New Bedford Guide Your Guide to New Bedford and South Coast, MA
By Alex Weiner
With Governor Deval Patrick stepping down at the end of this year, Massachusetts is going to have to elect its next Governor in November. The electoral process can be complicated so here is a quick rundown of what to expect and how to participate in the process.
So, who is running?
There is currently a 5-way race to be the Democratic candidate for Governor between state Attorney General Martha Coakley, state Treasurer Steve Grossman, former Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Administrator Don Berwick, former national security advisor Juliette Kayyem and surgeon and former Wellesley selectman Joe Avellone. On the Republican side, Charlie Baker is the current front-runner and is being challenged by Tea Party member Mark Fisher of Shrewsbury.
For more information on the individual candidates and the issues you care about, we’ve made each of their names a hyperlink.
There are a number of hurdles for a candidate running for Governor. The first hurdle for the Democratic candidates in this election is the Democratic caucus.
What are the Democratic caucuses?
In short, caucuses are the first step for Democrats to choose their desired candidates at a local level.
Throughout the month of February, citizens across Massachusetts who are registered Democrats will come together to elect delegates from their town who will then go on to attend the 2014 Massachusetts Democratic Convention in Worcester on June 13-14.
As noted by reporter Robert Rizzuto, “In accordance with party rules, the delegates selected to represent each town or ward within a city will attend the convention to pledge their support for various candidates for statewide office, including choosing one of the state’s five Democratic gubernatorial hopefuls. A candidate must have support from at least 15 percent of the delegates in attendance to qualify to appear on the ballot as a Democrat in the state’s Sept. 9 primary election.”
When and where are the caucuses?
Here are the dates, times and locations for the caucuses in the Southcoast:
New Bedford: Saturday 2/15 at 9:30AM at Our Lady of the Angels Band Club on 1446 Acushnet Ave.
Dartmouth: Saturday 2/8 at 2PM at the Southworth Library.
Fairhaven: Saturday 2/22 at 10AM at the Millicent Library.
Westport: Saturday 2/15 at 10AM at White’s of Westport.
Can’t find your caucus? Click here: http://massdems.org/2013/12/04/find-your-2014-caucus/
Can I participate in the caucuses?
If you’re a registered Democrat, you can participate in this process. If you support a candidate, show up early to your town or city caucus, bring a lot of friends and family to support you and run to be a delegate. All you have to do is stand up, say who you support and explain why you support them. Any registered Democrat is eligible to be nominated as a delegate. The candidates with the most number of votes will be elected and will go on to Worcester where they will vote on their candidate for Governor at the Democratic State Convention in June.
