The American Spectator

On Friday, I linked to a press release by Al Gillis, a past president of the Massachusetts Republican Assembly, sharply criticizing GOP gubernatorial candidate Charlie Baker and calling on the Republican Governors Association to stop its advertising campaign against independent gubernatorial candidate Tim Cahill. Very quickly, both in the comments here and at the popular Red Mass Group blog, there were responses that Gillis was not speaking for the Massachusetts Republican Assembly as a whole.

I contacted several MRA officers and board members this weekend and received an email from current Massachusetts Republican Assembly President Sandi Martinez. “The press release by Mr. Gillis cited in your blog as being from the Massachusetts Republican Assembly, was not authorized!” Martinez wrote (emphasis hers). “The MRA has not taken a position on any 2010 race. When and if we take a position on a candidate, it won’t be until the nominating convention, which has not as yet been scheduled.” Paul Ferro, the group’s secretary and a board member, seconded this in a telephone interview. For his part, Gillis told me over the telephone this afternoon, “I stand by what I wrote in the press release.” He said that he believes his views are shared by the “rank and file” MRA members and that the convention will confirm this.