Q&A #5: First Suffolk Senate

"Holyoker" asks:

Do you have any take on the special to fill the state senate seat in Boston? Do see any other candidates beside the two who have announced? What is your assessment on their chances?

What do you care, if you're from Holyoke?

I covered this a little in the Phoenix this week. There is a third declared candidate, in addition to state representatives Nick Collins and Linda Dorcena Forry: Maureen Dahill of South Boston. The Dorchester Reporter wrote about her here.

It should be a great, fun race. Both will have a lot of backers and a lot of appeal. Both have strong bases, and potential appeals across the district.

I honestly go back and forth about who will win, but at this moment if I had to guess I'd go with Collins. That's partly because of the potential advantage of Steve Lynch's US Senate primary taking place the same day. I also wonder whether some of the insider bitterness left over from the Baker/O'Toole fiasco might end up hurting Forry, who was on Team Baker.