Tommorow is the Democratic primary in Methuen where we have a State Reps race, with the incumbent Linda Dean Campbell facing Attorney Chris Dibella. I urge voters to turn out and support Representative Campbell’s re-election.

Representative Campbell is a freshman Representative who has already made a big mark in Boston and Methuen. In her first term she was a leader in bringing home to Methuen a major renovation of our High School in the first year of financing by the MSBA. Rep. Campbell was a tireless force advocating for Methuen, and her hard work and perserverance paid off. Rep. Campbell also fought hard for a new community center in the Arlington Neighborhood. This project was kicked around for several years, but Campbell brought Lt. Governor Tim Murray in many months ago to look at the old center and worked with him to finalize the necessary state funding for the new center. This new center serves as an after school program for some of our most at risk students, and the staff there truly has made a major mark in turning around their neighborhood.

Rep. Campbell also fought for and brought to Methuen the access lane to Rte 93 at Pelham Street, a major infrastructure project. It was directly through her efforts that downtown Methuen received $200,000 to remediate the remaining enviromental issues at the Appleyard site, a key to promoting downtown development. She secured additional monies for our recreation department, and has been a force to be reckoned with on issues impacting senior citizens.

Finally Campbell is a veteran who understands how important veteran services are to Methuen’s many vets. She serves on the Veterans Committee, and has widespread support from those veterans who realize that having someone who knows these issues firsthand is vitally important to them.

Lastly let me deal with some of the politics involved. Rep. Campbell voted against the casino bill that went down to defeat in the House. After that vote the Teamsters Union made a threat to try to drive those Reps out of office who had voted against the casino bill. While that threat has not been enforced evenly throughout the State it has been an issue in this campaign, with Teamster support targeting Rep. Campbell in this primary. Her opponent has spoken in favor of the casino bill, and the Teamsters have done mailings for Attorney Dibella based on his support for casinos. As a Mayor I lent my support to the Governor’s casino bill, but I feel that this one issue targeting is wrong and should be exposed for what it is. Out of Methuen casino interests should not dictate this race.

Please remember to vote tommorow, primary day, with polls open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.