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Capuano Prevails In Eighth District
Somerville base helps pull mayor over the top
SOMERVILLE--Michael E. Capuano, a small-town mayor who took on political heavyweights, won both the Democratic nomination for the Eighth Congressional District and his place in history last night.
With 81 percent of precincts reporting as of 1 a.m. this morning, Capuano received 24 percent of the vote. His nearest rival, former Boston mayor Raymond L. Flynn, took in 17 percent of the vote.
Former state senator George Bachrach came in third, with 16 percent.
Seven other candidates split the remaining 43 percent.
After concession phone calls by Flynn and Bachrach, Capuano strode to the podium in the Essex Ballroom at the Holiday Inn in His first words: "It's goddamned unbelievable,isn't it?" A roar swept through the crowd of nearly 300strong. "This election," he continued. "Is yours," shouted a supporter. "No," replied Capuano. "It's yours." "This election proves that beyond a shadow of adoubt, the Eighth Congressional District stillbelongs to the regular working people of America,"he said. In his concession speech, Flynn congratulatedCapuano on his victory. "It's pretty obvious that Mike Capuano,excellent campaigner and very, very, wonderfulpolitical leader in the city of Somerville, haddone very well," Flynn said. Bachrach, also considered a front-runner upuntil the end, used his concession speech toreaffirm support for the liberal values he ran on. "It doesn't matter if you please everybody,"Bachrach said of his defeat. "It matters that youbelieve in what you're doing." "I've finished second before and the last timeit happened, it was probably the best thing thathappened to me because I met my wife," he noted. Candidates and supporters spent the daywrestling up last-minute votes in a race that wasby far the closest it's been since 1986. Marjorie O'Neill Clapprood, who finishedfourth, was at the polls by 6 a.m., and traveledthroughout the district all day. Severalcandidates had phone banks set up, with hundredsof volunteers pleading with undecided Bay Staters. Up until the last minutes before polls closedat 8 p.m. yesterday, there was little consensus onwho would pull ahead. Cambridge political analyst James J. Raffertygave the nod to Flynn, noting that many pro-choicevoters may have been reluctant to tell pollstersthey were voting for him. Others felt Capuano had a groundswell ofsupport after his performance in the campaign'sfinal debate on Sept. 7. And Bachrach got a boost last week when TheBoston Globe endorsed his candidacy. The latest poll numbers taken before theelection showed Capuano inching ahead by as muchas four percentage points. Although statistically insignificant, theconsistency of the polls led many observers tobelieve the Somerville mayor had an edge. There were signs early today that voters weregiving Capuano a second look. As late as 1 p.m., voters were eagerlyaccessing Capuano's Web site, which overloadedseveral times. As soon as Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy II announcedhe would leave his seat last fall, Capuano, 46,immediately jumped into the fray, holding hisfirst fundraiser the night after Kennedy'sannouncement. Although Capuano never amassed a bankroll likemillionaire candidates John O'Connor andChristopher F.O. Gabrielli '81, enthusiasticsupport amongst his Somerville constituents mayhave influenced a district looking for a strongvoice. "He's a low-key guy," said Somerville residentFred Caruso. "But he's a winner, pure and simple." When Ray Flynn ended his quest to be governorand entered the race for the eighth, the field ofcandidates finally had what it lacked: a big name,with a big following, to boot. Flynn's tenure as mayor of Boston wascontroversial at times, but he always maintainedstrong grass-root support, particularly amongstthe district's Irish-American voters. But the eighth's demographics have changeddramatically since the time when Irish-Americanvoters held significant sway in the district.Redistricting by Congress in 1992 brought morenon-Irish voters into the district. And now with Boston's red-hot housing market,white-collar professionals are beginning to fillmany of the area's ethnic and non-whiteneighborhoods. But even with all the changes in the district,campaign staffers for Flynn, Capuano and Bachrachall said there is still only one thing thatmatters. "It's a matter of who does a better job ofgetting their base out to the polls," said AnsonE. Kaye, Bachrach's communication's director. Candidate Votes PercentageJanet Jeghelian 91,300 45.0%Jane Maria Swift 107,659 53.0%43% of precincts reported
His first words: "It's goddamned unbelievable,isn't it?"
A roar swept through the crowd of nearly 300strong.
"This election," he continued.
"Is yours," shouted a supporter.
"No," replied Capuano. "It's yours."
"This election proves that beyond a shadow of adoubt, the Eighth Congressional District stillbelongs to the regular working people of America,"he said.
In his concession speech, Flynn congratulatedCapuano on his victory.
"It's pretty obvious that Mike Capuano,excellent campaigner and very, very, wonderfulpolitical leader in the city of Somerville, haddone very well," Flynn said.
Bachrach, also considered a front-runner upuntil the end, used his concession speech toreaffirm support for the liberal values he ran on.
"It doesn't matter if you please everybody,"Bachrach said of his defeat. "It matters that youbelieve in what you're doing."
"I've finished second before and the last timeit happened, it was probably the best thing thathappened to me because I met my wife," he noted.
Candidates and supporters spent the daywrestling up last-minute votes in a race that wasby far the closest it's been since 1986.
Marjorie O'Neill Clapprood, who finishedfourth, was at the polls by 6 a.m., and traveledthroughout the district all day. Severalcandidates had phone banks set up, with hundredsof volunteers pleading with undecided Bay Staters.
Up until the last minutes before polls closedat 8 p.m. yesterday, there was little consensus onwho would pull ahead.
Cambridge political analyst James J. Raffertygave the nod to Flynn, noting that many pro-choicevoters may have been reluctant to tell pollstersthey were voting for him.
Others felt Capuano had a groundswell ofsupport after his performance in the campaign'sfinal debate on Sept. 7.
And Bachrach got a boost last week when TheBoston Globe endorsed his candidacy.
The latest poll numbers taken before theelection showed Capuano inching ahead by as muchas four percentage points.
Although statistically insignificant, theconsistency of the polls led many observers tobelieve the Somerville mayor had an edge.
There were signs early today that voters weregiving Capuano a second look.
As late as 1 p.m., voters were eagerlyaccessing Capuano's Web site, which overloadedseveral times.
As soon as Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy II announcedhe would leave his seat last fall, Capuano, 46,immediately jumped into the fray, holding hisfirst fundraiser the night after Kennedy'sannouncement.
Although Capuano never amassed a bankroll likemillionaire candidates John O'Connor andChristopher F.O. Gabrielli '81, enthusiasticsupport amongst his Somerville constituents mayhave influenced a district looking for a strongvoice.
"He's a low-key guy," said Somerville residentFred Caruso.
"But he's a winner, pure and simple."
When Ray Flynn ended his quest to be governorand entered the race for the eighth, the field ofcandidates finally had what it lacked: a big name,with a big following, to boot.
Flynn's tenure as mayor of Boston wascontroversial at times, but he always maintainedstrong grass-root support, particularly amongstthe district's Irish-American voters.
But the eighth's demographics have changeddramatically since the time when Irish-Americanvoters held significant sway in the district.Redistricting by Congress in 1992 brought morenon-Irish voters into the district.
And now with Boston's red-hot housing market,white-collar professionals are beginning to fillmany of the area's ethnic and non-whiteneighborhoods.
But even with all the changes in the district,campaign staffers for Flynn, Capuano and Bachrachall said there is still only one thing thatmatters.
"It's a matter of who does a better job ofgetting their base out to the polls," said AnsonE. Kaye, Bachrach's communication's director.
Candidate Votes PercentageJanet Jeghelian 91,300 45.0%Jane Maria Swift 107,659 53.0%43% of precincts reported
Candidate Votes PercentageJanet Jeghelian 91,300 45.0%Jane Maria Swift 107,659 53.0%43% of precincts reported
Candidate Votes PercentageJanet Jeghelian 91,300 45.0%Jane Maria Swift 107,659 53.0%43% of precincts reported
Candidate Votes PercentageJanet Jeghelian 91,300 45.0%Jane Maria Swift 107,659 53.0%43% of precincts reported
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