By Matt Dunning, Erin Smith and David L. Harris
Anthony Galluccio’s win in this week’s Senate primary won’t just mean changes at the State House: it’ll most likely mean another new face on the City Council.
Earlier this summer, Galluccio vowed he would not seek re-election to the City Council after serving out his term. His expected departure in December will mean at least two new occupants of the Sullivan Chamber at City Hall.
Galluccio won the primary for state Senate Tuesday night, cleaning up 41 percent of the vote district-wide, according to unofficial election tallies. Paul Nowicki won 26 percent of the votes throughout the district and Tim Flaherty followed with 21 percent.
Since all the candidates were Democrats, Galluccio is the presumptive winner of the seat, barring a colossal write-in campaign.
Robert Winters, who publishes the Cambridge Civic Journal and is considered by many to be an authoritative voice when it comes to politics in the city, said he believed Galluccio’s departure may open the door a bit wider for council candidates David Maher and Sam Seidel.
“Honestly, of all the challengers, I think Seidel is probably the guy with the best chance,” Winters said. “He’s run for the seat before, so he’s got a bit of a base, and I really think he’s got a fighting chance of picking it up.”
Galluccio’s impending departure from the council may also improve Maher’s chances of retaining his recently acquired seat, according to Winters. Maher replaced former Councilor Michael Sullivan last week, after Sullivan suddenly stepped down.
During a speech at the Silver Fox restaurant in Everett, a pumped-up Galluccio said his campaign would focus on an issue near and dear to his heart.
“Let me be clear for the record,” the former mayor said. “Anyone who thought I focused too much on children and my message is too based on children, I got news for you: you’re going to be hearing a lot more about children.”
With all of the precincts reporting in Cambridge, Galluccio won 1,119 votes or 50.2 percent of the vote for Jarrett Barrios’ vacated Senate seat. Former Norfolk County Assistant District Attorney Tim Flaherty won 666 votes in Cambridge.
Galluccio bested Flaherty, Chelsea City Councilor Paul Nowicki (who won 28 votes in Cambridge) and human rights lawyer Jeff Ross (who won 370 votes in Cambridge). Nowicki won Chelsea and Galluccio placed second there. Galluccio won Everett, with Nowicki coming in second with less than half of Galluccio’s votes.
“I want you to extend your hearts to them and understand they’re going through a tough night tonight and we better respect that,” Galluccio said of his opponents. “Whatever happened during the campaign is over.”
Galluccio, the 40-year-old seven-term city councilor who has a local law practice, ran for Barrios’ seat last year, but abandoned his ambitions after Barrios changed his mind about running for re-election. He also sought the job in 2002, running against Barrios to replace Sen. Tom Birmingham.
Although the campaign was marked by general agreeableness, Galluccio’s 2005 drunken driving allegations resurfaced in the week leading up to the primary when Flaherty asked the three other candidates if they had anything in their personal or professional lives that would embarrass those who endorsed him. Galluccio said he made mistakes, but didn’t mention a 2005 accident, in which he was not charged. This wasn’t his first run-in with the law. Galluccio was pardoned for a 1984 DUI by former Governor Bill Weld, and had his license suspended for the offense in 1997.
Nowicki, 38, who has served as a Chelsea city councilor for 15 years, said he was upset, but all was not lost.
“Of course, I’m disappointed, being the competitor I am,” Nowicki said. “But, like the old saying goes, ‘When you leave everything on the field and it still doesn’t go your way, you congratulate the guy who won and move on.’”
Flaherty conceded a little after 9 p.m., saying he was “very proud to have been a candidate in this race, and I’m very proud of the campaign effort we put together.”
Flaherty, a 42-year former Norfolk County assistant district attorney, once ran against Martha Coakley for Middlesex DA. The son of former House Speaker Charles Flaherty, Flaherty was appointed an assistant district attorney in Norfolk County by Congressman William Delahunt.
Ross, 38, who began his political career as a campaign worker in California in 1992 and once challenged House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi in the 1998 election, said his political goals hadn’t been dashed.
“We’re proud of the work we’ve done,” said Ross, who added he was seriously considering a run for City Council in the near future.
