Posted on 09/12/2001 6:11:36 PM PDT by madprof98
BOSTON - The race to replace the late U.S. Rep. Joe Moakley will pit a conservative Democrat who opposes abortion against a moderate Republican who supports abortion rights.
State Sen. Stephen F. Lynch won a seven-way Democratic primary and state Sen. JoAnn Sprague beat a sole challenger on the Republican side in the contest for the 9th Congressional District.
The seat in the district, which includes Boston, has been held by a Democrat for most of the last century. But Sprague said she believed she could mount a challenge to Lynch, who had the endorsement of Moakley's brothers.
Lynch earned 40 percent of the vote to 29 percent for Democratic state Sen. Cheryl A. Jacques. State Sens. Brian A. Joyce and Marc R. Pacheco earned 15 percent and 13 percent, respectively.
Sprague, 69, defeated 32-year-old William McKinney by a 71 percent to 29 percent margin.
The excitement of the district's first open election in three decades was dampened by the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington.
The assaults sparked a brief political battle over whether the state should cancel the election, but the polling continued with election officials reporting moderate turnout.
There were no victory parties. Lynch read a brief statement condemning the attacks to a subdued crowd of about 100 supporters at a union hall in Dorchester, thanking those who came out to vote for him.
"Today reminds us that we can never take these rights for granted," he said. "I am grateful to the voters' confidence in me."
Sprague suspended her campaign activities for 24 hours out of respect for the attack victims. She said she is looking forward to taking on the Democratic nominee in the heavily Democratic district.
"I think I have a very good chance of the people of this district liking the message of a candidate who works hard, is a straight shooter and who listens to what they are saying," Sprague said.
Lynch greeted voters at St. Brigid's church, Moakley's old parish, before voting with his wife and parents at Foley Apartments in South Boston.
Jacques, 3 9, of Needham, tried to paint Lynch, 46, as too conservative for the district. Lynch, like Moakley, opposes abortion. Jacques portrayed herself as the only candidate who would fight for women's rights, including abortion. Sprague, the Republican, is pro-choice.
Joyce, 39, and Pacheco, 48, both tried to position themselves as more moderate alternatives to Jacques and Lynch.
There was plenty of fodder for political attacks during the short primary campaign.
Lynch, arrested in the 1970s for smoking marijuana and fighting with protesting Iranian students, admitted defaulting on student loans and being late in paying more than $6,000 in back taxes in the 1980s.
Lynch also won praise for recently donating part of his liver to his brother-in-law.
Jacques, who is gay, was criticized after revelations that she gave six raises during 41/2years to a woman who worked in her office. Jacques later started dating the woman, who became her domestic partner.
Other Democratic candidates included economic justice advocate John Taylor, 51; former prosecutor William Sinnott, 43; and William Ferguson, 39, a supporter of perennial presidential candidate Lyndon LaRouche.
Moakley, who held the seat for three decades, died in May after a battle with leukemia. His funeral drew President Bush, former President Clinton and former Vice President Al Gore.
Earlier Tuesday, it wasn't clear if the election would go on.
After the attacks against the World Trade Center towers and the Pentagon, Secretary of State William F. Galvin said he would ask the state's highest court to suspend the election.
Galvin changed his mind after acting Gov. Jane M. Swift, a Republican, and Attorney General Thomas F. Reilly said the election should continue and after early indications showed a moderate turnout.
Many of the candidates supported that decision.
"That Massachusetts carried on today with the elections was absolutely the right response," she said.
Jacques spokesman Angus McQuilken said there was a lot of confusion among voters.
"That confusion may have prevented some people from having the opportunity to vote simply because they didn't know if the election was going forward," McQuilken said.
The 9th district begins in Boston, winds down to Taunton and includes Braintree, Needham, Walpole, Milton, Dedham, Westwood, Medfield, Canton, Stoughton, Randolph, Norwood and parts of Brockton and Easton.
It will be interesting to see if Boston voters would prefer a Republican who supports abortion (a "moderate") to an otherwise liberal Dem who does not (and is therefore a "conservative").
Lynch indicates there is more character in his background than just being pro-life. My gut feeling is this is the best man this district is capable of electing. If Bush has the time, he should send someone to defy the RINOs and campaign for him.
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