Campaign Cocktails
It was August 10th when Boston Globe’s Samantha Gross wondered aloud about signature cocktails on the campaign trail. With the September 6th Primary looming, the voters need to know. Hump Day News is here to investigate.
Dr. Tami Gouveia's Mango BangoWe emailed the team behind each candidate, asking what sort of beverage captured the spirit of their political campaign. Hot or cold, mixed or neat, alcoholic or not – we told them to have fun with it. In the dog days of August, candidates need a refreshing drink to energize themselves and their constituents.
Here’s What We Found
Not many campaigns went on record about their beverage of choice. Whether that’s out of an abundance of caution or a failure to be transparent, who can say? What we do know is that the Chris Dempsey camp responded and a few days later he earned the endorsement of the Boston Globe for State Auditor. We’re not NOT suggesting that the two facts are connected.
Undeterred, Hump Day News set about collecting strong circumstantial evidence to demonstrate that most of the candidates on the ballot ingest liquids of some variety.
The political imbibition fell under a few main categories: the water bottle and fruit juice crew, the coffee crowd, the beer/wine posse, the legit campaign cocktailers, and whatever was being served at the Feast Of The Blessed Sacrament down in New Bedford.
We’ll take a look at some highlights, race by race. Let’s start with the heavy hitters in the Governor’s race.
Governor
Geoff Diehl (R) puts the spotlight on Velo Vodka, a spirit brand that is female-founded and run out of South Boston.
The mixed drink is a play on The Madras or Summer Breeze. The orange juice and cranberry juice help cut the alcohol content so that you can still find your way to the voting booth.
Maura Healey is working hard behind the counter at the Feast of the Blessed Sacrament in New Bedford.
It’s the largest Portuguese feast in the world. No beverages pictured, but plenty of opportunities to quaff in good health at the festival.
We’ll circle back to the festival later on — it’s a popular destination for candidates on the campaign trail.
US House District 7
In the congressional race for US House District 7, Ayanna Pressely (D) is doing the community coffee rounds with constituents. Her opponent Donnie Palmer (R) did not respond to the query — potentially missing a golden opportunity to brand a personal twist on the Arnold Palmer classic of half lemonade, half iced-tea.
Secretary of State
The race to be the next Secretary of State brings Tanisha Sullivan (D) to many a backyard buffet. We see beers! Though Sullivan has not yet wet her whistle.
We had to dig deep in the internet archives to find a picture of Bill Galvin (D) in the same room with a beverage. The best we could do is a photo of him in 2018 standing next to beverage napkins.
Rumor has it, he was offered a beer, but he dismissed the frosty suds as ignorant and unqualified, opting for a glass of water instead.
Cocktail napkins imply cocktails.The Republican candidate Rayla Campbell gives us a great two-for-one opportunity at a boat party in Falmouth. She sets sail on the high seas with the Republican candidate for Attorney General Jay McMahon, along with the cozy company of wine, cheese, and crackers.
Lieutenant Governor
When the Lieutenant Governor’s race heats up, Kim Driscoll (D) cools down at Brews for Blues while Tami Gouveia (D) is all business with the Mango Bango.
Meanwhile Eric Lesser (D) and Kate Campanale (R) are taking turns having coffee with Boston 25 News.
Attorney General
The race for Attorney General features a lively primary and coffee pick-me-ups are the order of the day.
Shannon Liss-Riordan (D) shows where she stands when it comes to the labor rights of the baristas brewing her beverages. Andrea Campbell (D) nurses an iced coffee while meeting with leaders in the fishing industry.
State Treasurer
It’s just Deb! Deb Goldberg (D) is the only candidate in the race for State Treasurer so she can stay hydrated at home instead of on the campaign trail. But please tell us, Deb, that you’re not drinking water with a birthday cake? May we suggest coffee, or tea, a glass of milk or Baileys on the rocks?
State Auditor
In the race for State Auditor, who pledges transparency about their campaign’s signature beverage?
The Chris Dempsey (D) campaign disclosed Harpoon as their go to brewski. Strong choice. Harpoon Brewery is a local, employee-owned brewery with great flavors, annual festivals, and regularly contributes to charitable causes. And can someone get Armand a Harpoon – he deserves it!
Elsewhere Diana DiZoglio (D) enjoys a small glass of something that looks wonderful and earns the endorsement of the New Bedford City Council President. The Feast Of The Blessed Sacrament is a blast.
State Senate 2nd Suffolk District
A lot of Democrats have their eye on the office of State Senate 2nd Suffolk District. It’s a crowded house and most of the inhabitants are sticking with water, coffee, or juice. Diane Wilkerson (D) prefers a glass of cranberry and orange juice. James Grant’s (D) team of volunteers had no comment.
House of Rep. 15th Suffolk District
The race for House of Rep. 15th Suffolk District is another deep Democratic primary.
Shout out to Sam Montano (D) for putting in the work – you deserve a cold one! Roxanne Longoria (D) enjoys a juice at Pride. And we’re winding back the clock all the way to 2019 to catch Richard Fierro (D) knocking back some soda pop at a pizza party with the Yang Gang.
Suffolk County District Attorney
Incumbent Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden (D) stands in the general proximity of a bowl full of iced beverages: water bottles, Sprites, juice. We can’t prove for certain that he didn’t reach in there off camera for a sampling of all three. Meanwhile challenger Ricardo Arroyo cools off with a water bottle during the Dominican Parade.
With the primary fast approaching on September 6th, candidates and constituents alike should stay hydrated, get informed, and go vote. Comments are open if any campaigns want to update their signature beverage options. Sláinte!
