Local leaders flex muscle as state convention nears
The biggest names at this weekend's state Democratic convention in Worcester belong to the party's three candidates for governor: Gabrieli, Patrick, Reilly.
But in the live-or-die exercise of courting party delegates, other names will loom large behind the scenes, names like Menino, Glodis, Curtatone, and Phelan.
Several elected officials -- including Mayor Thomas M. Menino of Boston, Worcester County Sheriff Guy Glodis, Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone of Somerville, and Mayor William J. Phelan of Quincy -- become, in effect, party bosses in the convention hall: local leaders whose influence over Democratic delegates from their communities can make or break a candidacy.
Glodis, for example, has organized delegate house parties for Attorney General Thomas F. Reilly, sent out a letter to committed Reilly delegates making sure they stick with the campaign this weekend, and made personal phone calls on behalf of the campaign to the 439 delegates in Worcester County.
``The personal touch is much more effective," Glodis said, adding, ``And where I have a countywide office, it's probably more beneficial and helpful than a legislative seat."
Mayor Edward M. Lambert Jr. of Fall River said he, too, has been working hard for Reilly's campaign, predicting that Reilly will win ``a solid majority" of the city's 69 delegates.
``I think that he'll do very well in Fall River," Lambert said, though he dismissed suggestions that the strategy amounted to machine-style politics. ``I think politics has evolved from that. I'm just a supporter and a longtime friend."
Among the mayors, Menino alone is thought to control one of the largest convention blocs, between 160 and 200 of Boston's 386 delegates, to the convention Saturday at the DCU Center in Worcester. Menino said last week he was ``riding with Reilly all the way."
Other elected officials expected to twist arms for Reilly this weekend are Senate President Robert E. Travaglini of East Boston, Hampden County Sheriff Michael J. Ashe Jr., and state Senator Steven C. Panagiotakos of Lowell.
Deval L. Patrick, a former civil rights prosecutor and corporate executive, has worked for months at the grass-roots level to win over Democrats around the state. The work paid off earlier this year, when he won the Democratic caucuses by a wide margin.
Patrick's cheerleaders include US Representative James P. McGovern, a Worcester Democrat who will lobby for his man in his home city, which has 99 delegates, and Curtatone of Somerville, a city with 57 delegates. Curtatone said Patrick has about 54 of Somerville's delegates. Curtatone said he called delegates last week to make sure that hadn't changed.
``We're going to be at the convention in full force and very active for Deval Patrick," Curtatone said.
John Walsh, Patrick's campaign manager, added that he is relying as much this weekend on unknown ``regional coordinators" as big names.
Of the Democratic candidates, Christopher Gabrieli, a former venture capitalist, is in the most need of delegates. He entered the race late, so he has to locate uncommitted delegates or peel off those who committed to Patrick or Reilly. The commitments are not binding.
Gabrieli is turning to leaders such as Phelan, the Quincy mayor, who will announce his endorsement today.
Also backing Gabrieli are Franklin County Sheriff Frederick B. Macdonald and state Representative Michael Moran, who represents Allston-Brighton.
Phelan said he will be calling delegates and working the convention floor for Gabrieli. ``I support Chris, and my hope is that he carries a majority of delegates in Quincy," he said. Quincy has 63 delegates.
But Gabrieli is doing much of the work himself, his campaign says, dedicating four or more hours each day to ``delegate outreach." He gives out his cellphone number to delegates and interrupts meetings to talk to them. He has breakfast with any delegate who asks. He makes his pitch by e-mail.
Despite the fact that powerful mayors and other officials are backing certain candidates, it doesn't necessarily mean that all delegates in a city, county, or district will follow suit.
In Boston, for example, delegates from a few wards are committed to Patrick. Among them is Ward 4, covering the South End and the Fenway.
As the convention approaches, the campaigns reported other developments:
Patrick continues to dominate recent fund-raising efforts, collecting $460,000 in the month of May, the most ever by a statewide primary election candidate in Massachusetts, his campaign said yesterday. Tonight, he is expected to collect more than $100,000 when US Senator Barack Obama, the Illinois Democrat, hosts a fund-raiser at the Hynes Convention Center.
Attorney General Thomas F. Reilly, who has $4.3 million in his political accounts, raised more than $200,000 in May, but his campaign has yet to compile the final figures, a spokesman said.
Campaigns are generating hundreds of automated phone calls. Middlesex District Attorney Martha Coakley and former gubernatorial candidate and Democratic National Committee chairman Steve Grossman are calling on behalf of Reilly. Patrick has recorded his own call: John Tobin, a Boston city councilor, endorsed Gabrieli last week, but he got a ``robo-call" the other day from Patrick. ``He opened up by saying, `I hate these robo calls as much as you do,' " Tobin said, ``which got you listening."
Helman can be reached at shelman@globe.com. 