Former aide will seek House seat that Hingham rep is giving up

Printed from: https://newbostonpost.com/2016/07/11/former-aide-will-seek-house-seat-that-hingham-rep-is-giving-up/

A former top aide to Rep. Garrett Bradley hopes to take advantage of the Hingham Democrat’s sudden announcement that he’ll depart the Legislature.

Stephen Burm, also a Hingham Democrat, plans to run as a write-in candidate in the Sept. 8 primary, he told the News Service over the weekend. The House district covers Cohasset, Hull, five Hingham precincts and one precinct in Scituate.

Burm works as state and local government relations manager at the International Council of Shopping Centers. He previously worked in Gov. Deval Patrick’s administration as director of legislative affairs in the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development during Secretary Greg Bialecki’s tenure. Before that, from 2003 until 2011, Burm worked for nearly nine years as chief of staff to Bradley, who has held the Third Plymouth District seat for almost 16 years.

Bradley, a senior member of House Speaker Robert DeLeo’s leadership team, announced June 27 his plans to resign at the end of July to take a more senior role at Thornton Law Firm.

The deadline passed on June 8 for candidates to withdraw their names from the Sept. 8 primary ballot, meaning Bradley’s name will remain on the ballot. Candidates for the seat can mount write-in primary campaigns. If Bradley wins the Democratic primary, he would have until Sept. 13 to withdraw his name from the general election ballot. An executive committee formed by the Democratic State Committee would then have the option to nominate a replacement candidate by Wednesday, Sept. 14.

Joint Health Care Financing Committee Director Timothy O’Neill of Hingham had been considering a run for Bradley’s seat but told the News Service Sunday that he would not run and that he is supporting Burm’s candidacy. O’Neill previously held senior posts in Sen. James Timilty’s office and for former Sen. Susan Fargo.

A graduate of Catholic Memorial High School, Burm earned his master’s degree in management and a bachelor’s degree from Fitchburg State University. He and his wife Lauren, public affairs manager for DONG Energy US Wind Power, have two children.

— Written by Michael P. Norton

Copyright State House News Service