Sciortino ramps up sticker campaign
by Ethan Jacobs
Aug 15, 2008
Openly gay Rep. Carl Sciortino (D-Somerville) may not be appearing on the Democratic primary ballot, but today his campaign launched a new effort to ensure that voters in the 34th Middlesex District know how to cast a vote for him and return him to Beacon Hill. The campaign launched a new website, WriteInCarl.com, and sent out a mailing to residents in the district, which encompasses portions of Somerville and Medford, explaining how to vote for Sciortino either with a sticker or by writing in his name on the ballot.
Sciortino faces a strong competitor in the September 16 primary in Bob Trane, a Somerville alderman who will be the only candidate on the ballot. The Sciortino campaign had collected enough certified signatures to qualify Sciortino for the ballot, but they went missing from his State House office before he was able to turn them in to the Secretary of State. Sciortino has been one of the strongest advocates on Beacon Hill on LGBT rights issues, speaking from the floor of House on marriage equality and filing the first bill to extend non-discrimination and hate crimes protections to people based on gender identity or expression. MassEquality has made Sciortino's reelection campaign one of its top priorities for this fall.
The Sciortino campaign will be distributing stickers with his name and address to voters both by mail and at the polls on the day of the primary.