Pols & Politics: Beacon Hill’s power of incumbency put to the test in this Mass. Senate race
A Central Massachusetts Senate Democrat is locked in a tense battle this election cycle to prevent a Republican challenger from flipping the seat in a contest that has seen heavy fundraising on both sides and is testing the power of incumbency on Beacon Hill.
Sen. John Cronin, a second-term Democrat from Fitchburg, is attempting to fend off a well-funded campaign run by Nick Pirro, a conservative from Lunenburg who owns a casket business, a towing company, a masonry supply, and gravel shop.
The race has the potential to be one of the more grueling reelection bids a sitting lawmaker is facing this year in a state where incumbents typically glide to reelection. But Republicans don’t have it easy, either — they historically have a difficult time winning during presidential election years in Massachusetts, especially against incumbents.
Political observers have also kept a close eye on the race because of Pirro’s ability to raise just over $92,000 this year, including from a $45,000 loan he gave himself in January, and deploy an organized ground game.
Cronin, who has raised over $78,000 this year, acknowledged the contest is a “competitive race” in a “deep purple pocket of the state” where former President Donald Trump has carried several towns in past elections.
“I think when you’re facing an opponent that is going to self-fund and put significant resources from their own private wealth into a race, you need to take it seriously,” Cronin told the Herald.
Pirro describes himself as a political outsider who has “never been involved” in the craft. He said he is a husband and a father who “had a feeling” that this election was the right time to jump into the business.
He pointed to transparency, accountability, and “unchecked” spending on Beacon Hill as his priorities.
“Spending in Boston is out of control and it’s hurting everybody out in this way,” he said in an interview. “We’ll work tirelessly to rein in this reckless spending. It’s time we focus on a responsible budget, prioritizing essential services and making sure that taxpayer dollars are used effectively, not squandered on wasteful projects.”
Cronin, a U.S. Army combat veteran, described himself as a pragmatist.
“I think I have one of the most bipartisan voting records in the Massachusetts Senate, and I think it reflects that I’m not a partisan guy. I served as an Army officer. I’m a combat veteran,” he said. “I just think to be a great public servant, you really recognize that you’re fighting for things that are bigger than yourself.”
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The race took a turn this past week when the Massachusetts Republican Party went on the offensive, accusing Cronin of “questionable” campaign expenditures, including $24,000 in rent payments over the past year to set up a campaign headquarters inside a building Cronin owns and uses for official state work and $1,500 for a membership at a club in Fitchburg.
Pirro immediately picked up on the spending, labeling it a “misuse” of campaign funds that highlighted “the broader issue of transparency and accountability in the political sphere.”
Cronin blasted the accusation as “baseless” and “a lie.”
“I think it’s an example of bizarro-world when a Trump Republican is attacking you for complying with the law and the directive of the State Ethics Commission,” Cronin said.
In emails with the Office of Campaign and Political Finance and the State Ethics Commission in April, Cronin sought and received advice from regulators on how to legally rent space for his campaign headquarters in his building.
In one communication, OCPF General Counsel Sarah Hartry said Cronin’s campaign committee ‘“may lease office space” from the building but would need to keep “detailed accounts and records” of the rent payments.
“Please note, however, that OCPF advises that your committee sign a lease for the use of this space and this lease must reflect a fair market value for the rental of this property,” Hartry wrote.
In a separate email, a lawyer with the State Ethics Commission said having campaign and Senate staff share office space could raise conflict of interests. The commission advised Cronin to bar campaign staff from engaging in political activity during “normal working hours” or from using resources provided by the state.
“Under the conflict of interest law, you should not ask or require your Senate staff to work on your campaign,” Slattery wrote in the email. “Your staff may volunteer to work on your campaign, but again any campaign work must be done outside regular working hours.”
Pirro said he thought Cronin’s spending was not transparent.
“I was a little surprised, because I would not personally pay myself rent out of donations given to me,” he said.
Cronin is no stranger to tough elections.
The attorney and U.S. Army veteran initially won his seat in 2020 after edging out then-Sen. Dean Tran — who has been dealing with a litany of legal issues — by only 1,630 votes, or just under 2% of total ballots cast, according to official results from the secretary of state’s office.
“I think that these campaigns are won or lost on the doors, and what I learned in that campaign is, when you talk to as many voters as you possibly can and when you get yourself out in the community, that’s how you win these races,” Cronin said.
Cronin also fended off a Republican challenger in 2022 who managed to secure 40% of the vote in a district near the New Hampshire border that includes Ashby, Clinton, Fitchburg, Groton, Lancaster, Leominster, Lunenburg, Shirley, Townsend, and Westford.
Pirro said he knows this year’s race is going to be difficult.
“Nothing worthwhile is ever easy,” he said. “This wasn’t strategized. I’m doing what feels right. And I feel like the time is now, and we’re at a pivotal point. We’re, quite frankly, coming up to maybe some of the most important election cycles of the current time and I felt like I couldn’t just stand by as a bystander and watch what’s going on anymore.”