Feeney among legislators endorsing Auchincloss
U.S. Rep. Jake Auchincloss may not have any official opponents for re-election next fall yet, but that has not stopped him from piling up a slate of endorsements from nearly a score of state lawmakers from around the 4th Congressional District nine months into his first term.
Auchincloss, a Newton Democrat, announced the endorsements last Thursday. “These state senators and state representatives are friends, colleagues and advisors. My strong relationship with them makes me better at my job -- especially as a freshman representing a storied district at a historic time,” the congressman said.
Among those lending their names to the endorsements are local legislators Sen. Paul Feeney, D-Foxboro, and state Rep. Adam Scanlon, D-North Attleboro.
Others lending their support are state Reps. Carole Fiola, Patricia Haddad, Paul Schmidd, Carold Doherty, Jeff Roy, Brian Murray, Caroly Dykema, David Linsky, Denise Garlick, Alice Peisch, Tommy Vitolo and Ed Coppinger. From the state Senate, Auchincloss claimed the backing of Sens. Mike Rodriques, Marc Pacheco, Mike Brady, Mike Rush and Karen Spilka. Spilka is president of the state Senate.
Auchincloss, who won the Democratic primary in a crowded field last year and then beat former Attleboro city councilor Julie Hall in the general election to replace Rep. Joe Kennedy III, has not formally announced his re-election bid, but he said of his endorsements in his statement, “I’m grateful for their strong support ahead of my official re-election announcement.”
No primary rivals have yet announced plans to challenge Auchincloss. However, Jesse Mermell, a former member of the Brookline Select Board, who came in second to Auchincloss in the Democratic primary, is reportedly mulling another run for the congressional seat.
Last week, Auchincloss announced he was planning to vote against the $768 billion U.S. defense budget.
The House passed, by a vote of 316-113, its version of the National Defense Authorization Act Thursday.
Auchincloss, a Marine veteran who has advocated cutting military spending, said “As we wind down our forever wars in Central Asia and in the Middle East, we should be using this money instead to invest in global public health, in climate change, and in research and development -- the dimensions that are actually going to predict success in the 21st Century and that will allow the United States to outcompete the Chinese Communist Party.”
Source:
Tom Reilly