By Times Staff
Gloucester Mayor Carolyn Kirk said last weekend she was "leaning" toward backing Congressman Michael Capuano to take the U.S. Senate seat long held by the late Edward M. Kennedy.
Yesterday, she officially took the plunge.
Hosting Capuano on a visit to Gloucester that included a tour of the city's beleaguered Babson Water Treatment Plant, Kirk formally endorsed the six-term congressman who had previously served nine years as a mayor in Somerville.
City Council President Bruce Tobey, who often clashes with Kirk on city issues, agrees with the mayor in this case. He added his endorsement to the Capuano campaign yesterday as well.
Kirk had previously noted Capuano's experience as a Massachusetts mayor as a sign he would best address municipalities' needs from the U.S. Senate seat.
"Congressman Capuano was a mayor for nine years, and knows first-hand the challenges facing cities and towns," Kirk said in a prepared statement.
"I explained to him that residents of Gloucester are going broke paying the high water and sewer fees and we need federal help."
Kirk and Capuano toured the Babson treatment plant along with Gloucester Public Works Director Michael Hale. The mayor noted that the city is obligated to pay for approximately $65 million in just mandatory infrastructure repairs; she has characterized the city's infrastructure as being in "receivership" under the authority of the state's Department of Environmental Protection.
"We had a catastrophic failure of our water system this past summer and residents had to boil their water for 20 days, and the business community lost hundreds of thousands of dollars," Kirk said.
Fixing our infrastructure is the No. 1 priority facing the city, and I believe that Congressman Capuano can deliver relief to Gloucester," Kirk said.
Capuano said he welcomed Kirk's and Tobey's support, and recognized the city's obstacles.
"I am honored by Mayor Kirk's endorsement of my candidacy," Capuano said. "As a former mayor, I understand the challenges facing our cities and towns, particularly during these tough economic times, and I have always worked hard in the House to provide our communities with the resources they need.
"That is one of the main reasons why I voted against No Child Left Behind," he added, referring to the Bush administration's chief education initiative. "I knew it wouldn't be adequately funded.
"I am grateful also for the support of City Council President Tobey," Capuano said. "I appreciate the hard work both he and Mayor Kirk do on behalf of the community."
Capuano, state Attorney General Martha Coakley, Boston Celtics co-owner and businessman Steve Pagliuca and social activist and City Year founder Alan Khazei are all vying for the Democratic nomination in Tuesday's special primary, with state Sen. Scott Brown and Jack E. Robinson seeking the Republican nod.
