By George P. Hassett

The blue boxes used to hold the city’s voting machines usually get shipped back to the Department of Public Works after Election Day. However this year, Election Commissioner Nicholas P. Salerno decided to keep the boxes at City Hall, where they could be available for the inevitable upcoming special election.

“Now the boxes stay {at City Hall} because we have been staring at one special election after another for the past two years,” he said.

Since the April 2005 death of state Senator Charles E. Shannon, Somerville has had three special elections and six special election days. The rash of voting has burdened the elections department, cost the city $290,000 and seen the rise of two, and by next week possibly three, politicians who are closely aligned with one another.

Patricia D. Jehlen was elected to replace Shannon in the state Senate Sept. 27 when she defeated Alderman-at-Large William A. White. Jehlen was replaced in the legislature by the candidate she endorsed, longtime ally Denise Provost. Both Provost and Jehlen are endorsing Progressive Democrats of Somerville co-founder Martin Martinez to replace Provost as alderman-at-large in the May 15 special election. Martinez won 52 percent of the popular vote in the April 10 preliminary.

Shannon’s former chief of staff Sean J. Fitzgerald said his old boss would have been shocked at the sudden ascendancy of progressive politicians that occurred after his death.

“The senator would definitely have been surprised at how strong the progressive movement has been and how much turnover there was in Somerville,” he said.
Fitzgerald pointed to Martinez‚Äô strong performance in Ward 7 April 10 as evidence that the progressive base in the city is growing. 

Jehlen, Provost and Martinez share similar progressive values on ideological issues, but also have a history of working hard and advocating for Somerville’s needs, Jehlen said. The trio of politicians have all made effective use of the internet in their campaigns and have allied with one another for political gain, said Martinez’ May 15 John M. Connolly.

‚ÄúThey have aligned themselves under this progressive mantel which makes it more difficult for someone like me to run a campaign independently. They‚Äôre helping Martinez like he helped them, they‚Äôre a team. I call them Jehprotinez,‚Äù said Connolly, combining the last names of the three. 

Jehlen said despite new offices for certain city politicians, Somerville has not changed much politically since Shannon was in office two years ago.

“People still want the same things, more local aid, good schools and health care,” she said. “There hasn’t been any radical change.”

For Salerno and his staff in the elections department, Shannon’s death has meant a lot more work.

“Once Charlie Shannon died all these triggers were in place to cause one special election after another. There was no ducking it. It was tough on our staff and expensive for the city,” he said.

Salerno said the primary and general election days to fill Shannon’s senate seat cost the city $103,500. The two election days needed to fill Jehlen’s vacant state representative seat cost the city $67,000, he said. And the alderman-at-large special election will cost the city $120,000, he said.

The six special election days have been taxing on Salerno’s staff. During the democratic primary to replace Shannon, the flu was rampant among residents who pledged to work the polls for the day and he had to scramble to find enough workers.

“It’s been tough,” he said. “People think you only work a couple days a year but there’s a lot of work that has to happen before those days come.”

For Connolly, Shannon’s death meant the loss of a personally responsive politician who valued results over ideology.

“Charlie was so easy to deal with. He had a real old school style, he was personable and could listen. Now things are tense and it is difficult to get people to work together, there are many more divisions now. Charlie was always able to bring us together,” he said.