^^ Mark Kelly of Arizona, our favorite US Senate challenger

We long ago expressed our preference for Joe Biden for President. Our view has not changed, and it appears that Biden will win a substantial electoral college victory next week. It’s a well-merited win for a man worthy of high regard offering an agenda that almost all of us can welcome.

This column, therefore, will devote to other contests and ballot questions.

There are few election contests here in Massachusetts,. but of the contested seats, we like and favor the following candidates : Bill Bates, 13th Essex; Susan E. Smiley, 12th Worcester; Kelly A. Dooner, 3rd Bristol; Jerald A. Parisella** 6th Essex; David Allan Robertson**, 19th Middlesex; Michael S. Day,**, 31st Middlesex; Catherine J. Clark, 37th Middlesex; Joshua Cutler**, 6th Plymouth; Sheila Curran Harrington**, 1st Middlsex; Tim Whelan**, 1st Barnstable; James Kelcourse**, 1st Essex; Lenny Mirra**, 2nd Essex; Brad Jones**, 20th Middlesex; Shawn Dooley**, 9th Norfolk; Paul K. Frost**, 7th Worcester; and Susannah Whipps**, 2nd Franklin.

Of contested State Senate contests, we favor these : Patrick M. O’Connor**, Plymouth & Norfolk; Ryan C. Fattman**, Worcester & Norfolk; Ann M. Gobi, Worcester, Hampden, Hampshire & Middlesex; Matthew T. Kelly, Norfolk Bristol & Middlesex; Susan Moran**, Plymouth & Barnstable; John F. Keenan**, Norfolk & Plymouth.

There’s also a contest for Norfolk County Sheriff. We are actively supporting the incumbent, Jerry McDermott.

Ballot questions : we have already written in OPPOSITION to Question 2, which would drastically alter our State’s one person, one vote system. Vote NO on Question 2.

Around the country : Senate elections are taking place in 34 seats. Although we do not vote in any of the 33 States other than ours, in which there is a nominal contest, we do have an opinion — an outsider’s view, but we are free to express it.

Here, in Massachusetts, we voted for Kevin M. O’Connor. In Maine, we would vote for Susan Collins. In North Carolina, for a challenger, Cal Cunningham. In South Carolina, we support Lindsey Graham — a controversial choice, perhaps, but that’s how we see it. In Texas, it’s John Cornyn. In Colorado, Jim Hickenlooper, the challenger. Oregon voters ought support Jeff Merkley. In Arizona, we like challenger Mark Kelly. In Nebraska, it’s re-election for Ben Sasse. In Michigan, we go with challenger John James. In Alabama, please re-elect Doug Jones. In Montana, we prefer challenger Steve Bullock. In Alaska, vote for challenger Alex Gross. In Kansas’s open seat, we hope that Barbara Bollier wins. In Iowa, the challenger Theresa Greenfield looks good to us. In New Hampshire, we’d stick with Jean Shaheen. In Mississippi, with Cindy Hyde-Smith. In Idaho, we like long-shot challenger Paula Jordan. Lastly, we’d vote Mitch McConnell in Kentucky despite many bones to pick.

Georgia has both Senate seats are on offer. In the special election, we favor unjustly maligned Kelly Loeffler. In the other seat, we vastly prefer Jon Ossoff.

That’s nine Republican choices and eleven Democrats. This is how we roll.

As for the Presidency, we hope that when Joe Biden takes the oath of office next January 20th, that American governance will recapture its sense of purpose, its practical integrity, its readiness to “return to regular order and get stuff done,’ as the late John McCain put it. Put the division behind us, the anger, the vulgarity, the bigotry, the grievance and the selfishness, the corruption and the toadying to Russia and other fascist bullies. Embrace our allies. Promote democracy around the world. Give no comfort to those who abuse their own people.

Raise the Federal minimum wage; enact a large and long-lasting Covid relief bill. Reform our broken voting rights enforcements and our prejudicial immigration scandal. Revise the ACA to add a public option. Dedicate to infrastructure repair. Forgive a portion of student debts outstanding, perhaps by having universities pick up the slack. Enact an Women’s Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution. Appoint a Justiice to the Supreme Court who IS NOT an Originalist — we have more than enough of those.

It’s a very very tall order, this to-do list, but if even two-thirds of it gets done, America will prosper and our citizens will be grateful and relieved.

—- Mike Freedberg / Here and Sphere