Brockton Sen. Michael Brady wins reelection over City Councilor Moises Rodrigues
BROCKTON — Winning a decisive victory in the Democratic primary held on Tuesday, state Sen. Michael Brady, D-Brockton, said he continues to have the support and goodwill of the voters of the Second Plymouth and Bristol District because they know he's fighting hard for all of them on Beacon Hill.
"There are still so many families in need of help out there," Brady said. "That keeps me going. I've done it all my life. I take my job very seriously and I take it to heart."
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For the second time since an arrest on drunken driving charges in 2018 put his political career in jeopardy, Brady has received the support of the voters from throughout the district, including Brockton, parts of East Bridgewater, parts of Easton, Halifax, Hanover, Hanson, Plympton and Whitman. Two years ago, Brady won a general election against a little-known Republican contender. This time he went up against a well-established Brockton city councilor and former mayor, Councilor-at-large Moises Rodrigues. The victory on Tuesday in the Democrat primary sets Brady up for an easy uncontested win during the November general election with no Republicans on the ballot this year.
Brady, who first became state senator in a special election held in 2015 following the death of his predecessor Thomas Kennedy, collected 57.2 percent of the vote, amounting to 14,478 Democrat primary ballots cast in his favor, according to unofficial results reported by town and city officials. Rodrigues garnered 10,584 votes overall, according to the results, giving him 42.8 percent. Rodrigues, however, narrowly won the city of Brockton, with 7,133 votes to Brady's 7,040.
Brady, who waited for results at the Brockton firefighters union hall on Perkins Avenue, said Rodrigues called him to concede the race before 10 p.m., while still awaiting final numbers to trickle in from the town of Hanson.
"I'm grateful to all my supporters. I am truly overwhelmed with the confidence the voters have had in me and the support that I've received," said Brady, 58, who previously served as a state representative, city councilor and school committee member. "I have a lot of people who count on me in my district. I want to continue to do the job I've always done helping people."
Rodrigues, 59, who was the first person of color to serve as mayor of Brockton, after being appointed to the position last year when former mayor Bill Carpenter died, will continue serving on the city council. If elected state senator, he would have been one of the few minorities serving in the Massachusetts senate.
Rodrigues said he was better qualified to serve as state senator, as a college-educated, Navy veteran, homeowner and former mayor. Rodrigues said he ran because he believes Brady is ineffective at securing funding and resources for Brockton, and Rodrigues said many voters wanted to see more diversity in the state senate. But a minority candidate with a track record like he has "is still not good enough," he said, adding, "What else do we have to do?"
Rodrigues was critical of Brady for his OUI arrest in Weymouth in 2018, which was resolved last summer when Brady agreed to temporarily surrender his driver's license and take part in an alcohol education program. It was the second time Brady was charged with operating under the influence of alcohol, after a 1998 crash led to charges that were later quashed in a closed door court hearing. Rodrigues said it did Brockton a disservice, noting that Brady was stripped by the Senate Ethics Commission of his chairmanship over the Joint Committee on Public Service.
"As I've said several times, it's the neglect," Rodrigues said. "You see all these other communities doing so much better than we are from a senate standpoint. The senator we have up there is too busy doing other things to look for resources for this community."
Brady has apologized over the OUI arrest, entered into alcohol abuse counseling, and said he remains remorseful over the incident. Brady also pledged to continue fighting for others who have suffered from drug addiction and alcoholism.
"Sometimes you have to learn from yourself. I'm continuing to learn from that," Brady said. "I'm very sorry for the mistake I made. My constituents have remained steadfast in supporting me. I've always been one to help out other people, getting people into programs with drug and alcohol addiction who need it. That's another thing. I want to continue to help those people."
Rodrigues said the coronavirus pandemic made campaigning difficult.
"We've done the best we could under the circumstances," Rodrigues said.
Among other issues, Brady said he wants to fight on Beacon Hill to make sure Brockton and the rest of the district gets the education funding schools deserve under the Student Opportunity Act, which was passed and signed into law last year, but put on hold as a result of the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
The primary victory comes on the heels of a difficult year for Brady, marked by the death of his older brother, former Avon selectman Robert F. Brady, who suffered a heart attack and was diagnosed with COVID-19, after a lengthy struggle with blood circulation problems.
"It's been a tough one," said Brady, who also lost an older sister eight years ago.
The coronavirus pandemic also limited Brady's ability to campaign, he said. Brady thanked local labor unions for their support, explaining that it was crucial for his reelection.
The state senator said he wants to continue advocating for Brockton after it was hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, long having the second highest rate of infection among any community in Massachusetts.
"It's a different world we live in," Brady said. "I have a lot of people who count on me in my district with help with unemployment and day-to-day issues. I've helped a lot of veterans, seniors, and workers, and I want to continue to do that. I'm very passionate about the work I do."
Staff writer Marc Larocque can be reached at mlarocque@enterprisenews.com. Follow him on Twitter @Enterprise_Marc.