Hey, there! Log in / Register

Althea Garrison makes her big move

Blackstonian has the lists of candidates who appear to have filed enough valid signatures to get on the ballot this fall.

Althea Garrison, who runs unsuccessfully every year for some office in Roxbury, has broadened her sights this year: She looks set to make the ballot as one of eight candidates for the four at-large city-council seats. If the number stays at eight, that means incumbents Michelle Wu, Ayanna Pressley, Michael Flaherty and Annissa Essaibi-George will skip a preliminary in September and go straight into the November final against Garrison, Domingos DaRosa of Hyde Park, William King of Dorchester and Pat Payaso of Roxbury.

Marty Walsh and Tito Jackson will have no such luck in their race for mayor - Joseph Wiley and Robert Cappucci, both of East Boston, are enough to force a mayoral preliminary in September to narrow the field down to two.

In district council races, three people qualified for the District 1 seat Sal LaMattina is giving up, six candidates seem to have gotten on the ballot for the District 2 seat Bill Linehan is retiring from and 13 candidates will make a go for the District 7 seat Jackson is giving up to run for mayor. Among the 13 - perennial also-ran Roy Owens, making yet another bid to finish at the bottom of the results.

Incumbent Councilors Josh Zakim (District 8) and Mark Ciommo (District 9) will face competition. Councilors Frank Baker (District 3), Matt O'Malley (6) and Tim McCarthy (5) appear not to have any competition.

One person not on the ballot for anything is Doug Bennett.

Neighborhoods: 
Topics: 


Ad:


Like the job UHub is doing? Consider a contribution. Thanks!

Comments

The preferred situation for a challenger to the four sitting city councilors-at-large, I would imagine, would be for there to be a run-off in September, but only if there wasn't a mayoral run-off, too. With a low turnout, a challenger might have a chance.

Given that there will be a mayoral run-off, I would think there will be a higher turnout, and that means less of a chance for challengers such as Ms. Garrison, if they had had a run-off. No?

Wouldn't it be swell, though, to have ex-State Representative Garrison on the City Council next to Ayanna, Michelle, and Annissa?

up
Voting closed 0

The original lists are available to all from the Elections Office by email at
https://www.boston.gov/departments/elections

Advocate the lists be made available on Elections Commission WebPages!

Advocate Candidates for City Council get opened/released online the City Stenographer Stenographic Record of Public Meetings of Boston City Council for hard of hearing folks, for ESL English Second Language folks, for all folks!

up
Voting closed 0

I'm disappointed at the tone of this. Althea Garrison has actually won an election and by most accounts served with distinction in the House.

She hasn't been convicted of anything, hasn't plead guilty to open meeting law violations, has not participated in tax giveaways to corporations, participated in shady legislative actions or any other malfeasance that many elected officials have. (Or leave plywood signs all over the place)

She is a long time government worker who to my knowledge has never had anything negative said about her job performance. It is her right to go out and collect signatures and get on the ballot.

I've met Althea, had her over to my house for a meal and I find her to be a fascinating, charming, insightful and responsive person. I'm pleased to call her a friend.

It is easy to sit behind a key board and mock people (usually with an alias), it is completely another thing to go out and collect signatures, open yourself up for public scrutiny, put your name out there and do the work to try and make the world a better place.

So, my hat is off to Althea and all the candidates for all the offices. She likely has one of my four votes.

If we want better government and better government officials, we should support people running for office, not mock them. This kind of attitude is what keeps good people from wanting to get involved.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Althea_Garrison

up
Voting closed 0

When does someone become "perennial"? How many times running and not winning?

Asking for a friend.

up
Voting closed 0

She got in because the incumbent somehow forgot to take out papers to run for reelection. I will definitely say that her term in office was without controversy, which I suppose says something.

The weird thing is that I will probably throw one of my votes her way in September. No promises in November, but that's how I play the game. I give her credit for running, running, and running some more. It's democracy in action.

up
Voting closed 0

You are right that she, perhaps, is not the person to be mocked. She doesn't hurt anybody, she just runs every year.

We should reserve our ire for the other perpetual candidate, Roy Owens, a homophobic, anti-abortion crank who thinks city officials and Roxbury clergy conspire against him.

up
Voting closed 0

That's why I love you so much, you're not afraid to stand corrected or to learn and advance. Unlike some elected officials in DC.

up
Voting closed 0

will be Michelle Wu

up
Voting closed 0

The Hon. Althea Garrison, a Republican then, was elected State Representative in 1992 and served a term on Beacon Hill. To say she runs unsuccessfully every year is false.

up
Voting closed 0

Why don't you tell us how the Herald destroyed her? I'm sure you remember why she was just a one-term representative.

up
Voting closed 0

Just because Howie Carr points out her football career? Trust me, that barely registers.

And since you won't say it, she was a 1 termer because she was elected only because incumbent Nelson Merced didn't get enough signatures, putting her against someone even less known. She lost in 1994 because Charlotte Golar Ritchie didn't make that mistake.

Sorry to be crass, but those are the facts.

up
Voting closed 0

She was outed, in an era when that was enough to end her political career, by somebody who was snickering the whole time.

up
Voting closed 0

I don't think any objective observer could say with a straight face that the outing really hurt her politically.

I mean, she was a perennial candidate before the Herald started talking about her time before getting to Boston. I hate to make the comparison, but she's kind of like a certain wood loving candidate in that she keeps on running. And good for her for soldiering on. She has no real platform (unless you count agreeing with Dapper on things back in the day a platform) but her enduring love of democracy is heartening.

up
Voting closed 0

I see this women almost everyday, pulling her suitcase all over town. Shes definitly a staple in the city. Good Luck!

up
Voting closed 0