Political Circuit

‘Candidate stipend’ helps D’Alessandro pay the bills during primary run

MacDonald D’Alessandro is challenging Stephen F. Lynch in the Democratic primary.

September 5, 2010

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MacDonald “Mac’’ D’Alessandro, who is challenging US Representative Stephen F. Lynch in next week’s Democratic primary in the Ninth Congressional District, has an unusual campaign expenditure — “candidate stipend.’’ Since entering the race in April, D’Alessandro has been paid $13,500 under that category.

Under regulations of the Federal Election Commission, a candidate may be paid from campaign funds an amount equal to his or her income the prior year, on a prorated basis.

“Mac took a leave of absence from his job to run for Congress — but that’s not typically considered a valid reason to forgo paying your mortgage or student loans,’’ his campaign spokeswoman, Melissa Threadgill, said in an e-mail. “Given that he is not personally wealthy, and has a family with two kids to support, the campaign made the decision at the beginning to pay him a salary as allowed by federal law.’’

D’Alessandro is on leave from his job as regional political director of the Service Employees International Union, where he made about $90,000 last year, his campaign said.

In new pre-primary campaign finance reports, D’Alessandro, who resides in Milton, reported outraising Lynch by almost a 3-to-1 margin in the eight-week period ending Aug. 25. D’Alessandro reported taking in $178,000, spending $91,000, and having $158,261 still in the bank.

Lynch, a South Boston resident who was elected in 2001, reported taking in $66,000 ($57,000 from political action committees of labor unions and corporate interests), spending $293,000, and having more than $1 million in the bank. The total falls far short of the $150,000 the campaign said it would take in at a rally in late July headlined by former president Bill Clinton.

— Brian C. Mooney

It’s D.C. or bust for departing State House reporter

There are retirements from Beacon Hill, and then there are retirements from Beacon Hill.

It’s difficult to imagine the State House press corps — or the building itself, no less — without Jim O’Sullivan, the intrepid, omnipresent reporter for State House News Service whose tireless, detailed work regularly informs political journalism and public policy. Any insider or lawmaker can tell you how closely his stuff is followed on a daily basis.

But O’Sullivan, we learned last week, is headed for bigger pastures, which is great for him. For us? Not so much.

O’Sullivan, formerly of the Dorchester Reporter, has been scooped up by National Journal in Washington, which has been on a hiring binge as it ramps up Beltway coverage.

O’Sullivan, set to start later this month, will fill the new position of chief analyst for National Journal’s CongressDaily publication, in which he will “connect the dots with compelling narratives that pull the seemingly disparate threads together,’’ according to a memo announcing his hiring.

We’re going to miss you, Jimmy O. Best of luck.

— Globe Staff

Tweet of the week

As has been noted before in this space, it’s a family affair when it comes to Tim Cahill’s Tweets, with the treasurer, his wife, and his daughters all regularly chiming in with their 140-character-or-less squibs on the governor’s race. On Friday, Cahill’s wife, Tina (@tfrocahill), gave a shout-out to her husband, whose candidacy is at something of a crossroads as the fall race now begins in earnest. She wrote, “3way race,same old rhetoric, a negative entitled candidate, or a positve leader with good results..What do you deserve? TImin10.’’