Barney Frank, with hands on the nations finances since 2006, faces multiple challegers in 2010
Barney Frank (D-MA) is facing competition for the U.S. Congressional Seat he has held for decades – from both the left and the right. Earl Henry Sholley was the first to announce his candidacy against Frank – Sholley is a long-time fiscally conservative Republican with a populist message. Sholley, who entered the 2008 race against Frank late, (in August of 2008), ended up pulling 30 plus percent of the vote with little or no name recognition – Sholley began his 2010 campaign early in 2009 – he hired Lisa Camp, from the Huckabee 2008 Presidential campaign as his Campaign Manager, and is now considered the front-runner on the Republican Side. Sholley believes that the Congress should be represented by “citizen legislators” – he also supports term limits.
Keith Messina, 28, of Medford, MA, a political newcomer, first entered the race as an independent, and recently designated himself as a Republican. His political philosophy is based on the Constitution. Messina, a mechanical engineer, entered the race because of the financial crisis facing the country. Messina will face Sholley in the Republican Primary.
The newest Republican to enter the race is 34 year old Sean Bielat, recently of Brookline, MA. Also a political newcomer, Bielat recognized that the 4th was winnable when Scott Brown won the district and he sees himself as a “conservative centrist”. The 4th District will enjoy a 3 way Republican contest, perhaps for the first time in history.l
On the left, Rachael Brown, Democrat is running on a stop-Wall Street, Mars Colonization program and CCC Youth training program. She has the support of Lyndon Larouche who has called for Obama’s Impeachment.
It is apparent that the once uncontested seat held by Barney Frank will be challenged left and right, in 2010. It is not so much Scott Brown’s campaign that has set the tone for the challenge, rather Frank’s long history with Freddie Mac and Fannie May, and finances of our nation, and the tax and spend philosophy that, in conjunction with a Democrat controlled house and Senate since 2006, helped shape the financial disaster we are face with today. It is also apparent that the voters are ready and willing to listen to a variety of candidates in the 4th district (which incidentally is not the only district in Massachusetts that has long-term Democrat incumbents facing challengers) and to place their trust in another candidate. The fact that there are three (and possibly more on the horizon) candidates on the Republican side alone, shows a shift of political think in the 4th district (and Massachusetts as a whole). Although the pundits that are insist that the seat is “Safe Democrat” (Coakley was given that designation as well), Frank first must face a primary from Brown, and then square off against the winner of the Republican primary. Sholley, who has been actively courting both independents and conservatives, is most likely the (at this point) candidate who will face Frank in that contest. Frank’s seat, from this perspective and regardless of the outcome vis a vis Scott Brown, is “not safe”.
References of interest
Sholley for Congress
Keith Messina for Congress
Bielat for Congress
Rachael Brown for Congress
The LaRouche PAC
Follow the Money: Open Secrets.org
Note of interest
Unenrolleds are able to vote in the primaries in Massachusetts, as long as they choose a party designation. From Massachusetts Primary Guide:
Can the Unenrolled vote in the Massachusetts Primary?
Yes. Unenrolled is the official term for what we used to refer to as Independent. If you are unenrolled, which means you belong to no party whatsoever, you may show up at your polling place and choose a Democratic or Republican ballot.)
Why can Independents/Unenrolled vote in the Massachusetts Primary?
We have what is called a modified closed primary in Massachusetts. This is worth explaining. In an open primary, any registered voter can vote in any party’s primary it doesn’t matter if you are a registered Democrat and want to vote in the Republican primary some states allow this to happen.
