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PatchCast Video: Senate Race Changes and Construction Continues

A regional roundup of headlines from Acton, Sudbury, Wayland and Weston

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Conroy Exits One Race, Announces Candidacy in Another

Tom Conroy will not be running for a U.S. Senate seat in 2012, but he will pursue reelection as the incumbent representative for the 13th Middlesex District.

Tom Conroy Monday officially announced his withdrawal from the 2012 U.S. Senate campaign and, subsequently, his intention to run for a fourth term in the Massachusetts house. “It’s the right thing to do for me, for my family, for the people of the 13th Middlesex District,” Conroy said in a phone call with Patch. Conroy, a Democrat from Wayland, entered the 2012 Senate Democratic primary race in June and soon thereafter launched a 650-mile walk throughout the Commonwealth geared toward meeting constituents and talking through issues. When Harvard Law professor Elizabeth Warren entered the race in September, Conroy said, her candidacy gave the other individuals already in the race  “a lot of pause” and caused them “to reevaluate the validity…

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Tom Conroy Opens Campaign Headquarters in Wayland

Conroy invites the public to an open house in November.

State Rep. Tom Conroy (D-Wayland) has opened campaign headquarters in Wayland for his 2012 Senate run to unseat incumbent Scott Brown. Conroy will host an open house for the public at his campaign headquarters, located at 526 Boston Post Road, on Monday, Nov. 7 from 6 p.m.-9 p.m. The Senate candidate will address guests at about 7:30 p.m., and light hors d'oeuvres will be offered. "Join Tom as he celebrates the Grand Opening of his new campaign headquarters," reads a press release from Conroy's office. "Learn about the ways in which you can contribute to Tom’s campaign and win back the U. S. Senate seat for the people." In the past month, the once crowded Senate Democratic primary race has shrunk from seven candidates to just four now in …

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Wayland Split Between Two House Districts in Proposed Maps

The first draft of redrawn Massachusetts legislative districts came out today, and Wayland could see changes.

On Tuesday, the Massachusetts Legislature's Special Joint Committee on Redistricting released its first draft of redistricting plans. Under the new maps, State Rep. Tom Conroy's (D-Wayland) 13th Middlesex district would exclude part of Wayland. That chunk of eastern Wayland would become part of the 14th Norfolk district currently represented by Alice Hanlon Peisch, a Wellesley Democrat. Current State Sen. Richard Ross (R-Wrentham) would continue to represent Wayland, though his Norfolk, Bristol, Middlesex district would also face changes. 13th Middlesex District (State House) Under the current maps, Conroy represents all of Wayland, Sudbury and Lincoln. The redrawn maps split Wayland between the 13th Middlesex and the 14th Norfolk …

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Wayland's Tom Conroy Undeterred by 'Rock Star' Rival Elizabeth Warren

Underdog Democrat tells Newton Democrats why he should be the candidate to challenge Scott Brown for Massachusetts' U.S. Senate seat.

State Rep. Tom Conroy barely registers in polling of which candidates voters prefer for their U.S. Senator. But only hours after a Vanity Fair magazine profile of rival Democrat Elizabeth Warren hit the Web, and only days after she reported an astonishing $3.15 million fund-raising debut, Conroy was meeting with the Newton Democratic City Committee. Yes, the turnout was sparse Wednesday night, the latest in a series of meet-and-greets with potential candidates hoping to unseat Republican U.S. Sen. Scott Brown. So Conroy was wise to immediately address what he called "the elephant in the room:" Warren's dominance of the race since she announced her candidacy less than a month ago. "I'm not at the top of the polls," Conroy said. He readily …

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Wayland Residents Support Tom Conroy at Democratic U.S. Senate Debate

Tell us what you thought of Tom Conroy and the other candidates at the Oct. 4 debate.

Fielding questions on everything from the economy and jobs to women’s healthcare and marijuana legalization, the six Democratic candidates vying to take on Republican incumbent Scott Brown in next year’s U.S. Senate race engaged in a debate Tuesday night at UMass-Lowell. Outside Durgin Hall prior to the debate, sign-holders were plentiful for candidates Elizabeth Warren and Brookline’s Alan Khazei, while smaller contingents were on hand to support Tom Conroy, Bob Massie, Marisa DeFranco and Herb Robinson. At least three Wayland residents and one former resident made the trek to Lowell to support Conroy, a third-term state representative. Michael Bate said he has been a longtime supporter of Conroy, calling him the most qualified candidate …

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Abby Jordan

11:52 am on Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Sorry Michael, that 9 in 29 was a typo... corrected both in your quote. Nice to meet you last night.   more ›

Rep. Conroy to Debate Other U.S. Senate Democratic Candidates Tonight

The debate is set for 7 p.m. at UMass Lowell.

Democratic candidates hoping for their party’s nod to take on incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Scott Brown next year will square off in a debate at UMass Lowell at 7 p.m. Patch will be covering tonight's debate, which features Wayland’s Tom Conroy, a state representative in his third term, and Brookline’s Alan Khazei, co-founder of the nonprofit City Year. Also taking part in the debate are Marisa DeFranco, Bob Massie, Herb Robinson and Elizabeth Warren.  Who do you think will stand out in the debate? Have you decided which candidate you’ll vote for? Join the conversation in the comments section below, both now and during the debate, which will be live-streamed. You can watch it on the Boston Herald or UMass Lowell websites. Also, check …

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Tom Conroy's Camp Reacts to Changing Senate Race

With Setti Warren's withdrawal, Rep. Tom Conroy (D-Wayland) is now one of six Democratic candidates challenging Scott Brown for his Senate seat.

Rep. Tom Conroy (D-Wayland) is optimistically focused on moving forward in his 2012 Senate campaign even as another Democratic candidate, Setti Warren, withdraws his candidacy. Jon Saxton, Conroy’s campaign manager, expressed respect for Warren and his campaign, saying they found Warren to be a worthy Democratic candidate who would have made an excellent senator, but the Conroy camp was not necessarily shocked at Warren’s decision. “I’ve said all along that when Elizabeth Warren got into the race, it would help our campaign,” said Jon Saxton, Conroy’s campaign manager. “When she comes in, she overshadows [Alan] Khazei, [Setti] Warren. I truly feel like those folks don’t have anywhere to go anymore; whereas Tom Conroy is distinct from …

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Conroy Makes Stops in Newton and Brookline [VIDEO]

Patch editors in town's where Rep. Conroy has recently stopped on his Town-to-Town Walk filed video reports.

Rep. Tom Conroy (D-Wayland) has spent the past six weeks walking throughout the state of Massachusetts as part of his campaign to take Sen. Scott Brown’s seat in the 2012 election. Conroy has walked more than 600 miles since he began his Town-to-Town tour from his home in Wayland on July 2. He recently made stops at Athan's Bakery in Brookline and Johnny's Luncheonette and Deluxe Station Diner in Newton. Brookline Patch Editor Grahame Turner sat down for a chat with Conroy and Newton Editor Melanie Graham filed her own report. Both videos are attached.

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