Primary '98

MARLBOROUGH--As he jogged down Main Street during last week's Labor Day Parade, Acting Governor A. Paul Cellucci was approached by an aide who informed him that he had missed shaking hands with one of his "biggest supporters."

Reassuring a group of voters he would be right back, Cellucci spinned around and ran back down the street half a block to have a word with an elderly constituent.

The latest polls put him at least 25 points ahead of his top party opponent, but as Cellucci showed last week in Marlborough, he isn't letting any opportunities to win a vote slip by.

"We will continue to fight for all votes," says Andy T. Antrobus, a Cellucci spokesperson. "The campaign is about transcending elections and pushing ideas."

Several fife and drum corps and a high school marching band later, L. Scott Harshbarger '64 hit the Main Street parade route with the same determination to shake every outstretched hand.

"I've played enough Harvard football games in my life to know that nothing can be taken for granted," Harshbarger said as he clapped along to the Marlborough High School band. "Before I play in the World Series, I have to win the division playoffs."

Still, with the outcome of Tuesday's elections almost assured, many Massachusetts voters are already gearing up for an election that will pit two highly visible candidates and their highly visible records of public service against each other in the race to become the next Bay State governor.

Leader of the Pack

For registered Democratic voters like John O'Brien, a Worcester resident at last week's parade, the primary elections stand in the way of what he describes as the "real race."

"I think Harshbarger is the best of the three candidates and that has been evident since day one," says the 43-year-old quality control supervisor. "I just wish we could get on to November."

Of course, Harshbarger's popularity has not always been so assured. Even in Cambridge where he lived as an undergraduate and law school student, Central Square residents interviewed by The Crimson last February questioned whether the attorney general had their best interests at heart.

Coffeehouse customers, Cambridge police officers, and a local minister all said Harshbarger was an urban professional who would do best collecting votes from the city's more affluent neighborhoods.

And while Harshbarger has certainly succeeded in winning more than his fair share of support among Harvard professors and administrators, several of whom have contributed to his campaign, he has also succeeded in broadening his base of support.

"He's always been close to Cambridge because of his address on Sacramento Street," says Walter Sullivan, a former mayor of Cambridge whose son Michael A. Sullivan is a city councillor.

"It may have taken time for him to win widespread support, but I think people in the city have realized how involved he has been in the city and how much attention he pays to his work," Sullivan adds.

Alice K. Wolf, the Democratic state representative from Cambridge, agrees with Sullivan, saying Harshbarger's intensified campaigning may help explain the more than $162,000 in campaign donations the former Middlesex County district attorney has collected from city residents.

"He's had a very active campaign," Wolf says. "I don't know if it's a vote for a favorite son. It's his general record that has really earned him support."

With $1,079,171 in his campaign war chest as of August 15, political analysts like Glen Koocher '71 of Cambridge say Harshbarger is well prepared to take on Cellucci in the general elections.

The other Democratic candidates are way behind in the fund raising race. Former State SenatorPatricia McGovern has raised $41,168 as of the endof August, and by mid-August former U.S.Representative Brian Donnelly reported a mere$10,509 in campaign contributions.

"Donnelly has run a very credible campaign butwhen push comes to shove he doesn't have the moneyto get on television," says Stephen Bilafer, apress secretary for McGovern.

A registered Republican since 1970 when hefirst registered to vote, Koocher became anindependent so he could vote in the Democraticprimary for McGovern.

"She is gutsy and honorable with a reallyeffective mix of substantive knowledge, savvinessand realism," Koocher says. "I genuinely think PatMcGovern should be governor of Massachusetts."

Still, Koocher admits that McGovern needs a"minor miracle" to win the Democratic nomination.

"She's got to pray that Monica Lewinsky namesScott Harshbarger alongside Bill Clinton," hesays.

But until that happens, Harshbarger says hewill continue campaigning using the same strategythat won him the party endorsement in July andmade him the candidate to beat heading into theDemocratic primary.

"I intend to keep doing what I'm doing--runningon my record of taking on big tobacco, protectingthe elderly and the environment, saving our urbanneighborhoods," Harshbarger said last week.

"I'm running against Paul Cellucci. I'm tryingto convince my Democratic and independent friendsthat I'm the one to beat him," he added.

Acting the Part

For Cellucci, the primary campaign has beenless about emerging from the pack as much as ithas been about defending himself from the attacksof his Republican opponent, State Treasurer JosephD. Malone '78.

Malone, a Waltham native who was voted tostatewide office in 1990, is using campaign ads tolabel Cellucci as a liberal who stands by suchprominent Democrats as Hillary Clinton.

"Malone's negative campaigning has been amongone of the most regrettable in recent memory,"Antrobus says. "Calling Cellucci a liberal isabsurd."

Martin A. Linsky, a lecturer in public policyat the John F. Kennedy School of Government, saysMalone may have had no other choice but toemphasize his conservative record.

"It's very difficult to beat an incumbent in aprimary," Linsky said. "Cellucci has had a goodyear and a half to be governor, and the onlyopportunity he had was to try and distinguishhimself from Cellucci based on his ideology."

"People who think of themselves as very, veryconservative will vote for Malone," Linsky adds."Cellucci will win the votes of otherRepublicans."

Dave Corenier, a 40-year-old telecommunicationsworker in Marlborough, says he is one Republicanwho grew dismayed with Malone.

"I first thought I would vote for Malone, buthe blew it in the debates," Corenier says.

"His whole campaign has been about accusingCellucci of being a liberal, but in this day andage of politics, you have to be more flexible thanthat," he says.

Still, even with the widespread support of theRepublican party, political analysts like Linksyquestion whether Cellucci can duplicate thepolitical success of his predecessor, William F.Weld '66, who won support from all sides of thepolitical spectrum.

Already, Cellucci, who amassed more than $3.1million in campaign contributions by the middle ofAugust, collected about $26,000 in predominantlyDemocratic Cambridge where Weld lives.

"Weld lived in Cambridge and went to Harvard asan undergraduate," Linsky says. "The support Weldgot was unusual from the Harvard community. Itwould be hard to transfer that to Cellucci."

But for all the polls and the predictions,voters throughout Massachusetts are simply eagerto see what transpires in November.

"Cellucci should stop focusing on the primaryand start worrying about the general election,"says Boxborough resident Debbie Connery. "It's nosurprise that Cellucci will beat Malone. He shouldbe focusing on Harshbarger."

Registered Democratic voters like O'Brienagree.

"I think it's going to be a knock-down,drag-out fight as it should be," O'Brien says."Cellucci's been running on Weld's record andHarshbarger is going to bring that out. Thenagain, Cellucci will have something to say aboutHarshbarger's record. May the best man win."

Campaign Fundraising as of August 15, 1998Cellucci (R)  $3,141,435Malone (R)  $826,308Donnelly (D)  $10,509Harshbarger (D)  $1,079,171McGovern (D)   $41,168**As of August 31, 1998

CrimsonMelissa K. Crocker2006? Acting Governor A. PaulCellucci was wooing the young last week duringMalborough's Labor Day parade.

"Donnelly has run a very credible campaign butwhen push comes to shove he doesn't have the moneyto get on television," says Stephen Bilafer, apress secretary for McGovern.

A registered Republican since 1970 when hefirst registered to vote, Koocher became anindependent so he could vote in the Democraticprimary for McGovern.

"She is gutsy and honorable with a reallyeffective mix of substantive knowledge, savvinessand realism," Koocher says. "I genuinely think PatMcGovern should be governor of Massachusetts."

Still, Koocher admits that McGovern needs a"minor miracle" to win the Democratic nomination.

"She's got to pray that Monica Lewinsky namesScott Harshbarger alongside Bill Clinton," hesays.

But until that happens, Harshbarger says hewill continue campaigning using the same strategythat won him the party endorsement in July andmade him the candidate to beat heading into theDemocratic primary.

"I intend to keep doing what I'm doing--runningon my record of taking on big tobacco, protectingthe elderly and the environment, saving our urbanneighborhoods," Harshbarger said last week.

"I'm running against Paul Cellucci. I'm tryingto convince my Democratic and independent friendsthat I'm the one to beat him," he added.

Acting the Part

For Cellucci, the primary campaign has beenless about emerging from the pack as much as ithas been about defending himself from the attacksof his Republican opponent, State Treasurer JosephD. Malone '78.

Malone, a Waltham native who was voted tostatewide office in 1990, is using campaign ads tolabel Cellucci as a liberal who stands by suchprominent Democrats as Hillary Clinton.

"Malone's negative campaigning has been amongone of the most regrettable in recent memory,"Antrobus says. "Calling Cellucci a liberal isabsurd."

Martin A. Linsky, a lecturer in public policyat the John F. Kennedy School of Government, saysMalone may have had no other choice but toemphasize his conservative record.

"It's very difficult to beat an incumbent in aprimary," Linsky said. "Cellucci has had a goodyear and a half to be governor, and the onlyopportunity he had was to try and distinguishhimself from Cellucci based on his ideology."

"People who think of themselves as very, veryconservative will vote for Malone," Linsky adds."Cellucci will win the votes of otherRepublicans."

Dave Corenier, a 40-year-old telecommunicationsworker in Marlborough, says he is one Republicanwho grew dismayed with Malone.

"I first thought I would vote for Malone, buthe blew it in the debates," Corenier says.

"His whole campaign has been about accusingCellucci of being a liberal, but in this day andage of politics, you have to be more flexible thanthat," he says.

Still, even with the widespread support of theRepublican party, political analysts like Linksyquestion whether Cellucci can duplicate thepolitical success of his predecessor, William F.Weld '66, who won support from all sides of thepolitical spectrum.

Already, Cellucci, who amassed more than $3.1million in campaign contributions by the middle ofAugust, collected about $26,000 in predominantlyDemocratic Cambridge where Weld lives.

"Weld lived in Cambridge and went to Harvard asan undergraduate," Linsky says. "The support Weldgot was unusual from the Harvard community. Itwould be hard to transfer that to Cellucci."

But for all the polls and the predictions,voters throughout Massachusetts are simply eagerto see what transpires in November.

"Cellucci should stop focusing on the primaryand start worrying about the general election,"says Boxborough resident Debbie Connery. "It's nosurprise that Cellucci will beat Malone. He shouldbe focusing on Harshbarger."

Registered Democratic voters like O'Brienagree.

"I think it's going to be a knock-down,drag-out fight as it should be," O'Brien says."Cellucci's been running on Weld's record andHarshbarger is going to bring that out. Thenagain, Cellucci will have something to say aboutHarshbarger's record. May the best man win."

Campaign Fundraising as of August 15, 1998Cellucci (R)  $3,141,435Malone (R)  $826,308Donnelly (D)  $10,509Harshbarger (D)  $1,079,171McGovern (D)   $41,168**As of August 31, 1998

CrimsonMelissa K. Crocker2006? Acting Governor A. PaulCellucci was wooing the young last week duringMalborough's Labor Day parade.

CrimsonMelissa K. Crocker2006? Acting Governor A. PaulCellucci was wooing the young last week duringMalborough's Labor Day parade.