BOSTON -- State Rep. Mark Roosevelt, D-Boston, bested two opponents on Tuesday to become the Democratic nominee in the race against Gov. William F. Weld.
Roosevelt captured the nomination with 49% of the primary vote, beating out former state Sen. George Bachrach and state Sen. Michael Barrett. Weld ran unopposed for the Republican nomination.
The race for state treasurer will pit state Sen. Shannon O'Brien, D-Easthampton, against Republican incumbent Joseph D. Malone.
In both races, the Democratic nominees are behind in the polls.
Roosevelt won in a typically tough, Massachusetts-style primary, and many expect the November campaign to be equally rough.
Roosevelt took aim at the governor with two issues that promise to remain a part of his campaign: legalized gambling and the Central Artery/Third Harbor Tunnel project.
"Bill Weld envisions a Massachusetts with casinos in every region," Roosevelt said at his headquarters on Tuesday. "If you think that Bill Weld and his lobbyist friends have corrupted the Central Artery, and they have, wait until the casino operators get hold of the statehouse."
The tunnel project has meant trouble for Weld because of the governor's friendship with a paid consultant for the chief engineering firm on the project, the Bechtel Corp. The Boston Globe reported earlier this month that Berlandi used his clout with the governor to hold back important information about an engineering problem with the project. Berlandi has denied the allegations.
In other state races, U.S. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy will face political neophyte Mitt Romney, son of former Michigan Gov. George Romney. The race is expected to be one of Kennedy's toughest since he first won the office 32 years ago.
Romney rolled to the Republican nomination, 82% to 18%, over John Lukian.
In congressional primaries, Rep. Barney Frank, D-Newton, Rep. Martin T. Meehan, D-Lowell, Rep. J. Joseph Moakley, D-Boston, and Rep. Gerry E. Studds, D-Cohasset, all gained renomination from the Democrats in their districts.
In state legislative races, one of the biggest issues was who stood for or against William M. Bulger, the president of the state Senate. The Boston Democrat, one of the most powerful politicians in the state, is being challenged for his leadership post by Sen. William Keating, DSharon. In Tuesday's primaries, every candidate who vowed to vote against Bulger was rejected by the voters.
For his part, Bulger ran unopposed for renomination and is also unopposed in November.
