Since the Nov. 8 election, local Democrats have trumpeted Mayor Timothy P. Murray’s so-called decisive victory. It seems that Mr. Murray’s council colleagues, or, more aptly named, his mutual admiration society, have been working very hard to keep him smiling, or at least to convince us he is smiling.

I have to break the bad news to the Worcester Democrats, especially Mr. Murray, regarding the election results. As Mr. Murray looks forward to running for lieutenant governor, the dark cloud of the recent election results looms over his head. Detailed analysis shows that Mr. Murray actually received less than 50 percent of the votes in the mayoral race. This percentage does include blank votes; that is, people who chose not to vote for any mayoral candidate.

The speculation that Mr. Murray will run for lieutenant governor in 2006, and, more presumptuously, the question of whether or not he will stay on as mayor if elected, needs to be put into perspective.

The conditions that Mr. Murray must satisfy before getting the opportunity to become lieutenant governor are a daunting challenge: He must first raise enough money and network himself to delegates at the Democratic convention, then to Democrat voters in the primary. And finally, as if Mr. Murray had control over this final condition, the Democrat gubernatorial nominee must be victorious on election night 2006. However, to capture successfully all three conditions in his favor, especially after such a rough showing in his own home city, seems unlikely.