Race profile: 8th Suffolk District -- Walz v. Marston

The 8th Suffolk District encompasses parts of Boston and Cambridge. Incumbent Democrat Marty Walz has the following map on her website: 

Walz - Walz has solid, traditional credentials.  She earned her BA magna cum laude from Colgate, has a Masters from the Kennedy School and her JD from NYU.  Walz has practiced law for a couple of notable firms, including well regarded employment law specialists Littler Mendelson. Her website says Walz "had a particular focus on preventing illegal discrimination and harassment in the workplace."  Walz also practiced in-house for publisher Harcourt General, Inc.

Walz is seeking election to her fourth term on Beacon Hill. Walz's website touts her success obtaining funds for local projects and blocking a proposal to reroute Storrow Drive onto the Esplanade.  Walz says she supports "gradually increase[ing] the personal exemption and decreas[ing] the income tax rate as the state collects more revenue."  She offers no suggestion of how the state will "collect[] more revenue," but rather assumes that is will do so.

Walz's website also says she:

• Supports a longer school day and school year.
• Supports incentives for construction of "affordable housing" units.
• Supports a state constitutional amendment "giving every resident a constitutionally protected right to adequate health care."
• Supports gay marriage, ascribing current debate to a "1913 law, born of racial discrimination."
• Supports "reproductive freedom;" Walz is on the Board of NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts.  Walz also promotes her support for stem cell research, including legislation promoting Massachusetts as a center for stem cell research
• Is the lead sponsor of 1) An Act Relative to the Reinstatement of the Clean Environment Fund to increase the number of bottles on which a deposit is required at purchase, with proceeds to "support[] recycling, climate protection, parks, urban forestry, water quality and conservation, and air quality;" and 2) "An Act Relative to Electronic Waste and Recycling" imposing a fee on sales of electronic products to promote recycling of those produces.
• Supported raising the minimum wage to $8.00.

Brad Marston - Republican challenger Brad Marston is a Georgetown grad with a finance background.  Marston began his career at First Boston and rose to Senior VP of New York-based Gruntal and Company.  While Marston gave up finance in 1994 and has since become an actor, his website emphasizes his “over 25 years of business and management experience.”

Marston’s website sets out an agenda to parallel Scott Brown, a growing, if obvious, trend among GOP candidates in the Bay State.  The first statement on his home page hits at popular discontent over taxes and jobs and he promises to provide government “liv[ing] within its means,” small business growth and entrepreneurship.  His later reference to “taking care of people truly in need” harkens back to GWB’s Compassionate Conservatism circa 2000.

Marston is running like many potential 2012 candidates on being the outsider.  He vows to end “closed door meetings and back room deals” and promises the openness and transparency that Obama touted during the campaign but has abjured as President.  In the Bay State context, Marston takes the theme a step further, referring repeatedly to the need for “balance” on Beacon Hill and asking for support from “Republicans, Democrats and Undeclared voters alike.”  Marston implicitly links one-party governance with corruption on Beacon Hill, noting that three consecutive House Speakers (all Democrats) have been subjected to Federal indictments. 

Marston’s site lists several specific proposals:

• Job creation through tax simplification and reduction, and support for small business growth; consolidation or elimination of redundant and wasteful state economic agencies.
• Cut sales tax even more than the 2009 increase, rolling back to 3%.
• Significant spending cuts; Marston says
• The Earmark Transparency Act requiring creation of a searchable web listing of all earmarks (Marston slams earmarks as “the antithesis of open, transparent government”).
• $2 billion in budget savings, including four specific proposals: 1) Repealing the “Pacheco Law” that increases government expenses in favor of public unions; 2) expanding the Group Insurance Commission already covering some state and municipal employees, retirees, etc.; 3) expanding the state’s managed care program to include Medicaid patients; and 4) reforming the public employee pension system.
• Eliminating 6400 of the 7500 new public sector jobs created since 2004. 
• Limiting spending increases to parallel inflation and population growth.
• Directing all capital-gains revenue to restoring the Stabilization fund.

Upshot - Marston has been waging an aggressive campaign since putting his hat in the ring.  His Facebook profile has 3,900 friends and provides a constant flow of information on Marston's canvassing, speaking and fund-raising.  Marston has been quite visible at GOP events in and around Boston, seeking to create face and name recognition in the party core.  However, his website’s “groups” page counts only 19 members among 7 groups and the members page shows only 98 members.

And any race in Suffolk is going to be a tough contest for a Republican, particularly a relative unknown.  Every Rep from Suffolk is a Democrat.  That said, at this point Marston seems to be leading the race on ideas.  Walz hasn't made any statements that address the core issues that are driving voters -- jobs, the economy, the deficit.  Marston's proposals may not be enough to get elected in a strong left district, but they are at least ideas.

It’s early for a state race, but Marston needs to make a name for himself and needs the funds to do it, and as of the end of 2009, Walz was leading the fundraising race with $83K to Marston's $4K.  A lot has happened since then, and a lot will happen before the election, but Marston needs to make up some ground, fast.