ELECTION WINNERS

By Josh Resnek

Representative Joe McGonagle drubbed Councilor Mike Marchese by a near 3-1 margin in Tuesday’s citywide balloting.

In a race that was never in doubt, McGonagle succeeded in besting Marchese, the first Independent candidate in years.

Marchese conceded early to McGonagle.

“I wish him the best,” Marchese said of McGonagle to the Leader Herald.

Marchese will continue his term as councilor at large.

McGonagle won’t miss a step in his Beacon Hill victory dance when he’s sworn in again in January.

The rest of the Massachusetts political scene offered no surprises – no hit, no runs, and no errors.

With Maura Healey, Massachusetts has its first gay woman governor.

She won convincingly.

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Vote for Mike Marchese

We urge Everett voters to vote for Mike Marchese next week in the Rep race against the incumbent, Joe McGonagle.

McGonagle is a nice enough man but he has shown a decisive inability to get involved as he should with issues affecting Everett and reaching to the State House on Beacon Hill.

Mike Marchese is a better guy than Joe McGonagle.

He does more for people than McGonagle.

Marchese is generous. He is stand up. He is not afraid to inject himself in public dialogue and to lead it.

He does not hide when his presence is demanded.

Marchese says he won’t sell out to special interests and that he can’t be bought by special interests.

We believe him. He has plenty of his own money. He doesn’t need to invite donations. He is paying for his own campaign expenses as a matter of doing what is right.

Marchese has been at the forefront of leading the battle among his colleagues to use the former Pope John School as a public school to reduce serious overcrowding.

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Midterm Election a Blur of Left Wing Versus Right Wing Ideologies; in Everett, Democrats Rule

By Josh Resnek

Here we go, again.

Midterm elections.

Will the Democrats retain power? Will the Republicans take over?

Will the results of the election be accepted by republicans who lose?

Who knows, and many of us nearly in despair about the state of American politics, the lament is: who cares.

Locally, Everett voters en masse will vote in overwhelming numbers for gubernatorial candidate Maura Healey.

This is a guarantee.

She will win convincingly and return state government to a democratic governor for the first time in many years.

She is no Charlie Baker but then, she plays a much better game of basketball than him.

The next Lt. Governor will likely be the mayor of Salem, Kim Driscoll – another former great college basketball player.

She knows what she’s doing. She’s tough and smart.

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McGonagle, Marchese Push On in Rep Fight

McGonagle Mailing Attacks Marchese

By Josh Resnek

As the rep campaign spirals into its last week of contention, candidates incumbent Rep. Joe McGonagle and City Councilor, Rep hopeful Mike Marchese, have been lobbing bombs in private and in public.

Each have accused the other of being useless politicians, self-aggrandizing types who care only about themselves.

McGonagle’s advertising makes the point that Marchese is a money grubber working as hard as he can to put as much money into his own pocket as he can.

A citywide mailing that hit most Everett addresses referenced a drug bust at a bar owned by Marchese 20 years ago.

Marchese claims McGonagle is hiding under a rock, heading into Beacon Hill to act like a big- shot, doing nothing, and evading comments and public appearances for a host of important issues to perpetuate his rep’s salary.

“He’s supported by the mayor and by the disgraced racist Anthony DiPierro. That says it all about Joe,” Marchese told the Leader Herald.

Who is right and who is wrong between these two and whether or not it means anything that they are jousting will be revealed next week when voters go to the polls.

Policies always seem to get lost in personality battles in Everett between public figures like Marchese and McGonagle.

Does anyone really care what McGonagle’s policies are or what he speaks out on or what he remains silent about?

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Marchese, McGonagle Trade Blasts As They Come Down To The Wire

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.

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