Excerpt from The Column
Lowell Sun, 5/11/08

You don’t need many lucky breaks in this state when you're running for office as a popular Democrat against a little-known Republican.

State Rep. Jamie Eldridge is on his way out of the House of Representatives, running to replace Sen. Pam Resor, who has decided to retire after this term. Eldridge's base is in Acton, Boxboro, Harvard and Shirley, and he is working to make himself known in other parts of the Senate district, including Marlboro.

A $100,000 gift isn't a bad way to introduce yourself.

Eldridge secured $25,000 for the Marlboro Community Development Corp. and $75,000 for Marlboro 2010 in next year's House budget -- and the city isn't even in his House district.

However, Marlboro is the most voter-rich community in the southern tier of Resor's Senate district.

Wait. Before you accuse Eldridge of trying to buy votes, the Acton Democrat said he simply filed the

budget amendments on behalf of former state Rep. Stephen LeDuc, a prospective primary opponent who instead decided to leave the Legislature for a state job in the courts.

But he chuckled, noting that it's not a bad way to break the ice with a new constituency.

Eldridge will not face a primary challenge in his Senate race, but will have to get through Marlboro's own Republican city councilor, Steven Levy, in the fall if he is to succeed his mentor in the upper chamber.