State rep says his nomination papers were stolen; judge is unmoved

May 23, 2008 06:27 PM Email| Comments (0)| Text size – +

(Globe File Photo)

Sciortino in his district in 2004.

By Frank Phillips, Globe Staff

State Representative Carl M. Sciortino Jr. says his nomination papers were sitting on his State House desk in late April. But by early May, they were gone -- stolen, Sciortino contends, in an apparent act of political skulduggery.

But today, a state Superior Court judge was not buying his excuse.

Judge Linda E. Giles denied the Medford Democrat's request that he appear on the September primary ballot even without the 150 voter nomination signatures required to qualify.

Sciortino had kept papers with 72 voter signatures in his unlocked, basement office of the State House. Giles noted in her ruling that he presented no evidence they were stolen.

'''The court is not unsympathetic to the plight of Sciortino, the apparent victim of innocent, very human inadvertence,'' Giles said. ''Nevertheless, the duty to keep one's important nomination papers safe and reproduced photostatically is not onerous.''

In other words: if your political opponents ate your homework, too bad.

Sciortino said yesterday he will continue to pursue his case in court, noting that Giles' ruling was merely a rejection of his request for immediate relief, not of his entire case.

''It is a setback, but not a closed door yet,'' Sciortino said of his failure to get an immediate injunction in his favor.

With the loss of 72 signatures, Sciortino had only 114 of the 150 signatures required. If he continues to lose in court, his only option may be to run as a write-in candidate.

A 29-year-old gay activist, Sciortino first won his office by beating a veteran lawmaker, Vincent P. Ciampa, in 2004. His victory marked a major shift in the Somerville/Medford district that was once a blue-collar dominated district known for its gritty politics.

A Somerville alderman, Robert Trane, has qualified for the Democratic primary ballot this year and would be facing Sciortino if he manages to get on the ballot or runs as a write-in candidate.