For Democrat Carl Sciortino, the conversation with his dad could have been awkward.
In a creative minute-long ad that will start tomorrow for next month’s Massachusetts 5th District special election, the openly gay state representative talks about how he “came out” to his conservative father — but not in the way you might think.
“I’m Carl Sciortino, and I”ll never forget that conversation with my Dad,” says the younger Sciortino, “where I had to come out and tell him.”
“Wait for this,” says Carl Sciortino, Sr., kicking off a back-and-forth banter with his son.
“That I was a Massachusetts liberal,” says the younger Sciortino.
“And he’s proud of it!” his father exclaims.
“Dad’s in the Tea Party,” the Democratic lawmaker explains, which his father replies, “Damn right!”
The elder Sciortino goes on to explain how it was “bad enough” his son took on big banks and businesses on Beacon Hill, and even went on to write a “buffer zone” law that required protesters to be at least 35 feet away from abortion clinics — and admitted he’s actually “kind of proud” that’s it’s been challenged all the way to the Supreme Court.
The ad continues to talk up Sciortino Jr.’s progressive politics — which he’s been touting as he attempts to win an expected low-turnout five-way Oct. 15 Democratic primary to succeed now-Sen. Ed Markey. He’s been endorsed by Congressional Progressive co-chairs Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) and Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.), along with firebrand Rep. Alan Grayson (D-Fla.). But in the end, proving that blood is often thicker than politics, it looks like his dad is one of his biggest supporters. “He’s been like this for 35 years,” says his father, shaking his head. “It’s why i approve this message, and I still love you dad,” says Sciortino Jr., with his father warmly replying, “Me too, son.” Sciortino isn’t the first candidate in the race to employ a parent’s help. State Sen. Katherine Clark was first on the air earlier this week with an ad featuring her mother on women’s issues.
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