DeFranco Wins US Senate Democratic Candidates Straw Poll at North Quabbin Forum

DeFranco Wins 
US Senate Democratic Candidates Straw Poll 
at North Quabbin Forum

Orange Town Committee -
Nic Guerra & Brian Eno

Despite a pre-winter snow storm that delayed the arrival of Tony Cignoli,  moderator for Thursday evening’s US Senate Democratic Candidates Forum, party faithful from Franklin County, Greenfield and the North Quabbin region arrived at the Ellinwood Country Club in Athol to welcome four of the remaining candidates hoping to win the primary and face off against Republican Senator Scott Brown during the 2012 election. 

Nicole LaChapelle

Immediately following the forum, a straw poll ballot was conducted which contained the names of each of the declared candidates, including the presumed front-runner, Elizabeth Warren. 

The results were as follows:

DeFranco – 43.4%     (23 votes)

Conroy      -   28.3%    (15 votes)

Warren      -  18.9%     (10 votes)

King            -   9.4%      ( 5 votes)

Left to right: Tom Conroy, Marisa DeFranco, Jim King and Herb Robinson

Moderator Tony Cignoli

Participants in the evening’s forum included Tom Conroy, State Representative for the 13th Middlesex District, Marisa DeFranco, an immigration lawyer, Jim King, a corporate lawyer and Herb Robinson, an engineer.  


After a five minute introduction each candidate answered questions that were largely audience generated. 

UMass College Democrats

Elizabeth Warren, a Harvard Law School professor and former Special Advisor for the United States Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, was not in attendance.

Thursday’s forum was sponsored by the North Quabbin Democratic Coalition and the Democratic Town Committees of Athol, Barre, Buckland, Greenfield, New Salem, Northfield, Orange, Royalston, Templeton &Wendell.  Democratic State Committee member, Nicole LaChapelle served as Master of Ceremonies. 

AOTV Crew 

The forum and straw poll were filmed by Athol- Orange Community Television (AOTV) and edited by Greenfield Community Television (GCTV).   Public radio station WFCR was also on hand to record audio.

For further information, contact Orange Democratic Town Committee outreach coordinator, Genevieve Fraser at telephone # (978) 544-1872, or by email at FraserGenevieve@gmail.com 

PHOTO CREDIT: Genevieve Fraser