Mike Ross considering run for Congress
The Jamaica Plain Gazette gets the scoop: Ross is thinking of running for the seat now held by Mike Capuano - if Capuano wins the Senate election.
Recent comments
The Jamaica Plain Gazette gets the scoop: Ross is thinking of running for the seat now held by Mike Capuano - if Capuano wins the Senate election.
Comments
Excellent news
(I know personally and professionally Mike and am a constituent.)
Mike is a great guy - he's in this game for all the right reasons.
I'm sure there are a lot of elected (and unelected) people in Capuano's district looking at this possibility.
Mike's resume, both professionally and academically, make him a solid candidate.
BUT, Capuano must win first, which will be a tall order (but not beyond his reach).
Agreed
I agree! I have come to know Mike over the passed few years as I began to follow local politics and I think he would be a great candidate for this seat in this district. I am sure there will be a lot of people interested in this position if Rep. Capuano moves on to the Senate, but Mike Ross will certainly stand out. There are not many people with his experience who also have their heart in the right place.
Cool!
That's fine.
He should step down now as City Council President and withdraw from the race for District City Council, this fall, and give the seat to someone who actually wants to be there.
I promise Mike, if you do, I'll vote for you in the US Congress election!
Why? The congressional seat
Why? The congressional seat isn't even available yet. He's just expressing his desire to seek higher office if it's available. He's not running for anything yet. It doesn't mean he doesn't want to be an effective city councilor. Your logic is kind of odd, no offense.
Someone should tell him
There is a state law against having too many candidates for congress. If he's #5, then he's going to be arrested and fined because the field is too crowded and politicians aren't good neighbors.
Timeline
When would the special election be held?
Oy
That's the question of the year.
According to CommonWealth Unbound, here's how the election for US Congress would go down:
If the victor hails from Congress -- with the likes of Stephen Lynch, Michael Capuano, Edward Markey, James McGovern, and William Delahunt all reportedly weighing their options -- the waters become more muddied.
When the Legislature made the infamous change to the law in 2004 that took away the ability of the governor to appoint someone to a vacant U.S. Senate seat, lawmakers applied the same rules to the US House. If the push to give Gov. Deval Patrick the power to appoint a temporary senator succeeds, it is likely that provision will apply to the House as well.
But the law also says if the vacancy occurs before February 1 of an even-numbered year (read: election year) then the governor must call for a special election for that seat. That's where the timing of a special senate election could really play havoc.
Wrong - House seats cannot be appointed
The Constitution requires elections for a vacant House seat. No temporary appointments are allowed. From Article 2: "When vacancies happen in the Representation from any state, the executive authority thereof shall issue writs of election to fill such vacancies."
This is quite different from the same article's language regarding Senate vacancies: " if vacancies happen by resignation, or otherwise, during the recess of the legislature of any state, the executive thereof may make temporary appointments until the next meeting of the legislature, which shall then fill such vacancies."
Update
Ron, you should post your comment on the CW Unbound site, too.
I'd vote for him...
I'd vote for him...
Mike Ross
I would definitely vote for Mike; his efforts to improve Boston Common coupled with his excellent constitutent service prove that he would be great to represent Massachusetts in Washington.
Mrs. Ross, is that you?
What are you...? Mike Ross' mother?
I'd be favorably inclined
He's a bright guy and a hard worker. I know he's had a few rough moments on this blog, but I think he'd be a very credible candidate.
(Full disclosure: He was a student in my Legislation course at Suffolk Law a few years ago.)
Not a fan of Mike Ross
I can't support someone who thinks that colleges and college students are a liability instead of an asset to our city.
If that is your problem with
If that is your problem with the guy then eject him from the seat by sending him to congress where these issues do not have as much of an impact. I am sure if he lands in a Congressional seat he would not be sticking his nose into Boston rental policy and how it affects students and others.
Obviously!
A promotion is in order! OBVIOUSLY!
Michael Ross for any public office: I vote no.
Okay ...
So you want someone who is antagonistic to the large and stable institutions who employ a fair portion of the people who live in the district and that bring a lot of money into the economy? You want someone with such a weak grasp of what is legal and what is blatantly discriminatory to be making national laws?
If you think that doesn't matter, well, go ahead. I think he suffers from the same sort of lack of judgment and "I think my grandstanding is impressive but the world thinks I'm a dork" disease that Coakley does.
sometimes
you give the stupidest possible reasons to justify your recommendations. are you kidding? if you didn't like his work in local public service, then send him to congress. shady. get a grip
That might be the worst
That might be the worst response I have ever heard in an online political debate.
Ross is despicable. The programs he tried to induce – first with compulsory registration of all undergrads with the police in 2005, then this more recent fiasco with housing – are prime examples of what an unhinged, uniformed legislator can do when attempting to appease. Anyone with any experience in constitutional law knows these measures will never stand when held up to real scrutiny.
I have no doubt that Ross did these actions for political gain: he knows that college kids rarely get residency and thus cannot vote him out, and the citizens in Boston can be divided into two clean groups: those who have had trouble with college kids and love this idea, and those who don't have trouble and thus never think to care.
Many of the college kids in 2005 who couldn't vote in Boston settled in the 8th district after school. And we don't forget what he tried to do to us, and we won't forget come election day.
How dare you make light of
How dare you make light of the situation my good sir you should be drawn and quartered.
I guess it's reasonable for
I guess it's reasonable for him to want to move up the political ladder, but it's a tall order to move from a powerless, little known city councilor to Congressman, but more power to him for trying. One other thing to consider is the fact that MA is likely to lose a congressional district for the next election cycle. It's going to be a little like musical chairs, only it will be political seats. If Capuano is successful in his quest for Ted Kennedy's Senate seat, what will the new district that Ross lives in look like, and what makes him think that one of the other remaining incumbents won't run in it, using the power of incumbency to make their claim?
Yes to Ross, no to Capuano
Ross is good.
But Capuano has about as much chance of winning the senate seat as Vermin Supreme has of winning the Presidency. He's a dud and has a crappy staff.
Powerless? Little known?
It's City Council President Ross, an elected delegate to the DNC last summer, too.
a great match for the district
Mike Capuano is a great rep and has served our district well, so I'm in no rush to see him leave, but Mike Ross seems a worthy successor for the job. From what I know, he is a good guy who cares about the right things. He's a progressive candidate and he has aspirations to affect change through political service. We'll have to see what happens with Capuano first, but I could definitely see myself supporting Mr. Ross.