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John W. Olver
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"Make no assumptions"
U.S. Rep. John W. Olver says that a potential Democratic opponent in 2012 is "making assumptions" when there may be no basis for such assumptions.
Olver didn't say it, but it seems that former state Sen. Andrea Nuciforo, a Pittsfield Democrat, is assuming that Olver will not be running for re-election in 2012. Nuciforo, now a register of deeds in a Berkshire County district, last month said he would be running for Congress in 2012 in the 1st congressional district.
Olver said he will be a candidate for re-election next year, but he said he never comments beyond the immediate next election.
One thing is for sure: Olver and Nuciforo have made no bargains regarding 2012. "There is no deal, none whatsoever," Olver told the editorial board of The Republican.
Olver's sprawling congressional district touches the borders of four other states, including Connecticut, New York, Vermont and New Hampshire. A big advantage for Olver is that the size of the district makes it difficult for a challenger to create a base to run against an entrenched incumbent.
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Source: "Talk about twittering!" (Posted by The Republican, Categories: Cries & Whispers, August 17, 2009) -
http://blog.masslive.com/criesandwhispers/2009/08/talk_about_twittering.html
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www.facebook.com/andrea.nuciforo
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"Unkind census"
The Berkshire Eagle, Editorials, Monday, August 17, 2009
Barring the discovery of a lost civilization in the hills of Savoy or Sandisfield, Massachusetts is almost assuredly going to lose a seat in the U.S. House after next year's census. Should the state Legislature look west when it comes time to redistrict, as seems probable, that will affect the Berkshires' status and perhaps the identity of its representative.
Massachusetts' population has grown by just 2.3 percent since the last census compared to 8 percent nationally as the country's populace continues its shift to the south and west. Kimball Brace of the political consulting firm Election Data Services told The Boston Globe that Massachusetts lost a congressional seat in all five of the scenarios it did in anticipation of the 2010 census. That would leave Massachusetts, which had 16 seats in the House as of 1930, with nine seats following its first loss of a seat since 1990.
In redistricting in anticipation of the 2012 elections, the eastern-oriented Legislature is sure to look long and hard at the sparsely populated western region of the state. The political pull of the 10 representatives will be a major factor in redistricting, and the state currently has 10 veteran Democrats whose seniority became significantly more important to the state when the Democrats took control of the House in 2006. A newcomer on the national scene could, however, be holding the First District congressional seat after the elections of November 2012.
Representative John Olver of Amherst has served the district since 1991 and has gained influence on issues such as finance and transportation. He is planning on running for re-election in 2010, but told The Eagle last week that he hasn't thought as far ahead as 2012. Mr. Olver said he has struck no deal with former state senator and current Central Berkshire Register of Deeds Andrea F. Nuciforo Jr., who plans to run for Congress in 2012, in which he would step aside after one more term. Mr. Olver observed that he has run against primary challengers before, most recently in 2008. Mr. Nuciforo, however, would pose the biggest challenge he has faced from a fellow Democrat, should it come to that. It would serve the interests of the district if Mr. Olver kept the Legislature guessing about his intentions.
The mammoth First District, which currently includes towns in Central Massachusetts along the New Hampshire border as well as South Berkshire towns bordering Connecticut, could be merged with the Second District now served by Springfield's Richard Neal. If that happened, the Berkshires would see precious little of a congressman whose turf would comprise more than half the state.
Secretary of State William Galvin promises to conduct an aggressive census outreach to help the state not only keep its 10 seats but access to its current share of federal funds, which depends to a degree on population. We wish him all the best.
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www.topix.net/forum/source/berkshire-eagle/T3GURPEBJS0DGH9B2
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"U.S. Rep. Olver stepping down after this term"
Berkshire Eagle - October 26, 2011
PITTSFIELD -- Congressmen John W. Olver, one of the most liberal members of the U.S. House, announced today he's stepping down at the end of his term.
In a short statement, the 75-year-old Democrat from Amherst said he had reconsidered his decision to seek another term in 2012 because "over the past six months, circumstances within my family have substantially changed."
Olver's 1st Congressional District's viability has also been in doubt under congressional redistricting as Massachusetts goes from 10 to nine House members for the 2012 election. The 1st Congressional District includes mostly rural Western Massachusetts including the Berkshires.
"Since 1991, I have had the privilege and great honor of representing the people of the 1st District of Massachusetts in the U.S. House of Representatives," Olver said in his statement. "The district has grown much larger from the district as it was in 1991, and these 20 years have been tumultuous years for America."
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