FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Evan Lips, communications director
617-523-5005 ext. 245

WOBURN — For the second time in as many days, a Massachusetts Republican candidate for office is taking state Secretary William Galvin to court after being disqualified in a bid to appear on 2020 general election ballots.

MassGOP Chairman Jim Lyons said Dedham Republican Randy Gleason satisfied all primary nomination requirements when he obtained more than the required number of write-in votes.
Gleason, who is challenging incumbent Democratic state Rep. Paul McMurtry, filed his written acceptance of the party’s nomination but records show Galvin disqualified Gleason because his campaign submitted the required paperwork just minutes after the deadline expired. 

Gleason in his lawsuit, however, points to a discrepancy between deadlines, as the final date for candidates to formally accept according to state law is listed as:

Galvin apparently claimed that the time frame, however, was changed as a result of a budget appropriations bill passed last December which moved the deadline to Thursday, Sept. 3, 5 p.m., for formal written acceptance.   Per Gleason’s lawsuit:   “The Defendant (Galvin) did not provide the MA GOP with a copy of ‘A Candidate’s Guide to the 2020 State Election’ in response to the request of information for write-in candidates, which is apparently the only document that contained the revised deadline that the Defendant (Galvin) later relied upon in invalidating Gleason’s acceptance of the nomination.”   Gleason meanwhile also noted in his lawsuit that the town of Westwood was unable to certify his write-in vote count until Sept. 4.   On the afternoon of Sept. 3, Gleason rushed into downtown Boston to submit his forms to Galvin after learning of the changed date but missed the deadline by four minutes.    “We’ve been through this time and time again with Secretary Galvin and the Democrats,” said Lyons, referencing earlier attempts to prevent Republican candidates from appearing on ballots. “Here we have a candidate in Randy Gleason who followed both published guidelines appearing on the Secretary of State’s website and a published state referenced in Massachusetts general law.   “I encourage anyone to read through Randy’s lawsuit and tell me with a straight face that Secretary Galvin is treating the Republican candidates fairly.”   A hearing has been scheduled for 10 a.m. Monday in Suffolk Superior Court.

20200910133442_001 by Evan on Scribd