Winthrop election shows no room in Democratic tent for moderates

When a liberal Democrat wins an election, it’s all about respecting democracy and the people’s will.

But when the Dems are unhappy with the outcome, what happens?

Slime the winner. Refuse to acknowledge the results. Demand the system be changed.

All this is playing out now in Winthrop and Revere, where a self-described moderate Democrat, Jeffrey Rosario Turco, won the special primary for the state rep seat vacated by former House Speaker Robert DeLeo.

Turco, winning about 36% of the vote in a four-person race, defeated several progressive candidates, including one endorsed by heavy-hitting Democrats like U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley and Sen. Bernie Sanders.

But here’s the problem: Turco, a lawyer from Winthrop, has admitted voting for Donald Trump in 2016 and opposes abortion.

Because of those positions, he’s being ostracized by the Democratic Party and demonized by liberals and their allies in the media.

Others are resorting to lame complaints about the electoral process itself, arguing that the Turco victory is another reason why we need so-called “ranked choice” voting.

Perhaps you’ve heard of that. Ranked choice voting was a referendum on the ballot in 2020, with wealthy, out of state supporters spending millions of dollars to get it passed.

Voters overwhelmingly rejected it. But it just won’t die — especially when candidates like Turco win.

Turco faces Republican opponent Paul Caruccio and independent opponent Richard Fucillo in the March 30 special general election, but will be heavily favored to win in the Democratic-dominated district.

Turco is a former Winthrop Town Council president, and got key endorsements from law enforcement organizations — which may have held more sway than Sanders’ and Pressley’s endorsement of Turco’s opponent.

Turco calls himself a “middle of the road” Democrat who voted for Joe Biden last fall.

“I am proud to be a working class, moderate Democrat,” Turco says in a Facebook post after his win. “Yes, we do still exist.”

Exist, yes. It’s why Biden won the Massachusetts primary and went on to become the nominee.

But that doesn’t mean progressives still pining for Elizabeth Warren are happy about it. They don’t want people like Trump-voting Turco in their tent.

This may shock some in the party but a lot of Democrats such as Turco in working class communities like Winthrop voted for Trump in 2016. It shouldn’t disqualify him from being in the Democratic Party.

“We’re not Somerville and we’re not Cambridge and it’s OK in today’s Democratic Party to have moderates,” Turco told the Herald.

It’s not, actually. At least not to many progressives who are now pushing the Biden administration to the far left.

The reality is there is still a glaring split in the Democratic Party — a split exposed by races like Turco’s.

Moderates are not welcome in a party led by Warren and U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.

Turco is finding that out.

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/2NYJW4Q