The Codcast
CommonWealth Magazine
Visit MassINC »
Mayor Marty Walsh speaking with reporters on Tuesday.
Walsh touts his support for Zakim
Cites pledge to open up voting process in explaining snub of six-term incumbent Galvin
By Michael Jonas	Josh Zakim, Mayor Marty Walsh, William Galvin	0 Comments Jun 5, 2018
MAYOR MARTY WALSH acknowledged on Tuesday that he encouraged Boston delegates to last weekend's Democratic state convention to support challenger Josh Zakim, who scored an upset victory and won the convention endorsement over incumbent Secretary of State William Galvin.
Walsh was out of the state and didn't attend Saturday's gathering in Worcester, but he sent word to Boston delegates that he was backing Zakim, a two-term Boston city councilor, over Galvin, a one-time Brighton state rep who has served six terms as secretary of state.
Get the Daily Download
Our news roundup delivered every weekday.
Mayor Marty Walsh and Boston City Councilor Josh Zakim, whose Democratic primary challenge to Secretary of State William Galvin got a big lift from Boston delegates at Saturday's Democratic state convention, chat at a book launch event Tuesday afternoon in Boston.
"I put out there that I'd like to see Josh get some of the votes in Boston," Walsh said after speaking at an event in downtown Boston early Tuesday afternoon. "I didn't strong-arm people," Walsh said, adding a hundred or so Boston delegates voted for Galvin.
Zakim won the support of 55 percent of the delegates, while Galvin was backed by 45 percent. Both candidates easily cleared the 15 percent threshold necessarily to appear on the September primary ballot.
"I like some of the ideas he's talking about with the process as far as getting people involved in the voting process," Walsh said of Zakim. "I think one of our problems in this country is people aren't as engaged as they should be in voting."
The secretary of state is the chief election official in the state. Zakim has vowed to improve the election and voting process, and has criticized Galvin for being slow to support a plan for same-day voter registration in Massachusetts.
Walsh acknowledged that it is unusual for an elected official to back a challenger to fellow incumbent of the same party. He insisted that the move was not payback to Galvin, as some have speculated, for his opposition to changing a state law limiting any new construction in downtown Boston that will cast shadows on Boston Common.
Walsh successfully lobbied the Legislature last year to pass a home-rule petition submitted by the city amending the law in order to allow a new tower to be built on a city-owned parcel at Winthrop Square. At stake for the city: a $153 million payment from the project developer, Millennium Partners.
Asked if he had been upset with Galvin over his position, Walsh said, "Absolutely I was. Of course, I was concerned. I was pretty much public on it. But that has nothing to do with this."
Walsh's office pointed out that Zakim, whose district includes Boston Common, also opposed the zoning change. Zakim was one of just three city councilors to vote against the home-rule petition, which 10 councilors supported.
Walsh and Galvin have a long history, which once appeared to be one of mutual political support. In 2001, Galvin was likely 2002 candidate for governor and Walsh, then a Dorchester state representative, was backing him and preparing to help organize Boston precincts on his behalf. In January 2002, however, Galvin bowed out and announced that he would seek reelection as secretary of state.
Just as Galvin was shifting gears, Walsh made public his interest in being appointed to the then-vacant Suffolk County Register of Deeds position. The job is an elected post, but the secretary of state has the appointing power to fill a vacancy in the seat, and Walsh indicated that he had been offered the slot by Galvin.
Soon after news of his pursuit of the county post emerged, Walsh abruptly reversed course and announced he was running for reelection to his state rep's seat.
Walsh said he has not yet officially endorsed Zakim in the secretary of state's race, but suggested he will be formally backing him.
Walsh and Zakim both attended an event on Tuesday marking publication of a book on the life of Holocaust survivor Stephan Ross, the main force behind the New England Holocaust Memorial on Congress Street. (The book was co-authored by local attorney and writer Glenn Frank and former South Boston state rep Brian Wallace.)
"I'm grateful for the support we received from the Boston delegates," Zakim said of Saturday's convention.
Asked about his discussions with Walsh and an official endorsement from the mayor, Zakim said, "We've been talking and I hope to have something more formal soon."
Galvin did not return messages left with his campaign or State House office.
Michael Jonas
Executive Editor, CommonWealth
E-mail @bostonjonas
Bio » Latest Stories »
About Michael Jonas
Michael Jonas has worked in journalism in Massachusetts since the early 1980s. Before joining the CommonWealth staff in early 2001, he was a contributing writer for the magazine for two years. His cover story in CommonWealth's Fall 1999 issue on Boston youth outreach workers was selected for a PASS (Prevention for a Safer Society) Award from the National Council on Crime and Delinquency.
Michael got his start in journalism at the Dorchester Community News, a community newspaper serving Boston's largest neighborhood, where he covered a range of urban issues. Since the late 1980s, he has been a regular contributor to the Boston Globe. For 15 years he wrote a weekly column on local politics for the Boston Sunday Globe's City Weekly section.
Michael has also worked in broadcast journalism. In 1989, he was a co-producer for "The AIDS Quarterly," a national PBS series produced by WGBH-TV in Boston, and in the early 1990s, he worked as a producer for "Our Times," a weekly magazine program on WHDH-TV (Ch. 7) in Boston.
Michael lives in Dorchester with his wife and their two daughters.
Lawrence Mayor Dan Rivera said in March that he got an angry phone call from Galvin following his endorsement of Zakim.
Asked whether he got a call from Galvin over his move to boost Zakim, Walsh said, "No, I didn't."
Tagged in: Josh Zakim/ Mayor Marty Walsh/ William Galvin
‹ Sargent warned Henry about sexual harassment at Globe Netflix, Showtime to film series in Mass. ›
Our work is made possible by
The Barr Foundation
John Prandato
The Boston Foundation
The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
See all » Become a sponsor »
Boston professors criticize Globe over Rollins
Sometimes a Mr. Fix-it needs to get under the hood
We need to blend liberal arts, workplace experience
Unsettling news for Vineyard Wind
Safety allegations raise control board issues
See all episodes or listen on iTunes.
Recent Stories See all »
What to do about Cape Cod's sharks?
By Andy Metzger
Swimming hazard requires some sort of response
Plugging In
Vineyard Wind says project at risk
By Bruce Mohl
Federal environmental approval needed in 4-6 weeks
Opinion Politics
It's time to bring ranked-choice voting to Mass.
By Andy Vargas
Election reform would make good on principle of 'majority rule'
Bringing efficiency to public higher education
By James Peyser and Marty Meehan
Unified payment and procurement systems for UMass will yield big savings
Tracking Transportation
Riders give T worst marks yet in June performance review
Satisfaction took a big hit after Red Line derailment
MassINC Blurb
CommonWealth is brought to you by
Our mission is to stimulate nonpartisan debate, shape policy, and advance a public agenda that supports the growth of the middle class.
By Print Issue
Patronage on Trial
Rolling the Dice
© 2019 CommonWealth Magazine. All rights reserved.
Read by over 8,000 subscribers,
who care about the Bay State.