June 7, 2008 — Gloucester attorney Ed O’Reilly got enough support from party officials today to ensure that he will give US Senator John F. Kerry his first Democratic primary challenge in 24 years.
At the state Democratic Party convention at the Paul E. Tsongas Arena, O’Reilly got 22.5 percent of the 2,574 ballots cast, more than the 15 percent he needed to secure a spot on the primary ballot. Kerry got the majority of votes, which means he'll get the party's endorsement.
"Party officials said this campaign is a nuisance. And it is. It’s a total nuisance," O’Reilly said to the convention floor. "Democracy is a nuisance. People said the American Revolution was a nuisance—and it was!"
