This letter to the editor was submitted to The Boston Globe by Massachusetts Democratic Convention Delegate Donna Palermino:

To the Editors:

I read with interest your reporting on Deval Patrick's inspiring performance at the state Democratic Convention ("Democrats give Patrick resounding nomination," 6/4/06). As a delegate supporting Patrick, I had the honor of experiencing first hand how politics-as-usual succumbed, when "political novice" Patrick "stirred the grassroots" with his message of change, a sense of mission, and hope. But your coverage missed the other important story of the day: rank and file Democrat John Bonifaz vaulted over the minimum 15% required to place him on the primary ballot for Secretary of the Commonwealth by garnering 29.3% of the delegates' votes. Your solitary remark on the race – that three-term incumbent Bill Galvin had "handily won" with 71% – was technically true. However, with Galvin's long-time insider status as state representative and Secretary of the Commonwealth, it would have been impressive for Bonifaz merely to reach the controversial 15% threshold. By nearly doubling that figure, a second political novice overcame the odds, insider connections and superior campaign funding by stirring the grassroots. His name is John Bonifaz.