7 Supports and 1 detractor of gay rights advance in city elections

[Ian David]

Political Notes

Seven supporters of LGBT rights (and one detractor) advance in city elections. Plus, Brockton's mayoral race and new polling results on marriage.

By Laura Kiritsy
Published: Thursday, September 29, 2005

Boston's Sept. 27 preliminary election for four at-large City Council seats saw big victories for some of the LGBT community's strongest supporters of LGBT rights: City Council President Michael Flaherty topped the ticket with nearly 14 percent of the vote, while councilor Felix Arroyo followed with a 12.24 percent tally. The other six candidates on the Nov. 8 ballot - winnowed from a crowded field of 16 - include political newcomer John Connolly, who pulled off an impressive third place win; incumbent Steve Murphy; Sam Yoon, the first Asian-American on the City Council ballot; Patricia White, daughter of former mayor Kevin White; Matt O'Malley, who managed Andrea's Cabral's successful campaign for Suffolk County sheriff last November, and, bringing up the rear, Ed Flynn, the son of former mayor Ray Flynn. With the exception of Flynn, who shares his father's opposition to same-sex marriage, all of the candidates on the ticket in November have expressed strong support for LGBT rights.

Despite his ticket-topping victory, Flaherty, red-faced from a sun-soaked day visiting polling places, downplayed his strong showing during remarks to about 100 supporters who filled the function room at the Cornerstone Pub in his South Boston neighborhood. "It's looks as though there's about 252, out of 254 precincts, reporting," he told the crowd shortly before 10 p.m. "Uh, we finished in first place. Thank you." Apparently not one to rest on his laurels, when the applause died down, Flaherty quickly moved on to deliver the totals for the rest of the candidates, and then made a plea for folks to continue to remain involved in the campaign. "Don't take anything for granted. Part of the problem is that I'm concerned a little bit about complacency," said Flaherty, who was first elected in 1999. "We have a young, aggressive field - that was us just a few years ago."

Meanwhile, over at the Corrib pub in West Roxbury, O'Malley, who is making his second bid for a seat on the council, celebrated with about 100 supporters, including Cabral, who also spent much of the day campaigning with him. "I feel great," said O'Malley, who relaxed in a booth with a bottle of Miller Lite as the crowd thinned out at around 10:30 p.m. "It is incumbent upon a candidate who runs citywide to really put a push on ... in every part of the city. We did that. I'm thrilled. I'm confident that we'll be able to ride this momentum to victory in November." O'Malley credited his victory in part to his unwavering progressive views and his ability to reach out to a diverse swath of voters. And it wasn't long before one such voter, an openly gay Boston police officer by the name of Larry Craven, sat down to sing O'Malley's praises. Craven, who confessed to detouring his get out the vote effort into the gay South End watering hole Fritz earlier in the day, credited O'Malley for his ability to appeal both "a typically conservative person who would be a Boston police officer, as well as someone who is now an openly gay Boston police officer. Matt doesn't see the city through distinct camps such as that," said Craven. "He sees one Boston."

More:
http://www.baywindows.com/media/paper328/news/2005/09/29/News/Political.Notes-1003573.shtml

[davidinalameda]

1. it's good to hear that good progressives are being elected in Boston