Special election to fill Flanagan's seat set

By Michael P. Norton, State House News Service

Updated:   08/29/2017 09:25:06 AM EDT

BOSTON -- The special election to fill the Senate seat that will be given up later this week by Sen. Jennifer Flanagan so she can serve as the governor's appointee on the Cannabis Control Commission will be held Dec. 5.

The Senate on Monday set the special election date with the preliminary election being held Nov. 7, the date of this year's municipal elections in Fitchburg, Gardner and Leominster, according to Secretary of State William Galvin, the state's top elections official.

The Worcester and Middlesex District includes the cities of Fitchburg, Gardner and Leominster, and the towns of Berlin, Bolton, Lancaster, Lunenberg, Sterling, Westminster, Townsend and two of Clinton's four precincts.

The still-developing field of those seeking the seat so far includes Democrats Michael Kushmerek of Fitchburg and Michael Mahan of Leominster, as well as Fitchburg Republican Lou Marino.

Kushmerek is the Fitchburg City Council president and represents Ward 4. He also is the director of annual giving at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, and held a similar position a Fitchburg State University after earning two degrees in history.
 Kushmerek is allowed to continue his candidacy to retain his Ward 4 seat on the City Council while seeking the Senate seat.

Mahan, who also announced his intention to run for the seat last week, works as the director of client services for a Marlboro shipping and logistics software developer Pierbridge Inc.
 He also serves as Fitchburg State University board of trustees clerk and a member of the HealthAlliance Hospital board of trustees, and has served on the Democratic State Committee.

Mahan earned an MBA from Boston College and a bachelor's degree in industrial engineering from WPI.

Marino is originally from West Springfield and most recently lived in Chelmsford, where he served as Town Meeting representative for Precinct 5 and unsuccessfully ran for Chelmsford Board of Selectmen in 2015.

According to his LinkedIn page, Marino earned an associate degree from Springfield Technical Community College, and a bachelor's and master's degree from West New England University. On his LinkedIn page, Marino also lists himself at the owner of Black Onyx Recoveries, which offers services like judgment recovery, debt collection and employment screenings, according to the Black Onyx Facebook page. 
To appear on the ballot, candidates must gather 300 certified signatures, which are due with local registrars of voters by Sept. 26, according to Galvin.

Despite the urging of her supporters, Leominster state Rep. Natalie Higgins, a former intern for Flanagan, said Monday that she will not be attempting a run for the Senate.

"It would not be fair to the people of Leominster for me to run for Senate at this time," she said. "I am just getting started here in Leominster and transitioning to a district of ten-and-a-half cities and towns would mean I would have to divert my focus from Leominster before finishing what I have started."

Higgins was elected in November 2016, succeeding former state representative Dennis Rosa.

Katie Lannan of the State House News Service and Cliff Clark of the Sentinel & Enterprise contributed to this report.

Read more: http://www.sentinelandenterprise.com/news/ci_31257668/special-election-fill-flanagans-seat-set#ixzz4rECe0GDL