Candidates Prepare for State Rep Race
– Allison Goldsberry
An open state representative seat doesn’t come along too often, and by the end of today it will be clear who is seriously throwing a hat into the ring.
Today is the last day for potential candidates for the special election for the 23rd Middlesex State Representative seat to return their nomination papers to the Arlington or Medford clerk’s office.
So far, two candidates have formally announced their campaigns, Arlington School Committee member Jeff Thielman and former Arlington Town Moderator John Worden.
Worden announced his candidacy last week and hastily collected 500 signatures over the holiday weekend to submit along with his nomination papers today. One hundred and fifty signatures are needed to get onto the ballot, pending certification from the clerk’s office.
Several other potential candidates have taken out nomination papers but have yet to formally announce their campaigns.
While no one from Medford is vying for the seat, which includes much of Arlington and a small slice of West Medford, two Arlington residents pulled nomination papers from Medford City Hall because Arlington Town Hall ran out of the papers. According to the City Clerk’s office, those candidates are Frank Ciano and Arlington School Committee member Susan Lovelace.
Another Arlington School Committee member, Sean Garballey, took papers out on Friday and has been busily collecting signatures, but has yet to make a formal decision.
According to local news website YourArlington.com, Arlington residents Judson Pierce, Andrew O’Brien, and Bob Valeri have also taken out nomination papers.
The seat was previously held by Arlington resident Jim Marzilli, now a state senator, for seventeen years. The district includes all of Ward 6 and precinct 2 of Ward 3, Medford’s largest precinct, where voters cast ballots at Temple Shalom.
A primary election for the seat is scheduled for February 5, 2008, the same day as the Massachusetts presidential primary. A general election is scheduled for March 4, 2008.
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Special Election information from the Secretary of State’s Office