Bill Galvin: TIME TO RETIRE! Charlie Baker's NON-RESPONSE
FROM BLUE MASS GROUP:
Did Bill Galvin Just Admit to Election Tampering?
Galvin’s comment to Dan Rivera that “I made you mayor” strikes the ear as REALLY weird. Galvin didn’t do a single thing to help Rivera get elected, other than sending staff to keep the election fair. Why would he feel he is owed something for that? Now, I admit I’m biased because I don’t like him or Rivera. But to my mind, that sounds like a Freudian slip. Like the observers weren’t there to make it fair after all. Maybe it is, or maybe Galvin’s just clumsy wth words. But it’s enough that I would investigate if I were in Maura Healey’s shoes.
Galvin owes the public an explanation of what he meant. If one isn’t forthcoming, it’s only fair to assume he meant the worst.
Mass. elections chief needs to explain comment about Lawrence mayor, Democratic opponent Josh Zakim says
Updated
Seizing on the Massachusetts elections chief's alleged comment about the mayor of Lawrence during a fiery phone call, Boston City Councilor Josh Zakim called for him to elaborate on the remark.
Zakim is running in a Democratic primary against Bill Galvin, the longtime Massachusetts secretary of state. In that elected role, Galvin serves as the state's elections chief and oversees the state archives.
Lawrence Mayor Dan Rivera alleges that Galvin was angry over Rivera's endorsement of Zakim and called him up on a Friday night in February. "I made you mayor," Galvin said, according to Rivera.
Making such a statement has the potential to undermine the public's trust in elections, Zakim said.
Galvin's State House office has referred reporters' questions to his campaign operation, which has not responded to the mayor's claim.
Zakim added: "To be using his position to call and intimidate someone for getting involved in an election, it's troubling."
Zakim also questioned whether Galvin used taxpayer resources in making the call.
"The call alone is unacceptable but to be doing it on a government phone is certainly something he has to explain," he told MassLive.
The Democratic primary is set for Tuesday, September 4.
A Massachusetts Republican Party spokesman said they expect to field a GOP candidate to run against whoever emerges from the primary.
The Massachusetts Republican Party called the state's top elections chief "unhinged" after a report said Secretary of State Bill Galvin phoned the mayor of Lawrence and criticized him for endorsing a political opponent.
"Verbatim, he said, 'I made you mayor.' You don't forget words like that," Lawrence Mayor Dan Rivera told the State House News Service.
The wire service reported that Galvin, who as the elected secretary of state serves as the elections chief for Massachusetts, was angry with Rivera for endorsing Galvin's Democratic primary challenger, Josh Zakim.
The Massachusetts Republican Party sent a statement after the story was published, saying Galvin was "reckless" in "attacking a local official for purely political reasons."
"With an unhinged rant in which he implied he used his role as chief elections official for political purposes," said the statement sent by party spokesman Terry MacCormack. "Secretary of State William Galvin has proven he is the embodiment of the Democrats' insider culture on Beacon Hill that has led to scandal after scandal."
The state GOP is considered an extension of Gov. Charlie Baker's political operation. Baker is up for re-election this year.
But Baker declined to engage when asked about the state party's statement after a meeting with Massachusetts House Speaker Robert DeLeo, D-Winthrop, and Senate President Harriette Chandler, D-Worcester.
"Okay, I'm not familiar with what you're talking about," Baker said, as Chandler's eyes grew wide with surprise in response to the reporter's question.
"I'm not familiar with what you're talking about but I'm a big Dan Rivera fan, I always have been," Baker added after the reporter followed up with additional background on the spat between Galvin and Rivera.
Rivera was on Baker's transition team in 2014, when Baker won the race for governor.
Baker also backed Rivera when the mayor had a 2017 rematch with former mayor William Lantigua. The Boston Globe and Eagle-Tribune reported that Baker made a robo-call in support of Rivera.
Zakim launched his campaign against Galvin late last year, after winning another term on the Boston City Council.
MacCormack, the state GOP spokesman, told MassLive that the party expects to field a challenger to whoever emerges from the Democratic primary slated for September.
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