Published in the August 31, 2020 edition.
By DAN TOMASELLO and BOB BURGESS
WAKEFIELD — Let the 2020 election season begin!
Voters in all seven Wakefield precincts will head to the polls tomorrow at the Galvin Middle School gym for the state party primaries. The town’s single polling place will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
As of the most recent voter registration deadline, there are 19,329 Wakefield residents eligible to participate. Town Clerk Betsy Sheeran’s office received roughly 5,800 requests for early voting ballots.
There are three contested races appearing on the Democratic primary ballot and one contested race on the Republican primary ballot. There are no Green-Rainbow Party and Libertarian Party candidates running in their respective primaries, but voters can still request ballots for those primaries.
Democratic primary
The Democratic primary features contested races for Governor’s Council, Sixth Congressional District and U.S. Senate.
Sixth District Governor’s Councilor Terrance Kennedy of Stafford Road in Lynnfield is being challenged by Lynn resident Helina Fontes. Kennedy, who was first elected to the seat in November 2010, stated on his Facebook page that he “will always fight for diverse judges to be appointed.”
“Join me in calling on Gov. Charlie Baker to appoint more Latino/Latina, African American and LGBTQ judges,” Kennedy stated. “Silence is acceptance. We need action now.”
Fontes stated on her website that she is running for Governor’s Councilor because she sees “the unique opportunity this council provides in reshaping the Massachusetts judicial system for the better.”
“Too many of our prisons contain non-violet individuals in need of mental health care or simply cannot afford to pay the lofty bails set for them,” Fontes stated. “Poverty should not be penalized nor should individuals in need of mental health care or experiencing intellectual challenges be punished. We can and must do better.”
Topsfield residents Angus McQuilken and Jamie M. Belsito are challenging Congressman Seth Moulton of Salem for the Democratic nomination for the 6th Congressional District. Moulton, who was elected to Congress in November 2014, has advocated on behalf of veterans’ issues, criminal justice reform and local issues such as securing COVID-19 relief funds for the district as part of the CARES Act. He unsuccessfully ran for the Democratic nomination for president last year.
Belsito is the founder of the Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance. She has advocated for making health care more affordable, improving access to education and reforming the country’s immigration system.
McQuilken helped launch the Massachusetts Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence. In addition to being a strong supporter of gun control, McQuilken has also made climate change a focal point of his campaign as well as job creation.
The race for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate is a showdown between incumbent Sen. Edward Markey and Congressman Joseph Kennedy III. Over the course of his tenure in both Congress and the U.S. Senate, Markey has advocated for renewable energy in order to fight climate change, and is a co-sponsor of the Green New Deal. He has also advocated on behalf of “Medicare for all” and gun control.
Kennedy, a grandson of late Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, has represented Massachusetts’ 4th Congressional District since 2013. Since beginning his career in Congress, Kennedy has advocated for making health care more affordable, criminal justice reform and increasing access to mental health services.
Voters in Wakefield’s precincts 1, 2, 3 and 7 will see two uncontested Democratic primary races. State Sen. Jason M. Lewis is up for reelection in the 5th Middlesex District and Medford’s Tara DeCristofaro is running again for Middlesex County’s Register of Probate. There is no Democrat running for the state House of Representatives’ Ninth Essex District seat, currently held by Republican Don Wong of Saugus.
In precincts 4, 5 and 6, voters will see Lewis, DeCristofaro and state Rep. Kate Lipper-Garabedian as uncontested candidates. Lipper-Garabedian was the winner of a special election held earlier this year to succeed Paul Brodeur, who was elected last year as mayor of Melrose. She serves residents of the state House of Representatives 32nd Middlesex District, which covers all of Melrose, half of Wakefield and a sliver of Malden.
Republican primary
There is one contested race appearing on the Republican ballot.
Dover resident Kevin J. O’Connor is running against Dr. V.A. Shiva Ayyadurai for the GOP nomination for U.S. Senate. O’Connor is a practicing attorney who opposes gun control and “sanctuary cities,” and is a supporter of term limits for members of Congress.
Ayyadurai has spoken out against vaccinations, including the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s recent mandate that students get a flu shot by the end of the year. The Indian-born entrepreneur also claims to have invented email.
Voters in Wakefield’s precincts 1, 2, 3 and 7 will see that there are two candidates running unopposed in the Republican primary. Incumbent Don Wong seeks reelection to the Ninth Essex seat and is running unopposed once again. John Paul Moran is running for the GOP nomination for the 6th Congressional District. He will face the winner of the three-way race for the Democratic nomination featuring incumbent Moulton and challengers McQuilken and Belsito.
