Close race, recounts, 2 winners, 2 losers — what is House Speaker Mariano waiting for?
Massachusetts House Speaker Ronald Mariano dealt a serious blow to the democratic process in the Commonwealth when he decided to form a Special Committee to Examine the Returns in the victories of state Representatives-elect Kristen Kassner and Margaret Scarsdale (“Mariano’s move in 2 close races roils Democrats,” Page A1, Jan. 12).
Mariano and other House leadership would be well advised to heed the defense by the towns of Ipswich, Georgetown, and Rowley and Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin in the case brought by Republican incumbent Lenny Mirra to overturn Democrat Kassner’s one-vote victory — a challenge that has already been rejected by the trial and appellate courts.
The Massachusetts Constitution grants the House of Representatives the role of being “the judge of the returns, elections, and qualifications of its own members,” and the House should exercise its discretion to uphold the results yielded by longstanding, settled electoral processes. A proper election was held and careful recounts were taken under the watchful eyes of town officials, lawyers, and volunteers, with the advice and input of the relevant state official. Arguments were made and heard and decisions objectively rendered. What is left for the House special committee to do?
True leadership by the House would be to honor what has already taken place and decline to provide the two losing candidates in question a third bite at the apple.
Vivian Tseng
Malden
This needless snag is harmful to the districts and their constituents
Jan. 6, 2021 — the day our democracy’s fundamental peaceful transfer of power was threatened — will never be forgotten.
The insurrection occurred after Donald Trump’s several failed court cases and pressure campaigns to get state legislatures to fudge numbers and commit fraud and, finally, to get Mike Pence, then vice president, to deny the certification of the people’s votes. None of those efforts worked. Even Republicans did not go along with Trump’s antics and media games.
On Jan. 3 of this year, our state Legislature made the unusual decision to delay the seating of two of our duly elected representatives: Kristin Kassner, for the Second Essex District, and Margaret Scarsdale, for the First Middlesex District. These Democrats ran honest, vigorous campaigns and came out ahead after both districts went through recounts. The complaints filed by Kassner’s challenger, incumbent Lenny Mirra, had all been denied.
Meanwhile, Mirra is seated as “interim” representative for the Second Essex District (because of redistricting, he was never my representative, nor was he for four of the six towns in the district) and the First Middlesex District has been left unrepresented. This is harmful to our democracy and to these districts.
How can the state simply decide to go against certified election results? Since when does winning by a slim margin mean the elected representative doesn’t get seated if the opposition complains? What precedent does this set?
The constituents in these districts deserve their duly elected representatives.
Wendy Dabcovich
Ipswich