Wild card gains spotlight

Foes say 'The Bagel Man' will boost other liberals at polls

By Sasha Talcott, Globe Correspondent, 9/6/2003

Dan "the Bagel Man" Kontoff stepped onto a City Hall elevator one day last month dressed in full activist regalia: a ratty T-shirt, three dangling earrings, and a hat covered in buttons with slogans like, "There's no flag large enough to cover the shame of killing innocent people."

Immediately, he turned to a city worker, demanding to know if she supported the war in Iraq.

"I support our troops," the woman replied, dashing out the elevator doors as soon as they opened.

Kontoff scoffed, "You support our troops? You want them home in body bags or you want them out alive?" He paused, then called after her, "Candidate for City Council, District Nine."

A candidate running in Allston-Brighton, Dan the Bagel Man says he smokes pot, has a conviction for selling LSD, and claims that George W. Bush is linked to Osama bin Laden. What's more, he's emerging as a surprise element in this fall's elections, where the turnout of his generally liberal supporters could also help get votes for at-large Councilor Felix Arroyo.

The calculation goes like this: If voters turn out for Kontoff, they might also mark their ballots for Arroyo in the at-large race. That's exactly what some other candidates contend, and they charge that Arroyo is quietly helping Kontoff's campaign. Arroyo denies it, but he and other observers concede that any turnout of left-leaning voters helps him.

"The progressive turnout is essential," said Larry DiCara, a former city councilor. "I'm guessing that every progressive person who's voting will give Felix one of their four votes."

Arroyo, the city's first Latino councilor, came in a distant fifth place in the last race and was appointed to his position only after another councilor, Mickey Roache, left to become Suffolk County register of deeds. Arroyo is known as much for his fast to protest the war in Iraq (he said he would skip breakfast one day every other week) as for his fight for affordable housing and his opposition to this year's deep budget cuts.

Although Arroyo has made efforts to broaden his base, he is looking to energize his base of liberals -- among the most fickle voters in the city -- and make sure they turn out on Election Day. After losing the last City Council election by 11,000 votes, he has a tough battle this year against two strong challengers, Patricia White and Matt O'Malley, who bring strong political organizations to the race.

Tapping into his base this week, Arroyo held fund-raisers with members of the Black Caucus in the state Legislature and US Representative Barney Frank, Democrat of Newton. So far, he said he has raised about $65,000, and he has about $35,000 left to spend on mass mailings and other campaign efforts.

"We feel very energetic," Arroyo said. "We think we can reach every voter in the city to let them know who I am and what I stand for, so they can vote for me."

In this fall's race, another liberal, dark-horse candidate may help turn out the vote for Arroyo. Francesca Fordiani, a former Arroyo campaign worker, is running in Jamaica Plain on a platform that includes affordable housing and high-quality education, two of Arroyo's key issues.

In Allston-Brighton, Kontoff said he wants to form a "progressive bloc" throughout the city. He said he has been plugging Arroyo's campaign when he meets people on buses, subways, and city streets.

Two of Arroyo's council colleagues, John Tobin, who represents Jamaica Plain, and Jerry McDermott, who holds the Allston-Brighton seat that Kontoff is running for, say Arroyo is covertly supporting their opponents in hopes of picking up votes for himself.

"His fingerprints are all over everything," Tobin said. "I don't think anyone would say, `Yeah, I put someone in the race against you to help boost the turnout in Jamaica Plain to keep my at-large seat, but the evidence is pretty daunting."

In the Allston-Brighton race, Arroyo's policy director was one of more than 100 people who signed the petition that Kontoff submitted to qualify for the ballot. In an interview, Kontoff said Arroyo gave him his cellphone number and told him to call if he ever needed help.

Arroyo denies lending a hand to either of the two challengers, saying he would not meddle in his colleagues' races.

"I want to be evaluated in terms of my own stance, not in terms of the other candidates," Arroyo said. "I am presenting my own platforms, my own positions, and my own issues. I want to be out there and let people know I have a stand."

Still, he says that their presence in two key neighborhoods will probably help his campaign.

Arroyo's allies on the council, Chuck Turner and Charles Yancey, are also watching gleefully at the liberals' entrance into the race. Turner said he hopes their campaigns will shake up the majority alliance on the City Council.

"The Boston City Council seems to me very conservative, and it does not serve the city well," Turner said. "I think it's important that candidates who are supportive of progressive change in Boston challenge those who aren't, so that the public can clearly see the difference."

Sasha Talcott can be reached at stalcott@globe.com.