Stanton Campaign Launches "Soft Opening"

In the restaurant business, before a grand opening, they usually have what is called a “soft opening” to help workout any kinks and ensure the success of the opening event.

Over the past month, that is exactly how I would describe my campaign as I prepare for my own “grand opening” Campaign Kick-Off Event Wednesday June 6 at on Moody St. in Waltham.

Hi. My name is and I am running for State Rep of the 10th Middlesex.  This blog will be your window into what is going on inside of my campaign in addition to introducing you to the wild world of politics.  Needless to say, things should get interesting.

And what better place to start than at the beginning?  So, allow me to explain what I have been up to for the past month and how I have built my campaign.

It all started late March when I was informed that Jim Dixon, who had run for State Representative against Peter Koutoujian in 2010 and John Lawn in the special election last year, had decided that he would not run again (He laid down his armaments so he could concentrate more on bolstering the Waltham Republican City Committee).  It was then that I decided that, in addition to the issues, the voters of the 10th Middlesex deserved to have a choice this November, so I threw my hat into the ring for State Representative.

From there, it was a long process of collecting signatures from Republican and un-enrolled/Independent voters in the district.  I only needed 150 but, boy, let me tell you, that number gets a lot bigger when you spend three hours walking up and down streets on a Saturday and all you have to show for it is five to ten signatures.  Nonetheless, with the help and support of family and friends, I managed to pull together 200 signatures (certified signatures, mind you, as a good number of collected signatures ended up not counting! Nonetheless, I cannot thank all of you enough who signed my petition).

After that, I was officially on the ballot but I still had to jump over and through a number of hurdles and hoops in order to register my campaign with OCPF (Office of Campaign and Political Finance) and the IRS so that I could get a tax identification number, open up a bank account, and finally be legally allowed to solicit funds and donations for my campaign. 

Luckily, I survived and my campaign is officially up and running. 

Next, I have to keep updating my campaign website, find a well trained political treasurer (if those contributions are not filed correctly with OCPF, yours truly could be looking at a fine for as much as $2,500) and prepare for the Campaign Kick-Off Again, that’s on Wednesday, June 6, at Shoppers Café on Moody St.I hope to see you there!

For now, the “soft opening” continues…

Until Next Time,

Francis Stanton

Francis Stanton is a candidate for State Representative in the 10th Middlesex which includes parts of Waltham, Watertown and Newton.