WORCESTER – U.S. Senate candidate and current 4th Massachusetts District Congressman Joseph P. Kennedy III [D] and candidate for the 2nd Massachusetts District for U.S. Congress Tracy Lavvorn [R] campaigned in Worcester on Saturday, July 18.
Kennedy is running against incumbent Senator Ed Markey [D], while Lavvorn — for the second time in a row — is running for the seat held by Congressman James McGovern [D].
Back The Blue Rally at Lincoln Square
Lavvorn campaigned at Lincoln Square, at the corner of Highland St. and Grove St., during a rally to support law enforcement scheduled to start at 1 PM.
The rally appeared to attract between 65 to 75 individuals. Many individuals stood on the sidewalk, displaying signs with positive messages supporting law enforcement. Many passing by beeped horns in support, and a few people voiced objections as they stopped at the nearby traffic light.
Lavvorn addressed the crowd after 2 PM, at one point declaring that “…Black Lives Matter. We know this and we agree with this and we support this. One hundred percent.”
She later criticized the divisive tactics of people on the “…left of the left, left, left.”
Most of the crowd had dissipated by 3 PM.
Candidate for the 7th Massachusetts District for U.S. Congress, Rayla Campbell, also appeared with Lavvorn. Campbell is challenging incumbent Congresswoman Ayyana Pressley.
Lavvorn challenged McGovern in 2018. McGovern earned 67% of the vote compared to Lavvorn’s 33%.
Kennedy Visits Black Lives Matter Mural
Some online discussion on social media had threatened there would be an attempt to damage the Black Lives Matter mural created by 16 local artists on Major Taylor Blvd. during or after the Back the Blue rally on Saturday, July 19.
By 12:30 PM, 25 to 30 supporters of the mural had arrived, determined to protect the artwork. By 2 PM the crowd had grown to about 40 people.
No attempt to damage the mural materialized.
Shortly after 3 PM, Congressman Kennedy arrived at the mural. For about 30 minutes, the Congressman spoke to those who had assembled.
Kennedy has been the leader in polls in his race for Markey’s seat in the Senate, though the last polls were conducted in May. The candidates raised an equal amount of money in the second quarter of this year which is an indicator the race may have tightened.
