Regional Expanded Rail Advocates Suffer Loss in Massachusetts Primary. Lesser Bid for LG Falls Short.

State Senator Eric Lesser lost his bid for the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor of Massachusetts Tuesday. The Longmeadow resident made expanding rail service between Springfield and Boston his top priority during his four terms in the senate. A recent plan adds service to Pittsfield.

The Springfield to Boston rail line is central to providing modern train service between Hartford and Boston.

Lesser, who served in the Obama White House as an aide to David Axelrod, had hoped to overcome the advantages candidates from the Boston area traditionally enjoy in statewide campaigns against rivals from the sparsely populated western part of the commonwealth. With nearly 90% of the votes counted, Lesser was trailing Salem Mayor Kimberly Driscoll by 88,000 votes. Lesser was a prodigious fundraiser but found himself competing with a well-funded super PAC as the primary campaign neared its conclusion.

Driscoll joins Attorney General Maura Healey on the Democratic ticket. Healey is the overwhelming favorite to win the race for governor in November. Republicans chose Geoff Diehl on Tuesday to face the popular Healey. The most recent campaign finance report shows Diehl begins the general election campaign with less than $20,000 in cash on hand.

Springfield developer and Connecticut Republican Anthony Ravosa made news last month when he helped organize a fundraising event for Driscoll. Daily Ructions readers may recall that Ravosa was a lobbyist for Enron with close ties to former Governor John Rowland before the deluge.

Published September 7, 2022.