Chang-Diaz defeats Wilkerson in State Senate Primary

by Sandra Miller

Senator Dianne Wilkerson is expected to release a statement tonight on what she plans to do next, following her defeat in last week’s primary.
Challenger Sonia Chang-Diaz narrowly upset Wilkerson, 9,051 (51 percent) to 8,823 (49 percent), in an election that only saw 14 percent of voters turn out.
“The senator is still deciding what to do,” said a campaign spokesperson, Monica Dean. “She will make a public announcement at 6 p.m. [tonight].”
Wilkerson reportedly is mulling whether to ask for a recount in the Second Suffolk District, or to possibly run as an independent in the November election.
If she runs as an independent, she had to gather signatures from 50 voters in each ward and submit them by last night. She would also lose her backing by Gov. Deval Patrick, who is now supporting Chang-Diaz as the Democratic nominee.
In the weeks before the primary, Wilkerson had many prominent backers. Wilkerson is the only black senator, and has an impressive voting record for her 15 years in office that drew many endorsements.
However, many blamed Wilkerson’s loss to her various legal and financial battles, recently topped last week with Wilkerson reportedly having to rush over a $1,200 check to the attorney general's office to pay the balance of a $2,200 fine for campaign finance violations.
She also faced foreclosure proceedings on her home, and served 30 days in a halfway house after pleading guilty to four federal income tax misdemeanors. Wilkerson recently paid a $10,000 fine and admitted to campaign finance violations.
Political analysts also said when the district was redrawn in 2001, it reduced the number of black voters in the district when sections of Mattapan and Dorchester were lost; while Jamaica Plain gained more voters. Chang-Díaz won the race with strong support in her home base of Jamaica Plain, along with Back Bay, the Fenway, Chinatown, and the South End. Wilkerson took Dorchester and Roxbury.
Chang-Díaz had narrowly lost in her challenge two years ago, in a race that had both as write-in candidates, when Wilkerson missed the deadline to register.