By Paul Leighton
Staff writer
—
BEVERLY — If Republicans and Democrats are keeping a wary eye on each other this election season, nowhere is that scrutiny more heightened than on Cabot Street.
The city committees of both political parties have opened campaign offices on opposite corners across from City Hall, separated only by one-way Wallis Street.
Members of both committees say the siting of the two headquarters was not intentional. But in a campaign season when Republicans are vowing to retake control in a state long dominated by Democrats, the proximity of the campaign offices symbolizes their effort to give voters a choice.
"There is good energy here," said Beverly Republican City Committee Vice Chairman Michael Gendre as he staffed the office one day last week. "A lot of people are stopping by. The real purpose is so people will stop by and do work for us."
The Republicans opened their office on Aug. 3 at 194 Cabot St., the same spot they occupied during the 2008 election campaign. When the Democrats opened their office at 196 Cabot St. two weeks later, Republican state representative candidate Brett Schetzsle sent them a bouquet of flowers with a red-white-and-blue theme.
"The card said, 'I thought some "red" would help spruce up the place. Best of luck,'" Schetzsle said. "I think it's great that they're right across the street. We spend way too much time doing this. If you can't have fun it's not worth doing."
The fact that the Democrats, whose campaign office was on Rantoul Street two years ago, ended up one door over from the Republicans was "pure serendipity," said Beverly Democratic City Committee member Mike Evers.
"We decided this year to find a more central location," he said. "It's downtown in a convenient location for many people. It gets our candidates out in the public eye."
Evers noted that, with the poor economy, there are more downtown storefront vacancies this year, giving the parties more options to rent space for their temporary offices.
The two offices display campaign signs in the windows and offer literature on both state-wide and local candidates. The Beverly candidates include Democrats Scott Houseman and Jerry Parisella and Republican Brett Schetzsle, who are running for the state representative seat being vacated by Democrat Mary Grant; and Republican Richard Jolitz, who is challenging incumbent Democratic state Sen. Fred Berry, the Peabody resident who is the Senate majority leader.
With the offices so close, campaign workers only have to glance out the window to keep an eye on each other. When Evers spotted a woman on Cabot Street whom he had seen walk into the Republican headquarters earlier, he talked her into checking out the Democrats' office.
Gendre, the Republican City Committee vice chairman, told a story of a husband and wife who were walking down Cabot Street last week with a friend. The couple, both longtime Democrats, suggested stopping by the Democratic campaign office.
But the friend, eyeing the nearby Republican office, had other ideas.
"She said, 'You can go there," Gendre said, "but I'm going across the street."
Staff writer Paul Leighton can be reached at 978-338-2675 or by e-mail at pleighton@salemnews.com.
