Republican candidate seeks to unseat Galvin

Oct. 22--Editor's note: This is another in a series of article profiling the candidates running in the Nov. 4 election.

Having grown up with a rare eye disease that has left him legally blind, Dave D'Arcangelo has faced his fair share of challenges in life.

But D'Arcangelo has never let his disability stop him from achieving his goals, and his next goal may be his hardest one yet: unseating Massachusetts Secretary of State William Galvin from the position he has held for nearly 20 years.

D'Arcangelo, the Republican candidate in this year's race for secretary of state, met with editorial boards of the North of Boston Media Group recently, where he discussed easier public records access and electronic voting -- just two topics centered around his vision for a modernized state office.

"Public service is in my blood," said D'Arcangelo, a twice-elected Malden city councilor at-large. "I've worked with Democrats and Republicans in my career and understand what it takes to be successful in this office."

A Suffolk University graduate, D'Arcangelo worked in the administrations of Gov. Deval Patrick and former Gov. Mitt Romney, served as a Boston city election officer and founded his own public relations firm, Arc Angel Communications. He believes his experience in both the public and private sectors gives him a different and fresh perspective on state government.

Citing the "antiquated and outdated" Public Records Laws and Regulations, D'Arcangelo says he will require records be posted on state websites for residents to easily access. He plans on enforcing rules for elected and appointed state officials to have their public records posted and updated in a timely manner.

D'Arcangelo has criticized Galvin for withholding certain records and looking out for government agencies, instead of the general public.

"Bill Galvin wants things both ways," D'Arcangelo said. "There needs to be a specific protocol in place for these offices to comply to. There needs to be more transparency in government."

D'Arcangelo has specific plans to revamp the election process in Massachusetts, from moving the primary election date to the beginning of June and removing the incumbency status from the election ballot, to allowing a reliable and secure system of electronic voting.

He also has plans to combat issues such as voter fraud, something residents of the Merrimack Valley know all too well. The city of Lawrence has come under fire in recent years for allegations of non-U.S. citizens registering to vote and participating in public elections, as well as citizens voting more than once.

"I would have had election officers around the city," D'Arcangelo said. "Bill Galvin did practically nothing to make these polling locations secure, which resulted in this happening. I'll make sure something like this doesn't happen again.

D'Arcangelo suffers from retinoschisis, a genetic eye disease in which a person's retina layers are abnormally split.

While his disability has prohibited him from performing certain tasks, such as driving a car, he believes it serves as an advantage as he attempts to defeat a longtime incumbent in the general election, which takes place on Nov. 4.

"I may be the only person with a disability on the statewide ballot, but that doesn't mean I can't do this job," D'Arcangelo said. "We have to get back to basics and start listening to people."

The candidate

Dave D'Arcangelo

Age: 43

Hometown: Malden

Experience: Malden city councilor, member of Massachusetts Commission for the Blind Rehabilitation Council

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