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Burlington Election Guide

The candidates, incumbents and issues that will be affecting Burlington and Middlesex County.

 

As we look ahead to November’s elections, Burlington Patch is devoted to bringing you the information you need about every race in town. Here's our start on the candidates and issues we'll be covering as November draws near. Bookmark this page for updates.

21st Middlesex District: Burlington Selectman Walter Zenkin has announced he is collecting signatures to be on the Republic primary ballot in order to challenge sitting Democratic Representative Charley Murphy.

6th Massachusetts District: Democratic Congressman John Tierney is campaigning to keep his seat while Republican challenger Richard Tisei, who served in the state legislature for more than 25 years and was Senate Minority Leader, is looking to make a change in leadership.

Massachusetts Senate: in a race with national significance, Republican Sen. Scott Brown is facing challenger Elizabeth Warren to keep the seat he won in a special election after Ted Kennedy passed away in 2009.

Massachusetts Ballot Initiatives: Of the 31 initiatives put forth for the fall ballot, only four both have enough signatures and been certified by Attorney General Martha Coakley in order to make it on the ballot by the July 3 deadline. While a public schools initiative may be settled before then, these three ballot questions will likely be brought to the voters:

  • A Law for the Humanitarian Medical Use of Marijuana: This intiative seeks to legalize the use and cultivation of marijuana as a medical drug. It calls for no penalities for "qualifying patients, physicians and health care professionals, personal caregivers for patients, or medical marijuana treatment center agents for the medical use of marijuana."
  • An Act Relative to Death with Dignity: This initiative would allow physicians to prescribe medication to terminally ill patients that would end their lives. The act would require that patients are mentally capable of making this decision and orally communicating it to a doctor on two occasions 15 days apart. Participation by a doctor or health care facility would be voluntary.
  • An Act to Protect Motor Vehicle Owners and Small Businesses in Repairing Motor Vehicles: This initiative would require all car manufacturers to provide – on an equitable fair-market value subscription basis – all diagnostic and repair information for model years beginning in 2015 to owners or an owner’s designated in-state independent repair facility (not affiliated with a manufacturer or its authorized dealers). The law would also make available for purchase information for model years 2002 through 2014.

Presidential race: President Barack Obama is campaigning to keep his job as challenger and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney looks to fire up Republicans and take over the White House.

Related Topics: Barack Obama, Charley Murphy, Elections, Elizabeth Warren, John Tierney, Mitt Romney, Scott Brown, election guide, participate 2012, and richard tisei

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