There is more open space than there was in 1990, partially because of the creation of nine parks.

Longtime Somerville residents say their mayor is popular because of his devotion to quality-of-life issues.

In 1997, Somerville allowed its residents to select their cable television company, after a long fight with the industry.

Tracing the Eighth

Capuano's odyssey from mayor to representative began in the first few months of 1998, when rumors of Kennedy's retirement began to permeate through Bay State Democratic circles. Party leaders informally floated the names of possible replacement candidates, and the popular Somerville mayor was among them along with two local politicians and a radio talk-show host.

Capuano says he called Kennedy and asked him a simple question, "how much travel time I'd have to spend away from my family."

"In 24 years of marriage," he explains, "I've spent at the most two weeks total sleeping away from my wife."

"My first step in the decision-making process is my family. And then the politics comes in."

His family gave their blessing, and Capuano began to assemble a campaign staff of volunteers including friends and local politicos.

He officially declared his candidacy in mid-May.

On March 14, Capuano held his first fundraiser-a dinner at a constituent's house in Somerville. At the time, he wasn't yet mentioned as a viable candidate by pundits.

The money was on State Senate President Thomas F. Birmingham '72 or State Senator Warren Tollman. There was even a hint that state treasurer Joseph D. Malone '78 would join the race.

"I've never been given anything in my life. I've never thought I would win, I just thought I could win," Capuano says of his mindset early on. "That's a big difference. Because anytime you get into a political race, you have to be ready and willing to accept the possibility that you will lose."

Slowly but surely, candidates trickled in.

Birmingham was out. Tollman ran for lieutenant governor on the Democratic ticket. Malone emphatically would not drop out of the Republican gubernatorial primary.