Glodis overwhelms Davison for Senate

Incumbent gets 80 percent of vote

State Sen. Guy W. Glodis rode a landslide yesterday to his second term, capturing more than 80 percent of the vote in Worcester and sweeping the 2nd Worcester District.

Mr. Glodis, a Worcester Democrat, won resoundingly in Auburn, Grafton, Hopedale, Leicester, Millbury, Shrewsbury, Sutton, Upton and the southern sections of Worcester, including Grafton Hill, Quinsigamond Village, South Worcester and College Hill.

With the polls closed for little more than an hour, Mr. Glodis already was looking forward to the next legislative session.

I want to make the Worcester delegation the most effective and productive in the state,” Mr. Glodis said over the strains of Mary Wells’ My Guy” during his victory party at Quinsigamond American Legion Post 318 on Greenwood Street.

Even his opponent, Republican Donald Chip” Davison III of Grafton, described the election results as a mandate.

I ran a campaign based on providing a choice and restoring the voters’ voice in the Senate,” Mr. Davison said. It seems they’re quite happy with the voice they have.”

Robert Pezzella, Mr. Glodis’ campaign manager, said the victory was one for the record books.

We believe this is the first time in 30 years a Democratic Senate candidate has won every town in the district,” Mr. Pezzella said.

State Rep. John J. Binienda, D-Worcester, who ran unopposed for re-election, credited Mr. Glodis’ victory to his indefatigable campaigning, constituent service and a perfect hold” on the issues that matter to the district’s voters.

He’s the most prolific campaigner I’ve ever seen,” Mr. Binienda said. He just doesn’t stop.”

The winner’s father, William J. Glodis Jr., who served for many years as a state representative from Worcester, was elated over his son’s performance.

He said the only advice he had given his son about office-holding was to answer your phone calls and work seven days a week.”

The incumbent said he will press his legislative agenda, which includes tighter regulatory control of HMOs, adding community service to public school curricula and cracking down on truancy.

He also wants to overhaul the bureaucratic maze” of bilingual education, requiring a one-year immersion course in English for students whose native language is not English.

As the senior Senate member in the Worcester delegation, Mr. Glodis said, he hopes to play a larger role within the delegation.

Mr. Davison had campaigned for more school choice, including leaving the door open for vouchers to private schools, while Mr. Glodis did not waver in his support of public education, voting against creating more charter schools.

Both men favored Question 4, which called for reducing the state income tax to 5 percent. Mr. Davison gathered signatures to get the rollback on the ballot, while Mr. Glodis twice pushed for Senate votes on an income tax rollback.

He took Davison’s issue away from him,” Mr. Binienda said.

Mr. Glodis raised more money than his opponent, by a nearly 30-to-1 rate.

According to campaign finance reports through the end of October, Mr. Glodis had raised $94,806 and spent about $14,000, while Mr. Davison had raised $3,459 and spent it all.

It was Mr. Davison’s first run for public office. He is a chief’s mate in the merchant marine and a substitute teacher. He said he was satisfied that he fought hard and represented myself well.”

He did not rule out running for office again, saying he loved campaigning and meeting people.



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