O’Leary: ‘I am the Underdog’

Though he didn't look like it to supporters at New Garden restaurant Tuesday night, John O'Leary believes himself to be the underdog going into his race against Denise Garlick.

"In the next phase, I am the underdog. The Democrats are out registering us two and a half or three to one and this is going to be a very, very different contest," O'Leary said.

O'Leary referred to Garlick as a "very seasoned politician" and one who is well known around the area.  Winning the election in November, he said, would take even more help than what he received in the primary, but that the work would be quite rewarding.

"90% of the legislature (on Beacon Hill) is Democrat," he said. "If we send another member of that team up to Beacon Hill, we can expect more of the same. I think we need to have a change in direction."

Before he began his celebration and talks of campaigning for November, O'Leary anxiously waited for results after polls closed at 8 p.m. Upon the news that he was ahead in the tallies, O'Leary rushed out of the crowded restaurant to field a call from Republican challenger Joshua Levy, the latter of whom conceded the race around 8:45 p.m.

"I wanna commend Josh for running a great campaign," O'Leary said. "He's a first-timer in politics and it's great to see him involved and that energy. I hope he stays in politics."

Now that the dust has settled, O'Leary and Garlick have emerged the remaining challengers for the 13^th Norfolk State Representative seat, though O'Leary's campaign manager, Ted Owens, said that they will approach Garlick the same way they would have other Democratic challengers.

"We're preparing the same way. Denise will be a challenging opponent," Owens said, quick to point out the main difference between the two candidates. "We have two campaigns of very different philosophies of government. One wants more government and the other wants better government. John is someone who will work to get better programs and help for residents."

Owens stated that while Massachusetts is known to be a predominately liberal state, he believes that the Scott Brown win last year shifted the thinking of many conservatives who now believe that their candidates have an increased chance of winning.

"They thought that their vote didn't count, but things have changed," he said.

While O'Leary walked around the room Tuesday to thank his supporters, another fan of his, State Senator Richard Ross, stopped into New Garden to offer his own congratulations.

"We're all sick of bigger government, higher taxes, lack of personal responsibility for the people," he said. "With John, you're gonna get everything you could want in good representative. There's no doubt in my mind."

Ross related that he has come to know O'Leary quite well in recent months and that the more they talk with one another, the more he finds he likes in the candidate.

"He's a very quiet guy and very unassuming, but the stature that he has and the respect that he has from people with knowledge of his abilities is very impressive," Ross said. "He has some outside of the box ideas that he's ready to implement and I think the kinds of things that he's saying that he can bring to the plate and deliver on are exactly what the voters are looking for."

Like Owens, Ross believes that a voting shift has taken place in Massachusetts.

"I think John is a moderate Republican. We don't fit the national model. We are exactly what all those people who shifted to the middle are looking for," said Ross. "They want someone who can lead from the middle, that they can trust, who has the same kinds of goals and values that they have. I think John's gonna be a great guy."

Now looking ahead to November, O'Leary has outlined three main goals, including bolstering jobs, changing the culture on Beacon Hill and looking to the future.

"We can't tax and spend our way to prosperity and to a better future for our kids," O'Leary said. "We're facing huge debt, huge deficit, and we've gotta make a change for fiscal responsibility to get some balance up on Beacon Hill."