Hot off the presses: the Cambridge Democratic City Committee held its straw poll this evening, and for Secretary, John Bonifaz won! Jesse Gordon, a progressive organizer and member of the city committee, reported the results on Blue Mass Group.
I just gave John the good news. He's on his way back from western Massachusetts, where Governors' Councilor Peter Vickery hosted a fundraister for him. John tells me that Michael Wilcox of Berskshires for Progressive Change announced that John had won a straw poll of Berkshires delegates. [update: more details on this in the comments below]
The CDCC vote isn't an endorsement, just a straw poll, but it indicates that active Democrats want John's leadership. Many of those who voted are also delegates to the state convention.
Jesse Gordon reported some interesting maneuvering before the Cambridge vote:
Secretary Galvin addressed the crowd, evidently with a precondition that a straw poll NOT be held for this office. After John Bonifaz' campaign manager made her address, a motion was made (by me) calling for including the Secretary of State's office in the straw poll. A lengthy discussion ensued about why the CDCC executives would NOT automatically include this office in a straw poll, and the response was "out of courtesy for elected office." One Ward 6 member offered a decisive comment, "Since when do the candidates get to decide who gets to conduct a straw poll about them?" A voice vote was held and the CDCC executives were overwhelmingly over-ruled. Score one against incumbency protection. Bonifaz went on to win the straw poll. Make that score two against incumbency protection.
