Campatelli Upsets Lamattina in Registrer of Probate Contest

Patty Campatelli

District 1 voters were shocked Thursday night when City Councilor Sal LaMattina came into what many expected to be a victory party at the East Boston Yacht Club and conceded the election for Registrer of Probate to Patty Campatelli.

While LaMattina beat Campatelli decisively in East Boston, Charlestown and the North End and did well in other parts of the city, Campatelli was able to make up ground in Boston neighborhoods where other women were on the ballot for State Representative and Clerk of Courts.

In Eastie LaMattina beat Campatelli 1,247 to 499 and captured victories in Charlestown in the North End.

However, coming out of District 1, Campatelli began her march to gain ground beating LaMattina in Chelsea 488 to 386. The City of Revere and the Town of Winthrop were closer than many thought with LaMattina winning Revere by only 209 votes and by only 81 votes in Winthrop. LaMattina was heavily favored in those two areas with support from Revere Mayor Dan Rizzo and Senator Anthony Petruccelli–who represents both areas.

In Boston proper, Campatelli edged out LaMattina 13,779 to 12,980. Many political wizards point to two races that may have hurt LaMattina in Boston where his name recognition alone over Campatelli should have spelled victory.

First, Bobby Dello Russo’s bid to unseat incumbent Clerk of Courts Mauara Hennigan drove many liberal female voters to the polls last Thursday in places like Jamaica Plain, West Roxbury and Hyde Park where Hennigan has long been a strong candidate going back to her days on the Boston City Council. If Dello Russo were not on the ballot there would have been no race in these areas and voter turn out among Hennigan’s female base would have been lower than if was last week.

Hennigan finished with 19,195 total votes to Dello Russo’s 11,231 and a look at voting trends in these areas seem to indicate that a large margin of voters turning out for Hennigan also voted for Campatelli and Senatorial Candidate Elizabeth Warren.

Second, in Dorchester there was a hotly contested race for State Representative in 7th Suffolk District. There a three-way race between Gloria Fox, Rufus Faulk and Jed Hresko drew more votes than usual during a sleepy State Primary.

Fox won resoundingly with 66 percent of the vote and again called upon a large swath of liberal female voters that while voting for Fox most likely cast ballots for Campatelli and Warren. Campatelli was able to gain on LaMattina big time is these precincts.

In the end LaMattina, who had a free shot at the open Probate seat, will remain District 1’s City Councilor. In a classy move during his concession speech thanking supporters and family he asked for everyone to be kind and pray for Campatelli in her moment of victory.  For her part, Campatelli, who pulled off the biggest political upset last Thursday, has been mum about her win only posting on her Facebook page that she was going to ‘Disney’ after learning of her victory. According to Campatelli, because her Facebook page had been hacked we cannot confirm if that was actually her posting the message.

The East Boston Times and Boston Globe have made attempts to reach the new Register but she has yet to make a statement about her surprising win.