By Jeremy F. van der Heiden

On September 9, Somervillains along with individuals from the rest of the state will once again leverage the power of the vote in the primaries to decide who will continue to campaign for several positions, including Governor, Lieutenant Governor and District Attorney, among others. Although The Somerville Times has interviewed several candidates in the past few weeks, there are plenty more to know and understand before stepping into the voting booth.

We begin with the gubernatorial race, as incumbent Governor Deval Patrick will be stepping down from his position at the end of the current term.

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Gubernatorial Primaries

 

 

 

 

 

 

Martha Coakley, Democrat

The current Attorney General of Massachusetts, Martha Coakley has had a long and storied career in public service, beginning as an Assistant District Attorney back in 1986. A career prosecutor, Ms. Coakley was the District Attorney of Middlesex County before stepping into the Attorney General position in January 2007.

The Attorney General is running on a platform social justice and improvement, focusing upon matters ranging from worker’s, civil, veterans’ and women’s rights to gun control to healthcare, education and the economy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Steve Grossman, Democrat

A career entrepreneur and public official, Mr. Grossman is currently the State Treasurer and Receiver-General of Massachusetts and is looking to take a step further up the chain of command in the commonwealth. While he has run a business for decades, Treasurer Grossman also has served as the Chairman of the Massachusetts Democratic Party and Democratic National Committee.

The State Treasurer is running on a platform of common sense and community empowerment, as he has explained his intention to level the playing field between underserved households and those with more privilege.

 

 

 

 

 

Donald Berwick, Democrat

A man of many hats, Mr. Berwick has been a pediatrician, executive and leader for roughly three decades, serving on the Obama administration’s healthcare push as an official more recently. He also still runs the non-profit he created in 1991, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, which operates on the global stage and led him to receive knight status from the Queen of England.

Mr. Berwick has several visions for the commonwealth, including single-payer healthcare, renewable energy projects, putting an end to childhood poverty and improvements to the education system.

 

 

 

 

 

Charlie Baker, Republican

Mr. Baker has had a long career in both the public and private sectors, acting as Secretary of Administration and Finance when Governors William Weld and Paul Cellucci were in office, as well as the chief executive officer of Harvard Pilgrim Health Care. Notably, during his time as CEO, the organization was voted as one of the best places to work.

The contender has focused his campaign efforts on the establishment of safer and stronger communities with strong education for all in the commonwealth, as well as economic growth and an improved healthcare system.

 

 

 

 

 

Mark Fisher, Republican

A business owner hailing from Westfield, Massachusetts, Mr. Fisher is the owner of metal manufacturing facility Merchant’s Fabrication. He holds a degree in nuclear engineering technology from Hartford State Technical College, and has been working in manufacturing-related fields since the early 1980s.

Mr. Fisher has called for a wealth of changes ranging from welfare problems in the commonwealth to taxpayer protection and a shift in mentality to view healthcare as a privilege rather than a right.

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Lieutenant Governor

 

 

 

 

 

 

Steve Kerrigan, Democrat

Mr. Kerrigan has served as the chief of staff to Attorney General Thomas Reilly, later stepping into the role of President for the Massachusetts Military Heroes Fund and acting in senior roles under the Obama administration. Notably, he was also one of Senator Ted Kennedy’s trusted aides for more than 10 years.

 

 

 

 

 

Mike Lake, Democrat

A former Special Assistant of White House Operations under President Clinton and current President and chief executive officer of Leading Cities, Mr. Lake has worked on the local, state, national and international stages in several capacities. He believes in public and private sector partnerships that will be beneficial to the people of the commonwealth.

 

 

 

 

 

Leland Cheung

A City Councilor in Cambridge, Mr. Cheung is a fiscal progressive that has had a career in the private sector, holding degrees in physics, economics and aerospace engineering, as well as an MBA and masters in political administration. He is running on a platform of progressive investments to improve education, infrastructure and other matters in Massachusetts.

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Middlesex County District Attorney

 

 

 

 

 

 

Michael Sullivan

Current Clerk of Courts of Middlesex Superior Court, Mr. Sullivan has served in public service through several major roles including Cambridge City Councilor, Assistant Attorney General, and Assistant District Attorney, and served as Mayor of Cambridge for roughly two years. He is also Clerk Magistrate in Middlesex and the acting President of the Massachusetts Superior Court Clerks Association.

Mr. Sullivan has been running on a platform of responsibility and expertise, asserting that this position can only be properly handled with the right types of skills with respect to leadership, oversight, negotiation and the like.

 

 

 

 

 

Marian T. Ryan

Appointed to the Middlesex District Attorney position when Gerry Leone stepped down in April 2013, Ms. Ryan served as a public prosecutor for roughly 35 years as an Assistant District Attorney. She also held the position of General Counsel for the Massachusetts District Attorney’s Office, and runs a multitude of special programs across the county.

Ms. Ryan has focused on the creation of more preventative measures to begin improving public safety in Middlesex County, and is running on a platform of extensive experience and management skills within the District Attorney’s office.

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As a reminder, the primaries will be held on September 9, and The Somerville Times would like to wish all of the candidates the best of luck. We encourage you to get out and exercise your right to vote.