Reading-North Reading Delegation to Attend 2012 Democratic Endorsing Convention

The following was submitted by the Massachusetts Democratic Party:

Reading-North Reading Democrats will be among the more than 5,000 delegates to the Massachusetts Democratic Party’s Endorsing Convention who will gather on June 2nd in Springfield to award the Party’s endorsement to one of the Democratic candidates for U.S. Senate.   

In February, Democrats and unenrolled voters gathered at a caucus in Reading-North Reading to elect local representatives to the convention. Additional delegates were appointed by the Democratic State Committee to ensure that young people, minorities and persons with disabilities are adequately represented. They will join together with other delegations from around the state to participate in one of the largest examples of grassroots democracy the state has ever seen.

In all, Massachusetts Democrats held 557 caucuses throughout the Commonwealth.

Delegates from Reading-North Reading will vote to select which candidate for Senate will receive the Party’s endorsement to be the nominee to face Scott Brown this fall in what is shaping up to be a pivotal race both locally and nationally. They will also join with volunteers after the convention to launch a massive city-wide canvass of Springfield to talk to voters about Democratic values and candidates.

The Senate candidate who receives a majority of the delegate’s votes will become the officially endorsed candidate of the Massachusetts Democratic Party. Any candidate who receives at least 15% will remain on the Primary Election ballot.

The winner of the Party’s endorsement will address the convention following a final vote tally. The Massachusetts Democratic Party’s endorsement will be noted on the September 6th Primary Election ballot.

 “Middle class families in Reading-North Reading face a stark choice this fall. We can either keep the Commonwealth and our nation moving forward by sending President Obama back for a second term and replacing Scott Brown with a fighter for the middle class or we can allow the country to slip back into the doldrums of the past.” said Massachusetts Democratic Party Chair John Walsh. “In the months ahead, Reading-North Reading Democrats will play a key role in building the largest grassroots campaign the Commonwealth has ever seen, creating thousands of community conversations about our candidates and our ideas.”

The Reading-North Reading delegation contains the following members:

Tina Olson, John Lippitt, John O'Neill, Carolyn Whiting, Alice Collins, Marcia Dresser, David Craven, Patricia Fleszar, Ben Tafoya, Karen Richard, Donald Green, Robert Connors, Dianne Kennedy, Stephen Viegas, Dianne Heeley, Susan Patton, James Perkins, Katharine Barr, Nicholas DiGiovanni, Georgette DiGiovanni, Thomas Magner