LYNCH CRUSHES BURNS; Baker Loses

LYNCH CRUSHES BURNS

 Baker Effort To Take Over State GOP Blocked;  Lyons To Retain Leadership Post

       by Dennis Galvin

    A former state representative candidate from Westford, who accused the Mass Republican State Committee of failing to support her effort to unseat Democratic Representative James Arcierio in 2018, scored an impressive political victory this evening, as she defeated a Baker backed candidate for a seat on the Massachusetts Republican State Committee.  Kathy Lynch soundly defeated Lowell’s Mary Burns 3914 votes to 2256 to take the woman’s seat as one of two representatives from the First Middlesex District to the State Committee.  The other seat was retained by incumbent Dennis Galvin, also from Westford, who was unopposed.   Lynch and Galvin will represent Lowell, Tyngsborough, Dunstable, Groton, Pepperell and Westford on the Republican State Committee.  They will assist in developing the party’s political strategy and setting its direction and priorities. They will also be responsible for organizing and maintaining an active Republican presence in their districts by organizing town and ward committees, and developing local initiatives to highlight party philosophy and programs. The election of Lynch and Galvin will also mean that the town of Westford will have both of the district’s two representatives on the committee.  The seat that will now go to Lynch was previously help by Groton State Representative Sheila Harrington.

            Lynch’s victory was particularly noteworthy because of the direct involving of Governor Baker and his political action committee (PAC) in support of her opponent.  The outcome in the Lynch vs Burns race was replicated across the Commonwealth by other candidates, decisively blocking a blatant attempt by the  Governor  to take over the state committee.  Lynch anchored her victory by an impressive 1118 to 201 margin in her home town of Westford.  She buttressed this outcome by winning commanding margins in Groton 366 to 127, Pepperell 708 to 216 and Tyngsborough 550 to 303.   Burns only took her home community of Lowell by a slim margin 1336 to 1008, while Lynch capped of her rout by taking Dunstable 164 to 73.

            The outcome of this election demonstrated that the Republican electorate in the Merrimack Valley was not deceived by a battery of expensive political mailers funded by a Baker PAC in which candidates that the Governor supported misrepresented their positions with regard to support for President Trump.  This deception campaign was countered by an intense air waves bombardment launched by talk show hosts Jeff Kuhner and Howie Carr, who exposed and ultimately devastated Baker’s cynical and deceptive strategy.  The results of tonight’s state committee elections place reform-minded Chairman Jim Lyons clearly in the driver’s seat with regard to shaping a new direction for the state party, one that will adopt a more competitive posture toward the state’s Democratic party, particularly with regard to contests for House and Senate seats on Beacon Hill.