City Democratic Committee meets: Much Ado About Nothing
By John M. O’Hara

     A bevy of local politicos turned out for the Somerville Democratic City Committee’s (SDC) meeting October 26. 
     Despite rumors that the group’s executive committee had plans to censure four SDC members, the meeting, which saw higher-than-normal attendance, began and ended without any direct mention of the controversy.
     SDC leader Helen Corrigan had asked Alderman-at-Large Dennis L. Sullivan and Ward 1 Alderman Bill Roche for their resignations from the Ward 1 Democratic Committee upon their endorsement of Republican Alderman William A. White, Jr. White ran against State Sen. Patricia D. Jehlen, D-Somerville for the 2nd Middlesex District state Senate seat. Ward 2 Alderman Maryann Heuston and Ward 4 Alderman Walter Pero also endorsed White.
      It was the first time in Corrigan’s ten year tenure as the group’s leader that she has asked for anyone’s resignation, she said.

     “It’s not that I wanted to ask for their resignations,” said Corrigan.  “The by-laws state that I’m required to.”
     “In a contested partisan election…endorsement of a candidate other than a Democrat by any member shall require that the Chairman immediately  request the resignation of that member and shall cause such request to be made public forthwith” according to the by-laws, she said.
     However, Corrigan’s request was largely ceremonial.  She has no real authority to remove either man from his post, she said.
     That notwithstanding, Corrigan had desired to officially censure Sullivan and Roche.
     “The idea [to censure them] had been thrown around at the executive committee,” said Ward 7 Alderman Robert C. Trane.  “It had been Helen [Corrigan’s] idea. There had been some support for it, but most of us didn’t want to do it.  The whole matter is going to be dropped,” he said. 
       “We have to give kudos to Pat Jehlen,” Trane added.  “She was really the one who called around and said that we should just work toward democratic unity now that the election is over.”
     Jehlen would not confirm Trane’s claims, saying only “We need to work together. There was a requirement; I think it’s over now and we’re all ready to move on.”
     Roche and Sullivan expressed frustration with the whole situation.
     “I think they really rushed to judgment,” Roche said.  “If they had done their homework first they would have realized that we weren’t doing anything wrong.”
     There is a provision in the Massachusetts Democratic Committee by-laws that states that a member can endorse a candidate from an outside party, so long as that person shares strong personal beliefs with the outside candidate that the democratic candidate does not support, said Roche.
     Both had informed the Ward 1 Committee at a regular meeting of their intentions to endorse White. Roche, as its chairman, then held a vote as to whether the pair should step down over the endorsement.
     The group voted 16 to 2 for them to stay on, Roche and Sullivan said. 
     “I would have resigned,” Sullivan said.  “But they decided that they didn’t want me to, and I am happy to serve.”