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Evaluating the Strengths and Weaknesses of the Mayoral Candidates

There are five candidates running for mayor. Each of them have their own unique strengths and weaknesses in this election. Here is an unbiased look at each of their strengths and weaknesses as campaigners. This is not an evaluation of their abilities only their electability.

Mike Sullivan:

Strengths, there is no question that the Sullivan name is going to be a factor. Fort some, the Sullivan name brings back memories of his brother Kevin and the botched Emerson College deal which resulted in the crippling of our city finances. For others, however, it is a familiar name that has been on city ballots over the past eighteen years. Name recognition still holds a very high favorability rating with average voters and being the brother of former Mayor Kevin Sullivan will probably help him more than it will hurt him. Mike has many city workers from the Dowling administration on his "team" as well as former campaign supporters of his brother. These old school political supporters work and they work hard, meaning Sullivan has a political machine that knows how to get the vote out and win elections. He has a ton of money which everyone knows is paramount to winning an election. He is also very well liked and since he doesn’t take on controversial issues his personality will definitely work in his favor at the polls.

Weaknesses: Though he is well spoken at times and speaks of bringing people together, Mike Sullivan has a difficult time being specific when it comes to issues. His newspaper ads define the problems in Lawrence very well, however, his opportunity to present specific ideas and solutions is seriously lacking. Anyone looking for substance over style and studies issues will have a hard time supporting him. To his luck most voters don’t do that. Also, his affiliation with Mayor Patricia Dowling and his undying loyalty to her is not well received by the average voter.

Ralph Carrero:

Strengths: Carrero has been on the Lawrence School Committee for more than ten years and topped the ticket in his last city wide race for reelection. He shies away from controversy which means he has not angered many in the political arena and doesn’t have many enemies. His knowledge of city government, policies and budgets are a huge plus. Carrero also speaks eloquently and has done exceptionally well in each of the debates. He campaigns hard and has no problem addressing the problems facing the city with specific ideas and solutions on how to solve them.

Weaknesses: Carrero is not well received in the Hispanic community because of a prevailing belief that he is "too white" in the way he addresses issues in a universal fashion. Carrero also has few political allies, making it hard for him to draw votes from supporters of other major candidates. Another weakness Carrero faces is the constant infighting between other Hispanic candidates. During the Paying Attention television debate State Representative Jose Santiago attacked him (politically) by stating the School Committee has done nothing for the last ten years, the exact amount of time Carrero has been on the board. To his credit, Carrero is a gentleman and did not take an opportunity to attack Santiago or address the remark. But, if Ralph is going to win in a final election he has to be able to motivate Santiago and Melendez supporters to back him if they do not make the final. This will be a difficult task.

Joe Quartarone:

Strengths: Quartarone has enjoyed a great relationship with the elderly in the city which is a big plus when you consider they are the largest voting block. As a former City Councilor he was elected vice president and then president of the council which shows the voters he does have leadership ability. He was the very first to announce his candidacy for mayor back when Patty Dowling was announcing she would be running for reelection. He is not afraid of a tough fight and he is no stranger to tackling tough issues. His experience is big plus. He is also seen as the chief adversary of the Dowling loyalists which could work to his advantage since her approval ratings are now at a dismal low.

Weaknesses: Without a big treasure chest in his coffers or an established political machine behind him, Quartarone has to do a lot of the grunt work himself. While some enjoy the ability to take out half page ads to get their message across, Quartarone has to go door to door, distribute more fliers and take advantage of free air time on the radio to get his message out. This exhausts more of his time and energy on grassroots campaigning while some of his opponents are holding strategy meetings and raising money. He has average people running his headquarters which is seen as a sign of weakness, but Quartarone has been there before and knows that if it’s done right, the power of the grassroots campaign can outshine the glitter and glitz of a hefty war chest. Remember, Mary Claire Kennedy beat Larry Lefebvre in 1993 even though Lefebvre outspent her 3-1 and had previously been the mayor with a huge political machine at his disposal. The weakness here is that Quartarone can’t afford to make even one mistakes if he is going to pull off a Kennedy-like victory. He was also defeated two years ago by Gil Frechette which will be a disadvantage he must overcome.

Jose Santiago:

Strengths, Jose Santiago has never lost an election. He pulled off one of the biggest upsets in our time when he beat former State Rep Paul Iannuccillo who was probably the most popular elected official in the city. Santiago then ran for Council at large the following year and pulled a heavy vote in South Lawrence, losing a city wide election by only 11 votes. Santiago has endured several personal attacks and scandals in the Tribune which shows his resilience and the ability to garner votes without any of the conventional support most candidates need. He also knows how to tap into just the right issue at just the right time. He has been underestimated in every election he has ever run and silenced his critics by over performing each time. He has been an outspoken critic of Mayor Dowling and knows how to quietly take advantage of his opponents weaknesses. He is a last minute campaigner so he never peaks too early.

Weaknesses: Santiago has angered many in the Hispanic community by saying he was not going to run for mayor. This opened the field for other Hispanic candidates to run. But, Santiago broke his promise by jumping into the race after Mayor Dowling announced she would not be seeking another term. Many in the Hispanic community see his presence in the race as dividing Hispanic votes and minimizing their chances of getting an Hispanic elected to the corner office. He also faces weakness in South Lawrence because much of his strength on the south side of the city previously came from supporters of Joe Quartarone. They used to be political allies, but with Quartarone in the mayors race himself there is no real strength for Santiago to draw from on the south side. Santiago also has to overcome a prevailing belief that he is doing a good job as a State Representative and if he were to win this race his presence on Beacon Hill would be a big loss to the voters.

Isabel Melendez:

Strengths: She has been able to capture a large percentage of Hispanic support with campaign manager Willie Lantigua on her side. Lantigua is a workhorse who has been able to erect more (and bigger) signs than any other candidate in the city. Lantigua ran Jose Santiago’s successful campaign for State Representative and as a former Santiago supporter may be able to take Melendez to heights that she herself would not have been able to go. Her platform is solid and captured the attention of many skeptics when the Tribune published it.

Weaknesses: The problem with the Melendez platform is that she "borrowed" a lot of it from other candidates. She is not well spoken and has been absent from many of the debates. She does not appear in public much and has very little money to spend. She is clearly considered the dark horse candidate because of her inability to communicate fluently in English, making it hard for her to garner enough votes from the mainstream. She is certainly going to be a spoiler among the Hispanic candidates. Her votes in North Lawrence may surprise a lot of people but it will not be enough to get her into the finals.