All elections are special, but some are more special than others.
And the voters in Revere and Winthrop have a special election coming up soon — in both senses of the word.
On December 28th of last year, former House Speaker Bob DeLeo announced his retirement. He could have chosen to make this long-rumored announcement months before, giving enough time for a regularly scheduled election to replace him. Instead, his late decision has triggered a special election for his Winthrop- and Revere-based district. The primary will be on March 2nd, and the general on March 30th.
But the election is special in another sense: it’s an opportunity to greatly improve the representation of the district and add a progressive champion to the State House.
Our Elections and Endorsements Committee solicited questionnaires from the candidates running and then invited our members to vote on whom Progressive Mass should endorse.
And the result was clear: with resounding support from our members, we are proud to endorse Juan Jaramillo for the 19th Suffolk special election.
Juan brings strong progressive values, State House experience, and an impressive background in community organizing. In his current role as a political coordinator at SEIU 32BJ, he has been organizing the workers who are on the frontlines of the COVID crisis. As a budget and legislative director in the MA Senate, he played a key role in passing strong protections for public-sector workers in the wake of the Supreme Court’s Janus ruling. And he has been active in progressive organizing in Revere not only as a former program director at Revere Youth in Action but in campaigns up and down the ballot.
Juan also has a compelling personal story, having emigrated with his parents from Colombia when he was young and working his way through college by cleaning ICU beds at Mass General Hospital. In a Legislature that is overwhelmingly white and overwhelmingly affluent, we need people who bring lived experience to their policymaking.
Replacing former House Speaker Bob DeLeo with a Latino labor organizer would send a powerful message to the State House.
Learn more about Juan at https://www.juanforrep.com/.
Here’s a sample of what we heard from our members:
“Juan is a powerful progressive candidate, with experience in the State House and organizing, background embedded in the disadvantaged Latino communities of Revere and Winthrop, and enthusiastic motivation to shift the legislature to better the lives of these and other disadvantaged populations in Mass.”
“I’ve worked with Juan and he’s a genuine progressive who is also a joy to be around! He will bring change to this district and hopefully the House as a whole.”
“Juan has been working at the grassroots level for progressive change in the 19th Suffolk District for many years. He has credibility in the local progressive community and strongly deserves the endorsement of Progressive Mass.”
“Having seen Juan in action at the State House and in his work with 32BJ, there’s no doubt in my mind that he’s the strongest candidate in the race and has the most potential to bring change on Beacon Hill.”
