The Republican hopefuls running for state representative and senate stressed the need to make Massachusetts more business friendly and to cut spending by the Legislature, during a candidates night Monday, May 21, in Watertown.

Watertown's Steve Aylward, who is challenging Democrat-incumbent Will Brownsberger for the Second Suffolk and Middlesex State Senate seat, said he wants to stress the values of the Republican Party.

He is running for the Second Suffolk and Middlesex State Senate seat, which represents Watertown, Belmont and parts of Boston, including parts of Allston, Brighton, the Back Bay and the Fenway.

"I am proud of our message and we should push what we believe in," said Aylward who recently was elected Republican State Committee Man.

"I believe in financial issues, but I believe we should stay with and push the social issues, such as crime and abortion,"he said.

The Second Suffolk and Middlesex State Senate district includes Belmont, Watertown and parts of Boston, including parts of Allston, Brighton, the Back Bay and the Fenway.

Tomi Olson, a 20-year member the Belmont Town Meeting and chairwoman of the Town Republican Committee, said her experience as a wife, mother, financial adviser and an educator will help her serve in the Legislature.

"I know what it means to be held (financially) accountable quarterly, and to be accountable to regulators," said Olson, who is the lone Republican in the race for the 24th Middlesex House seat.

"In the same way I will be accountable for the way taxpayers' money is spent." she noted.

A number of Democrats and an unenrolled candidate are running for the seat covering Belmont, and parts of Arlington and Cambridge, which opened up when Brownsberger was elected to the State Senate.

Aylward, who helped organize the candidates night, hopes to give Brownsberger a tough race, but he said his candidacy has a dual purpose.

"We may not be able to win the seat, but it will get the message out and get people out to vote for candidates who have a real chance, like Scott Brown," Aylward said.

Belmont kids vote on superhero-ness

Kids at Belmont's Town Day got to vote for their favorite animated or live-action hero in an election conducted by the Belmont Democratic Town Committee.

The field of candidates included experienced contenders as well as newcomers such as Avatar Ang, Barbie, Dora the Explorer, Hello Kitty, Katniss, The Hulk, Pokeman, Spiderman, Superman, Thomas the Train, Thor, Winnie the Pooh and Wonder Woman.

Write-in candidates were also allowed. Each child was given a printed ballot that they put into the ballot box after voting. As a reward for voting, each child was given a prize of his or her choice.
 
By the end of the Town Day festivities, close to 180 ballots had been cast.

All listed candidates received at least one vote, with Katniss leading the field with 24 votes (13.6 percent), followed by Winnie the Pooh (19 votes, 10.7 percent) and Spiderman (15 votes, 8.5 percent).

Eighteen write-in candidates also received votes, with Sponge Bob Squarepants, Iron Man and Captain America leading the field with 3 votes each. Write-in candidates included Obama and “myself”.

While their children voted, their parents were able to take information about democrat candidates Barack Obama, Elizabeth Warren (U.S. Senate) and Will Brownsberger (State Senate), as well as speak with members of the Belmont Democratic Town Committee about the committee's function in Belmont.

Parents will have to wait until the State Primary on Thursday, Sept. 6 to have the opportunity to vote, and will not be given a prize for doing so.