Cauc-this!

A look-see at delegate selection in the eighth district

By Cara Bayles and Jan Rosenfeld

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As Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton battle for votes, the Democratic nomination could be decided at the national convention, so local delegates — and the caucuses where they're elected — were buzzing. On Saturday, Massachusetts' 10 congressional districts held an election for each candidate. Delegate seats were allotted according to how candidates faired in the Massachusetts primary; Clinton won the state, but in the eighth district, she won two delegates, and Obama won four.

The Democratic caucus for Barack Obama, held at Northeastern's Jordan Hall, was energetic; frequent screams and cheers interrupted speeches. The auditorium was filled with sundry passionate first-time voters. The nominees were equally diverse: Young Sara Aviel meekly touted the youth vote, while a fervid Roy Owens led a bizarre "Who Do We Want!?" call-and-response for a confused audience with a muddled answer.

Grassroots campaigning was common rhetoric among the nominees. Hannah Banks had campaigned for Obama in more than 10 states. Brian Corr, founder of Progressive Massachusetts for Barack Obama, said, "I've worked every day for 15 months to make sure that the hope and excitement that so many people feel is translated into a powerful, broad-based, bottom-up campaign."

The Coalition for Change, a slate of politician-nominees, won the four delegate slots. City Councilor Mike Ross and attorney Sean Riley emphasized their political experience. Riley discussed his involvement as chair of MassVOTE, a nonpartisan voter education and empowerment organization. Ross called himself "a strong advocate on behalf of families and neighborhoods," and also announced he'd brought free sandwiches, which earned him a good deal of applause. Rep. Gloria Fox, D-Boston, won alongside Giovanna Negretti, a community organizer and the only Latina candidate.

Most voters showed up with their delegates already chosen, but the entire process slogged with indecision. It took three votes to decide not to eliminate the two-minute speeches. In electing candidates, voters went through three ballots. Organizers explained they needed quorum (51 percent) for a victory.

The eighth district's Clinton caucus at Bunker Hill Community College was a different scene; the winners were decided before the election began. At the door, volunteers handed out red stickers reading, "John 'Jack' Kelly and Marie 'Nikko' Mendoza," and nearly all the attendees wore them.

Mendoza and Kelly work for Mayor Menino's Office of Neighborhood Services. Mendoza used vacation time to campaign for Clinton in New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Massachusetts, and plans to visit Philadelphia soon. "My candidacy represents all the good things the party stands for: hard work, diversity, opportunity," Mendoza said. "I've asked friends, colleagues, neighbors—pretty much every registered Democrat I know in the eighth district—to come here today. Even Democrats who didn't vote for Sen. Clinton in the primary. I told them, I really want this opportunity."

Her running mate, Jack Kelly, worked the crowded lecture hall filled with family and neighbors. Eddie Donahue said he'd grown up with Kelly in Charlestown. He voted for Clinton in the primary, but hasn't completely made up his mind about the candidates. "I'm here to support Jack," Donahue said. "But I think this process is absolutely frickin' ridiculous. There's got to be an easier way. I'm sitting around all day on a Saturday, missing the Sox game."

"I should have hired a girl to come down the aisles and sell beers," Kelly quipped as he walked past.

Sheriff Andrea Cabral warned the room "democracy moves at a glacial pace." She instructed the voters to hold their applause, but the crowd was raucous for Mendoza and Kelly.

Louis Elisa, a party veteran, also ran for a delegate position. "They're payroll patriots," he said, surveying the crowd. "Most of them work for the city. But that's not unique. Any organization with a vested interest in a candidate does it; unions, church groups ..."

Kelly dismissed the notion. "This is a neighborhood thing," he said. "Only 25 people from the city of Boston are here."

During their two-minute speeches, most candidates withdrew, staring into the sea of decided voters sporting red stickers. Some long-time Democrats vowed to run at the state convention.

Of the 419 ballots cast, 350 voted for Mendoza, and 379 voted for Kelly.

Elisa was pleased 500 bodies filled the auditorium to vote and observe. "My hope is, they'll carry this enthusiasm," he said, "no matter who wins the nomination."