Sticker Campaigns: Your Massachusetts State Primary Guide
All four candidates running to be on the ballot in the 21st Middlesex District State Representative seat are running sticker campaigns in the primary today.
The Massachusetts State Primary is today and Wilmington residents have a decision to make in one particular area.
The most significant contested race in this area is among the Democratic candidates who are running to be on the ballot for the 21st Middlesex District State Representative seat being left vacant by outgoing Rep. Charles Murphy.
The 21 Middlesex District includes the towns of Burlington, Bedford and Precinct 3 of Wilmington.
What is unique about this primary ballot is that Murphy, even though he is not running for re-election, will be the only name on the Democratic ballot. This means that all the candidates must have voters either write in their names or place a sticker, which most will be handing out at the polls, in the "write in" section of the ballot.
In order for a write-in vote to count, the candidate's name must be clearly written into the write-in section in a way that leaves no doubt what the voter intended.
The three Democratic candidates are CPA and business owner David Fionda, Vice Chair of the Bedford Zoning Board and attorney Ken Gordon and former Burlington Selectman and current Town Meeting member Virginia Mooney.
Burlington Town Clerk Amy Warfield said that in order for a candidate to win the primary, he or she must both get over 150 votes and receive more than Murphy. If Murphy wins because his name is on the ballot, the decision of who will be on the ballot in November will be made by the Democratic Town Committees in the towns in the district.
On the Republican side, Burlington Selectman Walter Zenkin is also running a write in/sticker campaign to be on the November ballot. Due to a mix-up with paperwork, Zenkin's name will also not appear on today's ballot. In order for him to be on the ballot in the Nov. 6 general election, Zenkin must receive at least 150 write-in votes today.
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