Several of the candidates hoping to succeed state Rep. Linda Dorcena Forry in the State House hit the campaign trail this week, wasting little time in their bids for public office. That’s probably because the primary, which will likely be determinative in the heavily Democratic district, is looming: Massachusetts Secretary of State Bill Galvin, the state’s elections chief, announced last week that the primary will be on Aug. 13, with the general election on Sept. 10, two weeks before the Sept. 24 election that will winnow down the candidates for mayor and City Council.

Stephanie Everett, a former aide to state Sen. Sonia Chang-Diaz (D-Jamaica Plain), made it official last Thursday via an e-mail sent to supporters letting them know she’s in the race for the 12th Suffolk House seat.

Stephanie Everett“As a mother, I have seen firsthand the struggles our schools face educating our children with limited resources,” she wrote in her pitch. “I look forward to the opportunity to insure our children receive the very best education from teachers who have access to adequate tools. I am ready to strengthen our economy by securing funding for job training programs to put our neighbors back to work in good paying jobs. Most importantly, I am ready to continue fighting for youth violence prevention funding that keeps our youth safe and engaged in healthy activities.”

Everett, who lives in Lower Mills with her husband and their children, has her former boss’s backing. Chang-Diaz said in a statement that Everett is “tough, smart, compassionate.” She has also worked at the Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport), the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, and the Department of Transitional Assistance.

Joyce Linehan, chair of the Ward 17 Democratic Committee, also voiced her support for Everett. Kate Audette, who lives and works in the district, is serving as chair of Everett’s campaign committee and Stephanie Soriano-Mills, a lawyer and former assistant district attorney for Suffolk County, is also helping out the campaign.

The other candidates include Dan Cullinane, a former aide in City Hall and the State House, and Mary Tuitt, an aide to state Rep. Gloria Fox (D-Roxbury). Carlotta Williams of Hyde Park has opened up a campaign committee.

Dorcena Forry, who was scheduled to be sworn in as state senator today, says she’s staying out of the 12th Suffolk race “at this time. I want the community to be able to make that decision,” she said, praising several of the candidates. “It wouldn’t be fair for me to come out.” All of the 12th Suffolk candidates worked on Dorcena Forry’s state Senate campaign in some form or other.

Menino to attend fundraiser for mayoral candidate – in Newton
Mayor Thomas Menino may be staying out of the race to succeed him in Boston, but he does plan on hitting up a fundraiser for a mayoral candidate in Newton. Setti Warren, who was elected mayor of that city in 2009 and is running for reelection, plans on having Menino as a “special guest” at a campaign event later this month, according to an e-mailed invitation.

The evening fundraiser is at a private home on Oxford Road in Newton on Thurs., June 27. Suggested donations range from $50 to $500.

Warren served as an aide to former US Sen. John Kerry and spent a year in Iraq as a Navy intelligence specialist. He mounted a brief run for the US Senate in 2011, dropping out soon after consumer advocate and fellow Democrat Elizabeth Warren (no relation) jumped into the race.

Menino, who has been recovering at the Parkman House from a recent surgery for an enlarged prostate, was back in his City Hall office on Monday, as the candidates hoping to succeed him jockeyed at campaigning across the city. He has said he is staying out of the Boston mayor’s race – for now, at least.

Endorsement Corner: Connolly announces campaign chairs
City Councillor At-Large John Connolly last week introduced five co-chairs for his mayoral campaign to about 70 people who attended at a campaign fundraiser at Stella’s in the South End. They include Susan Passoni, a South End activist who has run for City Council; Gulf War veteran Tim Schofield, who has been politically involved in the Allston-Brighton area; Roxbury DJ Val Hyman, who works at Big City 101.3 radio station; state Rep. Ed Coppinger of West Roxbury; and Beata Coloyan, a Hyde Park native who attended the Boston Renaissance Charter School.

“They reflect the city of Boston, they are the city of Boston,” Connolly said of his co-chairs. “I would not have a room like this in the South End if it weren’t for Susan Passoni,” he said, adding that he hoped she’ll be a “big part” of his administration if he wins.

Connolly announced his run in February, about a month before Menino announced he would not seek a sixth four-year term. Other candidates quickly jumped in, including Suffolk District Attorney Dan Conley.

“Out of an abundance of clarity, I am John Connolly,” the councillor quipped at his fundraiser, noting that his name has two N’s and two L’s. “It takes a little bit more to get the job done.”

Connolly said he was one of 15 candidates running, and noted that there could be a 500-vote difference between first and second place in the Sept. 24 preliminary, which will whittle the field down to two candidates. The final election is scheduled for Nov. 5.

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