All politics is local
by Ethan Jacobs
Bay Windows
Monday Jun 9, 2008
http://www.edgeboston.com/index.php?ch=news&sc=glbt&sc2=news&sc3=&id=75519If you thought the election excitement was over for Massachusetts after February's presidential primary, think again. While the John McCain-Barack Obama swing state smackdown will dominate prime time TV, there's no shortage of exciting state legislative races where political junkies can get their fix closer to home.
MassEquality will be working to pull off the hat trick of re-electing every pro-equality incumbent for the third consecutive election cycle, and some of the races promise to be nail-biters. For starters, one of MassEquality's most important allies, openly gay Rep. Carl Sciortino (D-Medford) will be forced to run for his seat as a sticker candidate after failing to file the required number of signatures with the Secretary of State's office. Another key ally, Sen. Dianne Wilkerson (D-Boston), faces a strong challenge from progressive Sonia Chang-Diaz, who came within six percentage points of beating her in 2006. MassEquality will also be working to protect three lawmakers whose last-minute vote switch on the marriage amendment last June was crucial to the amendment's defeat; at least one of those vote-switchers will be facing an anti-equality opponent. There is also the potential for the number of openly LGBT lawmakers to double this fall, with four out candidates running either for open seats or to unseat incumbents. The primary takes place Sept. 16, followed by the general on Nov. 4.
