Tag: Josh Zakim

BOSTON — As the state’s top election official, Secretary of State Bill Galvin must walk a fine line between politics and the oath of office. While he takes a constitutional pledge to remain impartial when it comes to running elections and overseeing voter registration, like other top elected officials, he runs for reelection every four years under a partisan banner in a race that he is largely responsible for overseeing. Zakim, a Boston city councilor, has made Galvin’s handling of the state elections office a key platform of his campaign and even accused the fellow Democrat of trying to dampen voter turnout in the upcoming primary. “The confidence of voters in the fairness of our elections is probably one of the central responsibilities for a secretary of state,” Zakim, 33, said in an interview. Rivera told the State House News Service that Galvin called him last month after he endorsed Zakim for secretary of state and launched into a tirade over the mayor taking sides against him in the primary. “I’ve had primary challengers like him before, ones that probably have more election experience than he does,” Galvin said in a interview. “He’s really walking a tightrope.” She said any action Galvin takes in terms of election rules between now and September is going to be viewed through a political lens, especially with Zakim seizing on the opportunity to criticize his tenure. Besides Zakim, Galvin faces a primary challenge from Brian Felder, a Swampscott Democrat. Galvin had $776,859 in his campaign account as of Feb. 28, while Zakim had $424,827, according to filings with the Office of Campaign and Political Finance. “Galvin has been around a long time, but hasn’t had a Democratic challenger like this,” she said.