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Verga lines up support at organizational meeting

By Richard Gaines
Staff writer
Published: February 29, 2008

Anthony Verga did not kick off his re-election campaign last night.

Instead, between the kickoffs by the two Democrats hoping to unseat him — Ann-Margaret Ferrante's kickoff Wednesday night, and Astrid afKlinteberg's today — the seven-term representative of the 5th Essex District held an organizational meeting.

"It's too early to do that," he confided to a reporter.

The room at the Gloucester House was organized for business, not extravaganza, and the seats around the square table, next to a mountain of calamari, were filled with about two dozen lieutenants in what is certain to be the most energetic re-election campaign of Verga's career.

Over the earlier seven campaigns for the seat to represent Gloucester, Essex and Rockport, never before has the 72-year-old had to repel even one fully developed challenge.

A weak Republican in 2002 and a Democrat who failed to qualify for the ballot in 2006 were not real tests at all.

Verga's tenure has produced a leadership position as the house chairman of the Committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs, but this year two friends — Ferrante and afKlinteberg — stand ready to run campaigns with equal or near equal resources.

"We're friends," said Mick Verga, one of the four Verga children of Tony and Adrienne, who was also present, to add a Kennedyesque family touch to the campaign.

Mick Verga was referring to both Ferrante and afKlinteberg.

The candidate spoke after Greg, chairman of the School Committee, began the business side of the meeting by running through the agenda.

The kickoff for this campaign will be made from Cruiseport on April 29, and it will be a combination political and birthday party for the candidate.

But Verga gave a preview of the texture of the appeal to come.

It differs qualitatively from the approach showed by Ferrante, who described her effort as inspired by the need to attack moral failures in the society that by implication Verga had not been able to affect.

And it differs from the more analytical campaign personality of afKlinteberg, an attorney like Ferrante, who as a city councilor could be depended on to explain how and why she attacked or adopted a stratagem.

Verga's approach is more subdued and introspective.

He told his outer circle he's seen good days and bad, still desires to serve and has the same simple goal of making life in his city "a little better."

The only person he said he needs to satisfy is "the man in the mirror," and that continues to happen.

So, game on.

Sammy Parisi, the waterfront property owner and fisherman, dropped off a check, and "money is the grease that keeps things running," noted son Greg.

Verga pondered the presumably factitious suggestion that he take his campaign to YouTube.

"They take this stuff off television and put it on the computer," he explained to the reporter.

Richard Gaines can be reached at rgaines@gloucestertimes.com.

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