Michael Rush had a tremendous story to tell. In what may go down as one of the most baffling cases of political self-sabotage in recent memory, the longtime state senator chose not to tell it. Instead, he opted to silence himself, and in doing so sealed his fate in the Sept. 1 Democratic primary.

Rush’s story should still be sharp in voters’ memories, because it literally just came to a head. Six years ago, Norwood Hospital was shuttered after a devastating flood. In the years since, the hospital’s owner – the for-profit Steward Health Care – went bankrupt and transferred the property to the for-profit, publicly-traded Medical Properties Trust (MPT). Today, all that stands on the site are a parking garage and the shell of a structure that will hopefully become a hospital someday soon. That “someday soon” appears to be much closer now thanks in large part to Rush. This year he led the effort in the State Senate to pass legislation authorizing the state to seize the Norwood Hospital property by eminent domain (Norwood resident and state Rep. John Rogers led the effort in the House of Representatives).

Though the legislature dragged its feet, the bill recently prevailed. On Aug. 7, Gov. Maura Healey signed the bill authorizing the Massachusetts Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance (DCAMM) to take the Norwood Hospital property by eminent domain if MPT does not come to an agreement with an operator by Nov. 1. On Aug. 27 – less than a week before the primary election – the governor came to Norwood for a ceremonial signing of the bill with a smiling Rush standing over her left shoulder.

Rush had every reason to smile. His effort paid off, and the result within a few years’ time will hopefully be an operating hospital in Norwood, along with the well-paying jobs and economic boost that should come along with it. It was a tremendous victory for Norwood, as well as for the surrounding communities who will count on the hospital for care, and who are represented in the Senate by Rush.

When it comes to politics, I can think of no better “working for the people” tale than this one. But Rush opted not to tell it. In fact, he opted to speak to voters barely at all. In a political sense, it gave him something in common with Steward Health Care – malpractice. At first, Rush refused to debate his challenger, Persis Yu. He eventually agreed to a single debate at an Aug. 27 candidate forum organized by the Dedham and Westwood Democratic Committees but bailed at the last minute to present a novelty check at a photo op in Walpole instead.

Perhaps Rush believed he would help his re-election chances by denying his challenger the opportunity to make her case to voters in a head-to-head debate. Or maybe Rush was just a little rusty at campaigning. After all, he hadn’t faced a challenger in either a primary or general election since 2012, meaning his election cycles and campaigns were a mere formality for well over a decade. Whatever his reasoning, by refusing to show up to debate his competitor, Rush denied himself a chance to explain to voters how hard he has been working for them—for instance, by saving a hospital. Here in Norwood, people know about that; perhaps that’s why Rush received more than 800 more votes than Yu here; but beyond the town line Yu had the advantage and ultimately defeated Rush by 546 votes (15,404-14,858).

I don’t believe the outcome had much to do with a progressive shift: it had everything to do with showing up. By ducking debates, Rush gave the appearance that he felt entitled to his senate seat, whether intended or not. He may not like that someone challenged him, and he might not agree with his opponent on some issues, but he had an obligation to the voters to make his case and then let them decide. Persis Yu doesn’t have all the answers and isn’t going to solve all the challenges facing the Commonwealth, but she has ideas and showed up repeatedly to make an argument. Rush chose photo ops and silence. His constituents heard that loud and clear, and voted accordingly.

Chris Wristen

Norwood

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