ROSENBERG OPENS DOOR
GOP eyes ‘leverage’ play in State House
The state Senate’s small, beleaguered bloc of seven GOP senators could finally have some sway in the chamber as they are courted in the increasingly crowded race to replace former Senate President Stanley Rosenberg.
“All options are on the table for our caucus, and we welcome bipartisan conversations about the future leadership of the Senate,” wrote Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr in a statement. “That discussion should not exclude candidates from either party.”
Democrats within the Senate, rocked by Rosenberg’s embarrassing and unexpected ouster, have discussed wooing Republicans to secure enough support in the fractured body, according to insiders with knowledge of the race.
“This could be one of those rare occasions where Republicans actually have some leverage,” said former GOP state Treasurer Joe Malone. “Clearly they could be a group that puts someone over the top.”
The unexpected play would echo former House Speaker Thomas M. Finneran’s gambit. He scored a win by allying himself with Republicans in his combative battle against Charles Voke in 1996. And while the Massachusetts Senate is historically more liberal than the House, the unprecedented shake-up involving Rosenberg could pave the way for yet more aisle-crossing history.
Rosenberg stepped down from his post in December following sexual assault charges against his husband, Bryon Hefner. The Amherst Democrat, who has since separated from his husband, was hoping to return to the presidency, but a Globe report that he gave Hefner access to his Senate email derailed his efforts.
Despite heated jockeying to secure a new Senate president, Democrats decided last week to keep state Sen. Harriette L. Chandler in the Senate president post until the new session next year.
Senate president candidates Karen E. Spilka, Eileen M. Donoghue, Sal N. DiDomenico and Eric P. Lesser have been struggling to secure a majority, and the race could see additional entrants such as Mark C. Montigy. Securing seven votes, if the Republicans survive the 2018 election, could be key in the 40-member branch.
But Republican Weymouth Mayor Robert Hedlund, a former senator who witnessed four presidential turnovers during his 10 years in office, said he never witnessed any kind of Democratic outreach for support. Opposing candidates usually join forces behind the scenes to build up enough support.
“They don’t need them and they wouldn’t put themselves in the position where they would be reliant on Republicans,” he said.