Reporter's Notebook: ‘Unity’ isn’t unanimous at 12th Suffolk breakfast

Gov. Deval Patrick, along with U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, Congressman Michael Capuano, and Attorney General Martha Coakley, appeared at the Carter Post on Blue Hill Avenue in Mattapan yesterday for a Democratic “unity” breakfast in the 12th Suffolk District. But the “unity” part of the get-together seemed somewhat problematic in the days leading up to the event. One of the three Democrats on the Aug. 13 primary ballot said she would not be there, and a second was not planning to endorse the third, the winning nominee, Dan Cullinane.

A former aide to state Rep. Marty Walsh, Cullinane handily defeated Stephanie Everett, a former aide to state Sen. Sonia Chang-Diaz, and Mary Tuitt, an aide to state Rep. Gloria Fox.

Everett said she had “no problem” showing up, but she would not be endorsing Cullinane. She cited “personal reasons” but declined to publicly elaborate. “The voters voted and that’s who they want,” she said. “I wish them luck in September.”

On Monday, Tuitt said she was leaving town on Tuesday afternoon, though she was spotted at the event on Wednesday morning. Neither Tuitt nor Everett got up in front of the crowd and endorsed Cullinane, according to an attendee.

Shortly after the “unity” breakfast, Everett’s campaign manager, Nils Tracy, took to Twitter, congratulating Cullinane “on the hard work, and the win.” Tracy added: “It’s important to remember” we are all Massachusetts Democrats.

Cullinane will face two independents –- Mattapan’s Lincoln Larmond and Milton’s Edmond Romulus –- in the Sept. 10 general special election. The district includes part of Dorchester, Mattapan, Hyde Park, and two precincts in Milton.

Linda Dorcena Forry, a Lower Mills Democrat, set off the special election when earlier this year she won the state Senate seat vacated by Jack Hart, a South Boston Democrat. The 12th Suffolk District seat in the House of Representatives was also once held by Thomas Finneran, a Mattapan Democrat and former House speaker.

Dorcena Forry, who stayed neutral in the Democratic primary, was at the breakfast, along with state Sen. Brian A. Joyce (D-Milton), who backed Cullinane in the primary, and Massachusetts Democratic Party chair John Walsh.

Planned Parenthood holding off on endorsement in mayoral race

Planned Parenthood’s Advocacy Fund said this week the pro-choice group will not be endorsing a mayoral candidate in the Sept. 24 preliminary. The group released a voter guide on mayoral and City Council candidates that was based on questionnaires that most candidates answered.

“As our voter guide reveals, there is good news for Boston: nine of the twelve mayoral candidates support access to comprehensive sexuality education and sexual and reproductive health care services in Boston Public Schools,” the head of the fund, former state Rep. Martha “Marty” Walz, said in a statement. “During our interviews of these nine candidates, no one clearly distinguished him or herself from the others, so PPAF has decided to continue its evaluation of the candidates, to see who will take a leadership role on these issues.”

District 4 Councillor Charles Yancey and TOUCH 106.1 FM co-founder Charles Clemons did not respond to the questionnaire, according to PPAF. The lone Republican, Wyatt, only agreed with the pro-choice group on one issue: funding for health teachers trained in comprehensive sexuality education.

The group has endorsed two candidates in the 19-person City Council at-large race: incumbent Ayanna Pressley and newcomer Jack Kelly, who has served as Mayor Thomas Menino’s neighborhood liaison in Charlestown.

Six at-large candidates did not respond to the organization’s questions: Frank Addivinola Jr., Chris Conroy, Althea Garrison, Keith Kenyon, Martin Keough and City Councillor At-Large Stephen Murphy.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Check out updates to Boston’s political scene at The Lit Drop, located at dotnews.com/litdrop. Email us at newseditor@dotnews.com and follow us on Twitter: @LitDrop and @gintautasd.


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