Primary Day Primer: Lynn Voters Head to the Polls Tuesday

Despite contested races on the Democratic ticket for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Treasurer, Attorney General, a U.S. Congressional seat and the State Representative seat for Lynn’s 11th Essex district, next Tuesday’s Primary Election Day is one election that no one seems to be talking about.

Sure, there are some political signs on shops and front lawns around the city, particularly in the races for 6th District Congressman and State Representative in the 11th District, but around the city and across the state the races for candidates seeking other elective offices have generated virtually no interest among voters.

If past performance in elections is any indication, the city might consider itself lucky to see a 10 to 12 percent voter turnout on Primary Day. According to records from the city’s Elections office, during the 2010 Gubernatorial Primary, featuring an unchallenged incumbent Deval Patrick, only 5,097 of a then 48,712 registered voters turned out to vote on Primary Day and that was despite challenges for then incumbent State Representative Mark Falzone and State Senator Thomas McGee.

The likely races to get voters to the polls this time out may well be the race for US Congressman in the Massachusetts 6th District, where incumbent John Tierney faces four challengers seeking the seat on the Democratic side and in Lynn’s 11th Essex District State Representative race where City Councilor Brendan Crighton faces School Committeeman Charlie Gallo and local activist Aikaterini Koudanis in a Primary that will also decide the race, since there is no Republican candidate registered.

Tierney’s democratic challengers include former US Senate Candidate Marisa A. DeFranco, John Patrick Devine, John J. Gutta and Seth Moulton. Moulton appears to be surging lately, having raised enough money through his campaign for a late campaign television advertising blitz, which Tierney quickly answered with his own ads. The winner of this primary will face Republican and former state senator Richard Tisei in November.

The other candidates in contested primary day races in Lynn are nearly all Democrats in races for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Treasurer and state Attorney General.

In the race for Governor, state Attorney General Martha Coakley, Treasurer Steve Grossman and Donald Berwick are seeking the Democratic nomination and the chance to face the winner of Republican Gubernatorial Primary featuring Charles D. Baker and Mark R. Fisher.

In the race to be the next Lieutenant Governor Leland Cheung, Stephen Kerrigan and Michael E. Lake are all seeking the Democratic nomination. The winner will face Republican Karyn Polito as part of the Republican Party ticket.

Democrats Maura Healey and Warren Tolman are vying for the party’s nomination to succeed Martha Coakley as Attorney General. The winner will face John B. Miller of Winchester in the November election.

Lastly, three Democrats are seeking the nomination to be the next Treasurer, succeeding gubernatorial hopeful Steven Grossman. Those candidates are Thomas Conroy, Barry Finegold and Deborah Goldberg. The winner of that race will face Republican Michael James Heffernan in November.

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