two good ones : St Rep Josh Cutler (D) of the 6th Plymouth District and 2nd Franklin District challenger Susannah Whipps Lee (R)

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We have looked closely at some 30 contested State Representative races and have a recommendation to make in 26 of them. You will notice that our recommdation is for the person, not the party. Neither party has a monopoly of informed discourse. Thus our list features 15 Republicans and 11 Democrats.

What we’re looking for is a candidate who either campaigns to “100 prcent of the vote,” as Charlie Baker has put it, or who eloquently represents a partisan viewpoint. Ability to raise substantial campaign money, and thus to mount a credible campaign, is also a plus for us.

And now to our list :

1st Barnstable : no incumbent. We favor Tim Whalen (R)
2nd Barnstasble : Democratic incumbent. We favor Adam G. Chaprales (R)
2nd Bristol : Democratic incumbent : We favor Bert J. Buckley (R), the challenger, over the controversial incumbent in this Attleboro district.
3rd Bristol : Republican incumbent. We like populist Shaunna O’Connell, seeking her third term representing Taunton and Easton, especially for her “yes” vote on raising the state’s minimum wage.
1st Essex : open seat. We like Amesbury selectman James Kelcourse (R)
16th Essex : Democratic incumbent. We support the re-election of Marcos Devers over his discredited opponent, who was ignominiously  ousted Mayor of Lawrence.
2nd Franklin : Democratic incumbent. We like incumbent Denise Andrews, but we like the challenger, Susannah Whipps Lee (R) even better. She just may be our favorite State legislative candidate of this entire cycle.
2nd Middlesex : Democratic incumbent. James Arciero was the target of one of this campaign’s most unfair PAC attacks. His re-election is the answer to such stuff.
5th Middlesex : Democratic incumbent. David Linsky was the leading sponsor of our state’s new gun control legislation. Reason enough to re-elect him enthusiastically.
18th Middlesex : open seat. We recommend Rady Mom (D),l who will be the state’s first Cambodian-American legislator if elected.
31st Middlesex : open seat. We recommend Michael S. Day (D)
33rd Middlesex : open seat. We endorsed Steve Ultrino (D) in the Primary and continue to like him, although independent candidate James Matheson, who like Ultrino is a Malden city councillor, also merits your consideration.
36th Middlesex : Democratic incumbent. We recommend long-time state representative Colleen M. Garry be re-elected by this Dracut/Lowell district.
15th Norfolk : Democratic incumbent. We prefer bright, articulate, smart newcomer Curt Myers (R) to this north Brookline district’s current, conventionally-minded state legislator.
1st Plymouth : open seat . Current state representative Vinny deMacedo (R) is seeking a state senate. We favor Matthew Muratore (R), who will continue the deMacedo approach to state issues.
4th Plymouth : Democratic incumbent. We recommend that James M. Cantwell be re-elected.
6th Plymouth : Democratic incumbent. Josh Cutler is one of the state’s most diligent and open-minded representatives. We prefer him to his rather histrionic challenger.
lst Suffolk ; Democratic incumbent. We strongly prefer Carlo Basile to his anti-casino challenger.
5th Suffolk : Democratic incumbent. Evandro C. Carvalho is fast becoming one of Boston’s most eloquent voices on Beacon Hill. Easily we prefer him to his social conservative challenger.
5th Worcester : open seat. Anne Gobi, the current (D) representative, is seeking a state senate seat. We like Donald Berthiaume (R) as her successor.
7th Worcester : Republican incumbent. Paul K. Frost was one of six Republican legislators to vote “yes” on raising the state’s minimum wage. For that vote alone he merits enthusiastic re-election.
8th Worcester : Republican incumbent. We like Kevin Kuros for another term.
9th Worcester : open seat. The retirement of George Peterson is a loss for reasonable discourse in the legislature. David K. Muradian, the (R) candidate, will contnue the Peterson point of view.
18th Worcester : open seat. Ryan Fattman, the current (R) legislator, is seeking a state senate seat. Joseph McKenna (R) of Webster will be, if anything, an even smarter voice for this district of all too overlooked southern Worcester counthy towns.

—- Mike Freedberg / Here and Sphere