Special election draws 2 women

Two Foxborough women with strong ties to the community and similar stances on issues are vying in a special election for the state House of Representatives seat held by Michael J. Coppola, who died in office four months ago.

Coppola's widow, Virginia Coppola, 56, is the Republican candidate. She was a State House aide to Representative Barbara Hyland of Foxborough for two years in the late 1990s and has served on nearly a dozen town committees and boards of civic organizations.

The Democratic candidate is Claire B. Naughton, 61, a retired teacher and Democratic State Committee member who also has served on various civic and town boards. Her husband, Dennis Naughton, is assistant principal at Norton High School.

The preliminary election is set for Jan. 10. Barring any last-minute write-in candidates, Coppola and Naughton, neither of whom has run for government office before, will advance to the Feb. 7 final.

The First Bristol District consists of all of Foxborough, half of Mansfield, and three of the five voting precincts in Norton.

The three-town district has been a rare Republican stronghold in Massachusetts. The GOP, which has seen its numbers dwindle in the Legislature in recent years, has held the seat for more than two decades.

Both candidates say their top priority on Beacon Hill would be to support the local schools.

''My message is quality education," said Naughton, who taught in the Attleboro, Brookline, and Warwick, R.I., schools before retiring last year. ''I would like to bring more local aid to the schools."

Coppola said: ''The formula for distributing aid needs to be examined. The schools need to get more aid from the state."

Both candidates said they do not support a state tax increase. They both describe themselves as prochoice on abortion, and they oppose allowing slot machines at the state's racetracks.

On two hot-button issues, they differ. Naughton supports same-sex marriage, while Coppola wants Massachusetts voters to decide the question in a referendum. Coppola supports the death penalty, which Naughton opposes.

Coppola is widely seen as the favorite. Her late husband, who died of colon cancer at age 62, was in his third term as a state representative and was popular in the district. From her earlier position as an aide to Hyland, Coppola got to know many officials in the three towns.

After Michael Coppola died, about a half-dozen politicians in the district began planning bids for the open seat. When his widow announced her candidacy, they all abandoned their campaigns.

Democratic activists encouraged Naughton to run, which she decided to do a few days before the filing deadline.

''There was sentiment among some people who felt the public deserves a choice, and they got together and asked her to run," said Georgia Hollister Isman, Naughton's campaign manager.

Naughton is running an aggressive campaign and has been knocking on doors for several weeks.

She also has assembled an organization and garnered support from labor unions and liberal activist groups, as well as the state party.

''We intend to pour significant resources in Claire Naughton's campaign," state Democratic Party chairman Phil Johnston said. ''We'd like to take this seat back."

Naughton has received endorsements from MassEquality, Citizens for Participation in Political Action, the Sierra Club of Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Women's Political Caucus, the Massachusetts Teachers Association, and other labor organizations.

Coppola has endorsements from all five selectmen in Mansfield and all five selectmen in Norton.

''The local buzz is all about Ginny," said Danielle Fish, a Republican State Committee member from Mansfield. ''Friends and neighbors -- both Republican and Democrat -- are so glad to see her running and plan to support her."

Coppola said many people in the district urged her to run. She said she decided to do so to make sure that her late husband's goals in office are achieved.

''At Mike's wake, people from all three towns -- Foxborough, Norton, and Mansfield -- were asking me to run," she said. ''People that didn't ask me at the wake asked me three weeks later."

One of Michael Coppola's main projects was to see the reuse of Foxboro State Hospital completed. Virginia Coppola said that would be one of her top priorities also.

While she wants to fill out the remainder of her husband's term, Coppola said she is undecided whether she would seek reelection in the fall. She said she has not ruled it out.

State Senator James E. Timilty, a Walpole Democrat who represents the towns in the House district, said the winter election with a short campaign period will favor the candidate with the strongest grass-roots organization.

''I think it's going to be entirely up to the candidates to get their message to the voters and then get them to the polls," said Timilty, who has not endorsed either candidate.

Robert Preer can be reached at preer@globe.com.