South Enders Respond to Wilkerson’s Perseverance

By Kate Klinck

Dianne Wilkerson is not ready to give up.

“Third time could be the charm,” said Myung Kim, 25, a resident of Jamaica Plain.

Kim, a sales representative at Design Within Reach on Tremont Street, said Wilkerson has a right to, “fight for it,” and that she has a chance at winning the state Senate election.

After 15 years representing the second Suffolk district, which includes the South End, Back Bay, Lower Roxbury and part of the Fenway area, Wilkerson lost to Sonia Chang-Diaz by 228 votes in the primary election on Sept. 16. Both candidates asked for a recount, which took place on Sept. 27. Chang-Diaz won 9,071 to 8,858.

But, Wilkerson said she would run a write-in, sticker campaign on Nov. 4.

Jessica Ostrowski, 27, a Back Bay resident, said she thought it was fair to give Wilkerson another chance at running because she has had such a long history representing the community.

“If she’s that determined to it, I’m all for it,” said Jessica Ostrowski, 27, Back Bay resident.

Khadra Mohumud, 32, a South End resident who lives near Back Bay, said she does not think Wilkerson should run because she had her chance in the primaries and lost.

“It’s a waste of time. If she lost, what’s the use?” Mohumud said.

Rebecca Tearte, a South End resident, said Wilkerson’s campaign finance violations are what caused her to lose the primary and she would not be able to regain those votes in the next election.

According to the press release from the Office of the Massachusetts Attorney General, Martha Coakley, Wilkerson was accused of using campaign funds for personal benefits, using prohibited campaign contributions, taking improper reimbursements from campaign funds, and having irregularities in record keeping and reporting violations.

Wilkerson reached an agreement with the office to pay $10,000 out of her personal funds, release $29,524 in debt that she said her campaign committee owed her for reimbursements, and her campaign committee must also release $2,200 from unlawful campaign contributions.

“If she didn’t have all the side effects, she’d get re-elected, but those things stick [with you],” Tearte said.

Tom Boyden,68, an Ellis Neighborhood resident, said he approved of Wilkerson’s constituency relations.

“She was very involved with the South End, and supportive of the people,” Boyden said.

Boyden then said he would not vote for her because of her financial violations, but she can run because it’s her right to do so.

“She had proven on more than one occasion that she couldn’t handle her own and campaign finances—that doesn’t bode well,” he said.

For Angghus Macdougal, bartender/chef at J.J. Foley’s in the South End, said Wilkerson’s dishonesty was why he won’t vote for her.

“She hasn’t been straight up, she should take the pain” he said.