Incumbents are in ALL CAPS. Green="good";red="bad", black=still being assessed
House - 11th Hampden (Springfield)
D - Benjamin Swan, 837 State St., Springfield (Incumbent, being challenged in Primary)
D - Larry Lawson, 484 Hancock St., Springfield
D - Norman W. Oliver, 377 St. James Ave., Springfield
Comment: Swan is a big supporter of homo marriage, but has some rather public tax problems (owes $36,926 in back taxes), and thus has attracted some opposition in the Dem primary. Norman Oliver looks like a solid guy to support, and is highly educated, a great speaker. He told a group he's running because constituents are fed up with Swan's liberalism on moral issues.
House - 3rd Hampden (Agawam) - Rep. Daniel Keenan (NOT running again)
D - Carley R. Johnson, Jr., 135 Country Rd., Agawam
D - Joseph Mineo, 33 Maple Meadows Ln., Agawam
D - Rosemary Sandlin, 90 Granger Dr., Agawam
R - John Cesan, 24 Tina Ln., Agawam
R - Robert A. Magovern, 144 Birch Hill Rd., Agawam
Comment: Robert Magovern would make a great state legislator. He's strong on the issues, has a lot of common sense, and has years of experience on the Agawam city council. He's also on the Republican State Committee -- and since he's not a RINO they can't stand him. Rosemary Sandlin is being backed by the Teachers' Union, MassEquality, and the usual odious crowd. Cesan is a postal worker.
House - 12th Hampden (Springfield/Wilbraham) - Rep. Gale Candaras (NOT running again)
D - Angelo J. Puppolo, Jr., 44 South Shore Dr., Springfield
R - Bob Collamore, 26 Weston St., Wilbraham
R - Christopher R. Leisey, 15 Wright Pl., Wilbraham
Comment: Here's another race where the Democrat is better than both Republicans. Puppolo is good on life issues and opposed Springfield's needle exchange program. We're told that Collamore and Leisey are RINO-like on our issues. The incumbent, Gale Candaras (who we can do without), is running for Brian Lees' state senate seat.
Senate - First Hampden & Hampshire (Springfield/East Longmeadow) - Sen. Brian Lees (NOT running again)
D - Brian Michael Ashe, 107 Belleclaire Ave., Longmeadow
D - Rep. Gale D. Candaras, 643 Tinkham Rd., Wilbraham
D - Rosemarie Mazza-Moriarty, 95 Osborne Ter., Springfield
R - Kevin Q. Corridan, 198 Atwater Rd., Springfield
R - Ronald J. Cutler, 35 Dorset St., East Longmeadow
R - Enrico John Villamaino, III, 834 Somers Rd., East Longmeadow
Comment: Rep. Gale Candaras is trying to move up to the Senate, but she's your typical leftie rep we can do without. Mazza-Moriarty is endorsed by MassEquality. Corridan is pro-gay marriage, tho allegedly a fiscal conservative. Villamaino is an aide to Brian Lees, and is also pro-gay marriage. Cutler is great on the issues. According to press reports, he's been a critic of the liberal policies of Lees and outspokenly against same-sex marriage, judicial activism, and the gay lobby at the State House. But this may be a difficult district for a Republican to keep.