Massachusetts primary elections are in 11 days, September 16th, including a Democratic primary challenge to Sen. John Kerry. If you're already registered as a Democrat (or another party) you can vote. Here's where you find out who's on your local ballot:
www.wheredoivotema.com/bal/myelectioninfo.php
1. Senate
In the Senate primary I'm probably voting for Ed O'Reilly vs. Kerry.
I'd tend to support Kerry, but he has presumptuously been avoiding debates, and only recently agreed to the most watered-down possible option: a single, 20-minute, non-televised debate on a weekday morning when nobody can attend. (See his website for when it'll be broadcast this weekend.) That's bullshit. I don't think I want Kerry to lose, but I want it to be close enough to make him sweat, as all incumbent politicians should.
That said, I do also like O'Reilly's straight-up anti-Iraq War attitude in this article, and his promises about transparency here.
Though he doesn't quite look the Senator part... maybe there is a federal makeover agency staffed by closeted gay Republicans for this sort of thing?
UPDATE 9/14: Having simmered down a little since I wrote this (directly after reading about the debate shenanigans), I've gotten a more balanced perspective, and will be voting Kerry, for most of the reasons outlined in the comments.
2. Mass. state legislature
(Not aware of any Boston-area U.S. House primaries, but here are two interesting state races.)
- 34th Middlesex House district
If you live in the right parts of Somerville or Medford, there's a bizarre write-in race between incumbent Carl Sciortino and challenger Bob Trane – and Bob's the only one on the ballot, because Carl's signatures were stolen or lost, so he's forced to run a write-in/sticker campaign.
Carl seems pretty awesome – a young gay kid who unseated an anti-gay politician (who had been in the seat for 16 years), has supported the transgender community, and has helped secure a subway extension further into Somerville – but Bob Trane seems more in touch with working class economic concerns (though I should say a friend who I think lives in his district disagrees). The local vs. the gentrifier perhaps. I also like anyone who talks about ethics reform.
- 35th Middlesex House district
Speaking of political ethics, if I was in Malden/Medford I'd be tempted to vote for Jim Caralis, who founded OpenMass.org. But he doesn't seem to have much directly relevant on his resume beyond that, and the other progressive, Patrick McCabe, leaves me with a better impression. Interviews here.
They're both running against conservative "Democrat" Paul Donato, who is anti-choice, anti-queer, etc.
UPDATE 9/14: I was emailed by someone who described himself as gay and a Medford resident, and who took issue with my description of Donato as "anti-queer," saying Donato was in favor of civil unions/civil rights, and had been responsive to his concerns in the past, and that those are more important than the word "marriage." I personally stand by what I said, because I think voting to allow ballot question on banning same-sex marriage (as he did) was an anti-LGBT choice on a very important vote, but I thought I should acknowledge the differing opinion of someone who actually lives in Donato's district (I don't).
There's also a primary for the Boston-area seat on the governor's council, but the challenger is against life terms for judges, and I think I'm for them (independent judiciary and all)... Plus a Second Suffolk (=Boston) senate primary, but I'm not sure who I'd support in that one.