%-48%, out of nearly 27,000 votes cast in the Democratic primary. Both candidates hailed from East Boston, but LaMattina was thought to be favored in the race due to his name recognition as City Councilor, Mayor Menino’s support and prior tenure as Director of Operations in the city’s transportation department.
Running her first election race, Campatelli was a substitute teacher and youth worker before joining the Suffolk County Sherriff’s Department and State Office of Community Corrections. The Register of Probate handles wills and family cases. The seat was vacated by Richard Iannella who resigned last year.
Optimism was high enough on a LaMattina win that several contenders had already started to emerge to fill his District 1 City Council seat. But after these election results, Sal LaMattina will remain District 1’s City Councilor representing the North End / Waterfront, East Boston and Charlestown.
Two days ago, Boston.com reported on controversial Facebook postings appearing on Patty Campatelli’s page, who denied making them and apologized to those who saw them.
North Ender Robert “Bobby” Dello Russo found out that taking on an incumbent is a difficult task. Maura Hennigan won re-election as Clerk of Courts (Criminal Division) in a vote of 63%-37%. This hard fought race garnered the most votes of any race on the ticket with 30,523 total votes cast.
Hennigan was favored in the race due to an expected large turnout in West Roxbury, a neighborhood she represented as City Councilor. Dello Russo ran on his experience record and “Clerk that Works” slogan, after leaving the role of Hennigan’s assistant clerk magistrate last year to run for the office. On the Civil side for Clerk of Courts, Michael Donovan took 70% of the vote against Michael Dash.
Also on the Democratic side, in the contested race for Governor’s Council, District 6, Terrance “Terry” Kennedy won with 62% of the vote over Francis Flaherty, Jr.
The Democratic races have no Republican contenders, practically assuring the primary winner of the seat in November’s general election.
There was some action in the Republican primary too, with Joe Selvaggi winning 83% of the 975 votes cast in the 8th U.S. Congressional race against Matias Temperley. Selvaggi will face Democratic Representative Stephen Lynch in November.
Unopposed Democratic candidates up for re-election in the State Legislature include the North End’s State Representative Aaron Michlewitz and State Senator Anthony Petruccelli, who each received 1837 and 2928 votes, 99% aand 98%, respectively.
All of the aforementioned races include candidates for districts covering the North End / Waterfront.
Unofficial elections results are posted on the City’s website with 100% of the precincts reporting.
Also on the primary ballot running unopposed in their respective parties were Republican U.S. Senator Scott Brown and Democratic contender, Elizabeth Warren. They will face off in November for the Massachusetts Senate seat.
The general election is set for Tuesday, November 6, 2012 highlighted by the Presidential race of Barak Obama vs. Mitt Romney.
That’s too bad about Sal and Bobby. I thought they both deserved to win.
I saw Patty campaigning, and never saw Sal. Pollsters don’t win elections. Shoeleather, dear friend cards, and door knocking wins.
Patty worked very hard to win this seat and she will work just as hard in the family and probate court