By Josh Resnek
In advertisements printed locally last week, Rep. Joe McGonagle accused Mike Marchese of being a money grub for himself.
Marchese, opposing McGonagle in the latter’s re-election bid, claimed again he is hiding under a rock.
Marchese and McGonagle, obviously, are at a wide divergence of personal feelings about each other.
Marchese, running as an independent, has made a contest out of McGongale’s re-election effort.
How successful he will be is a question mark.
This is known – McGonagle is a popular guy. He has been re-elected easily again and again.
McGonagle doesn’t get involved in the Everett political psychodrama, although he is supported by Mayor Carlo DeMaria and former City Councilor Anthony DiPierro who resigned in disgrace some months back following revelations of his overtly racist behavior.
McGonagle never got involved in that contretemps.
Marchese, on the other hand, was all over it.
In fact, Marchese became a leader of the anti-racism efforts and called for DiPierro’s resignation.
He supported former councilor Gerly Adrien’s position when she asserted that her colleagues wanted her to resign because she is Black and outspoken.
In addition, Marchese has been outspoken about what he believes are the mayor’s excesses.
What will be the outcome of this contest? That’s hard to predict.
If recent history is the measure of what matters, then McGonagle wins and has a private laugh or two about Marchese’s loss.
If there is something unseen going on with voters we cannot approximate before the votes are tallied what is going to happen.
Marchese could come out on top, with McGonagle being surprised by a stunning loss.
Many believe this is a long shot, but then, who would have imagined Marchese topping the citywide ticket less than a year ago? Marchese’s vote was substantial compared with McGonagle’s in his recent race.
However, most political observers believe it is impossible to deduce where these two are at comparing their recent outings.
A race for city councilor at large is not to be compared to a race for state representative – and yet this can be done and is being done.
In the signage wars, McGonagle has the clear advantage.
In a recent ride around the city, McGonagle signs outnumbered Marchese’s signs by a wide margin in an unofficial count.
The signs, of course, do not vote. But percep- tion is nearly everything, even in Everett.
Both candidates will be distributing political literature though the mail.
Both candidates will make use of the local media to hype their campaigns.
In the last analysis this campaign is about popularity and not much else.
Mirror mirror on the wall, who is the most popular candidate for rep of them all?
Joe McGonagle or Mike Marchese? We shall soon find out.