Sheriff drops out and Finegold gains endorsements
I was surprised to learn tonight that Sheriff Jim DiPaola had dropped out of the fifth Congressional race, but perhaps the bigger surprise is how quickly the endorsements for the sheriff shifted to another candidate: According to an emailed news release from Barry Finegold’s campaign, now officially on board supporting his candidacy are state representatives David Nangle and Tom Golden; former Lowell city manager John Cox; Dracut selectmen Joseph DiRocco, John Zimini, Ken Cunha and Robert Cox; and Ron Mercier, chair of the Dracut School Committee and grandson of Lowell City Councillor Armand Mercier. It’s no shock that this pack would migrate together; many of these people were active supporters of the former city manager and have familial, historical and/or political connections going way back. What is a surprise, however, is how well-coordinated and quick the endorsements were—coming right on the heels of DiPaola’s announcement that he was dropping out of the race.
What this influx of supporters will mean for Finegold’s campaign is anyone’s guess. The talk I’d heard before was with the two women candidates, Eileen Donoghue and Niki Tsongas, pulling from a very similar base here in Lowell, DiPaola’s chances for success were strong. Whether that will translate to Finegold’s campaign will depend (I hope) on the quality of the candidate and the competition more than anything else.