Gloves Come Off In Wilmington, Tewksbury State Rep Race

WILMINGTON, MA -- Voters in Tewksbury and Wilmington received an anonymous mailing Tuesday and Wednesday, just one week before the state primary that will determine the Democratic candidate for the sate representatives race in the 19th Middlesex district. The mailing targeted former Wilmington Selectman Judy O'Connell and highlighted two federal tax liens against her home. The mailing comes even after all five candidates in the race publicly pledged to not resort to negative campaign tactics.

"There appears to have been a smear campaign mailing against my good name dropped across the 19th Middlesex District between yesterday and today. I have issued an official public statement previously and continue to be available to answer any and all questions," O'Connell posted on Facebook Wednesday. "This is the unfortunate downside of politics and will not derail my efforts to win this race. My sincere thanks and appreciation for your continued support now and for the past decade during my public service career."

A version of the letter had been sent to other media outlets covering the race earlier this month but not Wilmington Patch or Tewksbury Patch. At the time, O'Connell issued a statement saying the liens come as a result of the financial burden of her 15-year battle with Crohn's disease, an autoimmune disorder that attacks the digestive tract.

"The fact that financial strain has been unavoidable does not mean that it is irreparable. To the contrary, I have been tackling this situation the same way that I tackle every other obstacle: honestly, with determination and conviction," she said in a statement earlier this month. "I have been working my way out of this situation, and I will continue to do so. I am not ashamed of experiencing setbacks. Most people do. I do not feel sorry for myself. In terms of medical problems, all too many people are a lot worse off than I."

Tewksbury Selectman Mark Kratman, who has also been targeted with a negative attack during the campaign, said he had received the mailing. Kratman had his voting record, which showed he continued to vote in Boston after he moved to Tewksbury, leaked to the Wilmington Apple. Kratman, who said he was on friendly terms with O'Connell, said he immediately called her after receiving the mailing to commiserate.

"The negative campaigning is sickening," he said in a phone interview Wednesday. "You're talking about personal issues -- tax bills, health issues. I thought it was absolutely disgusting."

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Patch file photo.

Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).