U.S. SENATE RIVALS PUT ON A FULL-VOTER PRESS
Diehl: ‘Good ideas’ over partisanship
WORCESTER — Just days away from Tuesday’s midterm elections, Republican challenger Geoff Diehl is asking voters to help him defeat U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, making a final pitch that he is the local guy who can work across the divisive political aisle. Diehl, a state representative from Whitman, is looking to unseat Warren, the popular liberal darling in the bluest of blue Bay State, who Diehl maintains is eyeing a run for the White House in 2020. At the Ballot Box yesterday — a watering hole popular among Worcester politicos — Diehl promised his rallygoers that he would stand behind law enforcement and veterans, and work to get resources to tackle the opioid crisis and support job growth, particularly in the central and western parts of the state. Diehl has charged that Warren is one of the most “divisive” voices in the country and that her stumping for other Democratic candidates across the country leaves Massachusetts ignored. “I’m focused on Massachusetts,” he said to cheers. “I’m going to give you the next six years of working hard every day. Senator Warren was in Ohio two days ago. She was in Wisconsin yesterday. She’s overlooked this state for too long, and if she gets re-elected all she is going to do is run for the White House and spend the next two years not listening to you. This is going
to be one of the biggest elections — not just for Massachusetts but for all the entire country.” “For me, it is not about partisanship,” Diehl told the Herald. “It is about good ideas. I’ve been willing to support legislation that has been offered by both sides of the aisle and that is my goal down in Washington, to continue to be a bridge and no longer trying to villainize people to score political points but to find that common ground.” A recent WBUR poll found Warren has a big lead over her challenger, with Warren leading Diehl 54 to 32 percent. Diehl’s campaign rally drew only about three-dozen supporters, but that didn’t dismay the candidate or his backers. Diehl dismissed the poll numbers that has him trailing. “When I ran in the primary, polling had me at neck-andneck with my opponents,” Diehl said. “I ended up winning almost 2-1 over my nearest opponent. Polling is no longer really an accurate reflection of what the voter sentiment is out there.” “We’re using a groundswell of support that people are feeling from the debates and from the fact that Elizabeth Warren really doesn’t have a focus on this state and a lot of people aren’t happy with that,” he added. Chris Pinto, 57, of Worcester said many of those gathered at the Worcester rally have already known and worked with Diehl on his effort to repeal the 2013 gas tax that was linked to inflation growth. “When he comes to Worcester, it is like seeing an old friend,” Pinto said. “Lizzie Warren doesn’t spend any time in Massachusetts. Geoff is one of us. He’s family. I have two words to describe him — hardworking.”