Weston Democratic Delegates Attend State Convention

The following information was contributed by John Hennessey of the Weston Democratic Town Committee:

Weston Democratic Convention delegates John Carlton-Foss, Beverly Foster, Jacqueline Haas, John Hennessey, Alan Orth, Lisa Paborsky, and Habib Rahman attended the Massachusetts Democratic Party’s State Convention in Springfield on June 2. Melea Atkins represented youth voters as a delegate from Weston. Joe Mullin and Nazda Alam also attended as ex officio delegates in their roles as members of the Democratic State Committee. Weston delegates voted overwhelmingly for Warren.

In a resounding show of strength Elizabeth Warren handily won the Senate nomination with 95.77 percent of the 3,554 delegates, elected by 557 caucuses that came to Springfield last weekend to participate in one of the largest exercises in grassroots democracy Massachusetts has ever seen. We’re proud of the work that went into making the convention fair, honest and transparent. At the State Democratic convention, the largest margin of any candidate in a contested race in the party’s history. The last of Warren’s rivals Marisa DeFranco, a North Shore immigration lawyer, waged a long-shot campaign. A candidate needed 15 percent of the delegates to qualify for the party’s Sept. 6 ballot.

Democratic party chair John Walsh said as early as Saturday morning that he expected DeFranco to reach the 15 percent threshold. No Democratic candidate had ever won more than 86 percent of the vote in the 30 years of the state party’s endorsement process.

Gov. Deval Patrick, Lt. Governor Tim Murray, Party Chair John Walsh, AG Martha Coakley and Secretary of the Commonwealth Bill Galvin, Representative Edward J. Markey of Malden and Representative James P. McGovern of Worcester all addressed delegates at various sessions.

Gov. Deval Patrick and former Gov. Michael Dukakis, lobbied delegates persuasively, arguing that a primary would only divert Ms. Warren from her race against Republican incumbent Scott Brown. Patrick gave one of the the most fervent convention speeches, telling delegates “it’s time for Democrats to grow a backbone and stand up for what we believe… Democrats, quit waiting for pundits and pollsters and economic indicators to tell us who the next president or senator or member of congress is going to be. We shape our own future.”

Before the vote Warren said Brown would rather attack her family than talk about his own voting record.

“Well I say this, if that’s all you’ve got, Scott Brown, I’m ready,” she said to great applause. “And let me be clear: I am not backing down. I didn’t get in this race to fold up for the first time I got punched,” Warren said.

"I’d love to see some debates with Scott Brown," a jubilant Warren said after the vote. "Let’s get started on this."

Warren called Brown a “Mitt Romney Republican” and a “Wall Street Republican,” and listed a series of votes the incumbent had made, including votes against a Democratic bill to prevent a doubling of student loan interest rates and in favor of big oil subsidies.

After the convention Elizabeth Warren said to her supporters: ”Now it’s time to focus our energy on Scott Brown, and I’m ready.”

“Are you ready?”

“Are you ready to take on Wall Street? Are you ready to take on Big Oil?”

“Are you ready to block the Republicans from taking over the United States Senate in November?”

“Are you ready to tell Scott Brown to put on his $675 barn coat and go home?”

“Thank you for being a part of this. Together we can win this election and put the People’s Seat back in the hands of the people of Massachusetts.”

“Are you ready?  Are you ready?”  —  Weston is Ready to elect a new Senator!