But will he be an independent voice?
By George P. Hassett

John M. Connolly fought his way back from a 12 point deficit in the April 10 primary to defeat Marty Martinez in Tuesday’s special election to replace state Rep. Denise Provost on the Board of Aldermen. The win came as a surprise to many who thought Martinez and the progressive movement he helped start were too strong for Connolly who lost his position as Ward 6 aldermen in 2005 after 22 years on the board.

However, with a combination of political cunning and what Martinez claims was negative campaigning, Connolly pulled off the upset. Before the primary, Connolly said he hoped he would finish second so voters would know he needed their help in the general election. He said he learned the strategy from old friend and former state Senator Sal Albano. Connolly also did not hire a campaign manager until after the primary.
“We saved the money, the manpower and the energy for the general election,” he said.
In the last week before Tuesday’s election, Connolly sent out a mailing to voters that Martinez called “negative and misleading.” The flyer featured an out-of focus picture of Martinez and a Latino youth wearing a hood over his head. The text of the flier read “Why did Marty Martinez oppose the Anti-Gang ordinance that would give the Somerville Police the tools they need to break-up street gangs and prevent violence in our community?” and then cites a May 18, 2003, Boston Globe article saying, “Maybe it’s because he decided to ‘welcome’ a gang member from MS-13 into a youth center that was supposed to keep teens away from gangs.”
Martinez said the mailing was incorrect but he chose to run a positive campaign focusing on important issues such as making sure local government is open and accountable to residents.
“He sent out a blurred picture of me with a gang member. There is no correcting that,” he said. “Some people wanted a bloodbath in this campaign and they got it from {Connolly.}”
Connolly said the kid in the mailing actually represented the youths who Martinez betrayed by allowing MS-13 members into the teen center when he was the city’s director of youth services.
“It was the truth, Marty really did that. It wasn’t negative,” he said.
While Connolly was celebrating his upset victory at Orleans Restaurant, Martinez supporters were bemoaning the loss of a man they felt could bring balance to the board of aldermen and check Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone’s power.
Provost, who caused the special election when she resigned from the board in October to concentrate on her duties as state representative, said Martinez would have added some much needed debate to the board.
“I think the board is insufficiently independent, if Marty was elected more people would get cable. They would be interested in the level of debate that would have happened,” she said.
Provost said aldermen were too willing to accept Curtatone’s proposals without thinking critically of the consequences.
“During the last budget sessions, when I offered compromises on ways to reduce the budget, my colleagues {on the Board of Aldermen} reacted as if I was trying to cut their personal allowances,” she said.
Martinez supporter Todd S. Kaplan called the Board of Aldermen “a rubber stamp” for the mayor.
Provost said a big reason why Martinez was defeated Tuesday was because city officials feared the change he could bring to the city and the ways he could complicate their agenda. “It seemed as though most of City Hall took the day off to campaign today,” she said.
Martinez agreed. “A lot of people want the status quo. {Connolly} represents the status quo and that is what they got.”
Martinez said he looked forward to helping other candidates run for office in Somerville, while Connolly said his focus would be on Assembly Square development and the Green Line extension to the city. He said he could be the independent voice his detractors say Martinez would have been.
‚ÄúI‚Äôll prove to people that I‚Äôll be independent. When it‚Äôs time to criticize the mayor, I‚Äôll criticize the mayor,‚Äù he said.