The three candidates for Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth held their first debate today, a week before Election Day. It came after the Republican and Green-Rainbow Party candidates repeatedly called on the incumbent Democrat to publicly debate.The debate at Malden High School came as a relative surprise to Green-Rainbow Party candidate Danny Factor. Factor had to cancel planned campaign events in western Massachusetts Monday. Factor says Galvin has been in office for too long.
“I think there’s almost a sense of entitlement that happens and I think the last step of it is arrogance,” Factor said. “That’s what seems to happen with Mr. Galvin. He really believes that he’s entitled to this office and has really forgotten about the fact, and here’s the irony, he’s the chief elections officer of the state. He should be the one defending democracy. If anything, he’s doing everything to defeat it.”
In September, Factor and Republican candidate David D’Arcangelo sent joint letters to Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin requesting the three candidates debate. The challengers even showed up at a forum Galvin was set to moderate at Framingham Town Hall in October. In a video taken outside the town hall and posted by D’Arcangelo’s campaign, the Republican says they were hoping to speak with the secretary.
“We’ve been waiting here now for well over an hour,” D’Arcangelo said. “Unfortunately it looks like its 7 o’clock. The forum that the secretary is supposedly moderating is supposed to be starting at 7 o’clock. So the reports that we’ve gotten is that he’s ducking us. He hasn’t shown up and supposedly he’s got some vague excuse or whatever. It’s disappointing.”
Galvin has held the office since 1995, previously serving as a Massachusetts state representative. Galvin did not face a primary challenger this year and has handily defeated general election opponents in years past. After Monday’s debate, D’Arcangelo, a Malden City Councilor, says Galvin has consistently dodged debates and his questions.
“He doesn’t want to talk about his failed record of 20 years,” D’Arcangelo said. “Getting an F in freedom of information from the National Freedom of Information Coalition. Getting brought in for noncompliance by the U.S. Justice Department for failure to report military ballots. If he wanted to debate so bad, he could debate. He’s refused certified mail from me and Danny Factor asking for debates. I find it ironic that the debate, in his own words, that he set up, it’s ironic to me that instead of going to a broadcast network to do it, he wants to have it at 12:45 in the afternoon on a Monday in the Malden High School library.”
The candidates were allowed opening statements and then faced questions from students. Factor says he didn’t mind that questions most likely came from people not old enough to vote.
“I’m the only candidate that has a history of supporting the voting age to be lowered to 16,” said Factor.
D’Arcangelo points toward close polling in the governor’s race as a reason that he will oust Galvin.
“Look at one poll that has Charlie Baker up nine points over Martha Coakley,” D’Arcangelo said. “Well if Charlie Baker wins by nine points you got to think that other statewide Republicans have a good shot.”
D’Arcangelo, who is partially blind and has served as a Boston election officer, has outlined an 11-point reform agenda, which includes moving primary elections from September to June, electronic voting and removing the incumbency status from the ballot. Factor has been pushing an economic bill of rights and single-payer healthcare. In October, Factor was arrested for trespassing while protesting against logging in Silver Maple Forest, an act he says he is proud of.
Galvin did not return a request for comment in time for broadcast. During the debate Galvin defended his record on the minority vote and pre-voter registration among other issues.
