Losing Wilmington State Rep Candidates Still Going At It

WILMINGTON, MA -- Usually, political candidates share, leak or publicize information that make their opponents look bad before the election. But nearly three weeks after the Democratic primary for the state rep from the 19th Middlesex District, one losing candidate went on the offensive against another losing candidate.Wilmington Selectman Michael McCoy posted a document outlining tax liens against the home of former Wilmington Selectman Judy O'Connell.

The document was sent first to candidates in the race and then to local media outlets. Days before the Sept. 4 primary, which included Wilmington and most of Tewksbury, it was sent anonymously to voters in both towns. McCoy posted the document to a Facebook group for Wilmington residents Sunday, saying he had done it after reading comments speculating that he was the candidate behind the anonymous mailing.

"I ran a positive, clean campaign. I want people to see I took the high road," McCoy said in a phone interview Monday morning. "I posted it to show that we all received this -- if I really wanted to go after Judy I could have. That speaks volumes."

Dave Robertson of Tewksbury won the primary, topping second-place finisher O'Connell by 99 votes. McCoy finished third. Robertson will face Independent Patricia Meuse and Tewksbury Republican Pina Prinzivalli in November's general election.

Despite epic battles when they both served on the Wilmington Board of Selectmen, McCoy and O'Connell didn't go after each other publicly during the race. All five candidates in the race pledged to run positive campaigns. But in addition to the leak about O'Connell's tax liens, voting records showing that Tewksbury Mark Kratman continued to vote in Boston for several years after he moved to Tewksbury were widely publicized in the lead up to the primary.

O'Connell, who was not immediately available for comment Monday morning, explained the tax liens were a result of health problems when they were published in August by the Wilmington Apple.

On Facebook, the reaction to McCoy's decision to post the document ranged from "Who cares? The election is over" to posters calling McCoy a "disgrace." McCoy noted that the people attacking him on Facebook Sunday night and Monday were O'Connell supporters.

"Her cronies put it out a few days before the election that I was the one who sent it" anonymously to voters, McCoy said. "They were ripping me apart trying to get the sympathy vote."

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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).