The primary in Massachusetts is just five weeks away, and voters will start casting their ballots soon (indeed, some already may have). And the general election is only 14 weeks away.

Amidst the many races on the ballot this year, we want to spotlight one that can be too often overlooked: District Attorney.

The office of the DA is critical to implementing criminal legal reform and ending the culture of mass incarceration. It has the power of oversight over the prosecutors and staff who handle cases, as well as having power regarding sentencing decisions which can alter people’s lives. We, as voters, can elect DAs who want to change the system, or ones who seek to entrench it.

That’s why we’re proud to endorse Ricardo Arroyo for Suffolk County DA and Rahsaan Hall for Plymouth County DA. Both received more than 98% of the vote in our recent member poll.

Ricardo Arroyo for Suffolk County DA

Ricardo brings strong first-hand knowledge to the DA’s office from his role as a public defender and as city councilor. As a public defender, he worked to help stabilize and connect people to the resources necessary to give them a chance to break cycles of inequity. As a councilor, he sponsored and passed ordinances to ban the use of facial surveillance technology by the Boston Police Department, increase oversight of surveillance acquisition, create the Office for Police Accountability and Transparency, limit the use of rubber-covered bullets and tear gas by BPD, and declare racism a public health crisis. He is running to continue the reform work of DA Rachael Rollins in ensuring that we are not criminalizing poverty, addiction, and mental illness and approaching the work with a systems perspective and a rigorous commitment to data.

Here’s what some of our members said about Ricardo:

“Having a former public defender as district attorney will speak volumes about as well as actualize Suffolk County’s purported commitment to criminal justice. Ricardo Arroyo has been an excellent Boston City Councillor and it will benefit us all to see him continue this work as DA. “

“Ricardo Arroyo’s vision and plans would be transformative for Suffolk County, advancing the culture of the DA’s Office toward community justice. I’m especially impressed with his plans for mental health and ‘crimmigration’ departments, and his policy and training plans to make the reforms sustainable.”

“We need a person in the DAs office who will prioritize anti-racist work to ensure our criminal legal system advances justice and does not perpetuate racist norms.”

Learn more about Ricardo at https://votearroyo.com/.

Rahsaan Hall for Plymouth County DA

Rahsaan brings an wealth of experience to the DA’s office including his work as an Assistant DA in Suffolk County where he worked intensively with community stakeholders on developing a coordinated public safety agenda. He also worked to advance criminal legal reform and racial equity at Lawyers for Civil Rights and ACLU Massachusetts. Rahsaan led the ACLU’s “What a Difference a DA Makes” public education campaign, where he engaged with residents and community groups on how the DA’s offices can address injustices and use harm reduction approaches to provide true public safety by addressing people’s underlying needs. He is a national leader in understanding what power lies within the DA’s office and how to make the office a force for reform and a holistic vision of public safety.

Here’s what some of our members said about Rahsaan:

“Rahsaan has done an incredible job as the director of ACLU Mass’s racial justice program. What a truly special experience it would be for Plymouth County to see him continue that work as district attorney!”

“Rahsaan Hall has been a state and national leader on legal system reforms that prioritize justice and community safety. Plymouth County needs his vision, experience, and skills!”

“Rahsaan’s work with the ACLU and as an ADA shows his deep commitment to justice.”

Learn more about Rahsaan at https://www.hall4da.com/.

The Massachusetts state primary is now less than 7 weeks away: Tuesday, September 6. And the general election is less than 16 weeks away: Tuesday, November 8.

With those dates rapidly approaching, we are proud to release our second group of legislative endorsements for this cycle.

Curious about our process? 

• You can find all of the comprehensive questionnaires we have received from candidates this cycle so far here and here.
• We encourage our chapters to vote on endorsements first so that we can align and amplify their work.
• As we believe in the importance of small “d” democracy, all of our endorsements get voted on by our members, and candidates must receive at least 60% of the vote for an endorsement.
• This list will be growing soon! We are planning to release more endorsements in the coming weeks, so stay tuned.

But now the endorsees….

7th Essex: Manny Cruz

Manny Cruz is a member of the School Committee in Salem and brings an impressive background in public service. He was formerly the Chair of the Governor’s State Wide Youth Council and a legislative staffers to both Representative Matias. He is currently the Advocacy Director at Latinos for Education, through which he created the Educator Diversity Coalition and helped found the MA Alliance for Early College. He has been a strong advocate for the environment, public education, and reproductive justice, and he has been endorsed by our new Salem chapter.

Where’s the District? Salem

Learn More: https://www.mannycruz.org/

6th Middlesex: Margareth Shepard

Margareth Shepard is a former Framingham City Councilor and was the first Brazilian immigrant elected to a City Council in the US, and she has been endorsed by our Framingham chapter. She has served as a member of the MetroWest Commission on the Status of Women, Chair of the Massachusetts Brazilian Citizens Council, secretary of the Brazilian American Center, and board member of the Brazilian Women’s Group, and she founded Brazilians for Political Education to increase voter registration and civic engagement. In these roles, and in her role as a Councilor, she was a major advocate for the Work & Family Mobility Act and a reliable ally for progressives in Framingham.

Where’s the District? Framingham (Precincts 1-8, 9B, 10-16)

Learn More: https://www.margarethforstaterep.com/

9th Middlesex: Heather May

Heather May is an educator at Emerson College, teaching classes in public speaking, debate, mental health, and healthcare policy as well as a community activist in Waltham. Having been active in the push to unionize the non-tenured faculty at Emerson, she understands the value of organizing (something the House certainly needs), and she is running on strong progressive policies and the need for systemic change in the MA House. She is challenging an incumbent with a record of voting in lockstep with the Speaker, if not worse (given the incumbent’s opposition to the 2020 police reform bill).

Where’s the District? Waltham (Ward 1 Precincts 1, 2; Ward 2; Ward 3 Precincts 1, 2; Ward 4 Precinct 1; Ward 5 Precinct 2; Ward 6 Precincts 1, 2A; Ward 7; Ward 8 Precincts 1, 2A)

Learn More: https://www.heatherforwaltham.com/

16th Middlesex: Zoe Dzineku

Zoe Dzineku brings the experiences as an immigrant, a small business owner, a single mother, and a community organizer. As Chair of the Lowell Election Commission, she successfully fought back the City’s attempt to reduce the number of polling locations in the first election with newly drawn Council districts. She has been involved in community organizing with the African community in the Merrimack Valley and with the Merrimack Valley Project, fighting for racial and economic justice. She has channeled that work in her role as a well-regarded Director of Constituent Services in the State Senate. Solidarity Lowell endorsed her, and we are proud to as well.

Where’s the District? Chelmsford (Precincts 1, 2, 3A, 5B, 6); Lowell (Ward 1 Precincts 1-4, Ward 2, Ward 4 Precinct 4)

Learn More: https://www.govotezoe.com

18th Middlesex: Tara Hong

Tara Hong is a Cambodian immigrant and a community activist in Lowell. He is the Civic Engagement Coordinator at the Cambodian Mutual Assistance Association, where he has worked on voter education and community empowerment. He serves on the board of the Lowell Litter Krewe and Mill City Grows, making sure Lowell is a more sustainable and equitable city. He is running on a strong progressive platform, rooted in transparency, affordable housing, and bold climate action, and he is challenging an incumbent who has voted lockstep with the Speaker (if not worse, given the incumbent’s votes against police reform). Solidarity Lowell endorsed him, and we are proud to as well.

Where’s the District? Lowell (Ward 1 Precinct 1A; Ward 4 Precincts 3, 4A; Ward 5 Precinct 1A; Ward 6 Precincts 1, 2, 3A, 4; Ward 7 Precincts 1-4; Ward 8 Precincts 1-4)

Learn More: https://www.tarahong.com/

22nd Middlesex: Teresa English

Teresa English is a public school teacher in Lawrence with a lifelong commitment to public service. She is running to fight for increased aid for public schools, bold climate action, stronger worker protections, and a Massachusetts where people can afford to live at any stage of their life. She understands the importance of investing in the future of the Commonwealth and ensuring that government is accessible to the public. She is challenging a Republican incumbent who has one of the most conservative records in the entire State House. Solidarity Lowell endorsed her, and we are proud to as well.

Where’s the District? Billerica

Learn More: https://www.voteteresaenglish.org/

6th Norfolk: Tamisha Civil

Tamisha Civil combines a history of community involvement and strong progressive values. She has been a legal advocate for women and children impacted by domestic violence, a Commissioner for the Eastern Regional Commission on the Status of Women, a committee member for the Diversity and Inclusion for the Massachusetts Trial Court, a volunteer of the Stoughton’s Energy & Sustainability Committee, and a board member of Canton Residents for Sustainable Equitable Future (CR4SEF). She is running against a conservative Democratic incumbent who has opposed the Fair Share Amendment as well as police reform legislation.

Where’s the District? Avon, Canton, Stoughton

Learn More: https://www.tamishacivil.com/

15th Norfolk: Raul Fernandez

Raul Fernandez has been an impressive local leader in the fight for more progressive municipal government, expanding the vision of what’s possible. As a member of the Select Board in Brookline, he chaired the Task Force to Reimagine Policing in Brookline, leading a community process to imagine a crisis response system that puts mental health and well-being first. At Boston University, where he is a lecturer, he co-developed the course “Identity, Inclusion & Social Action,” which helps students to examine systems of oppression and identify opportunities to work toward social justice, and he is a Board Member of the Racial Imbalance Advisory Council at the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Through both lived and professional experience, Raul understands the urgency of action on the many crises the Commonwealth faces and the need for systemic change to address them.

Where’s the District? Brookline (Precincts 1-4, 5A, 6-12, 17)

Learn More: https://www.raulforrep.com/

Anthony Brooks, “Sonia Chang-Díaz is the Democratic underdog in the Mass. governor’s race, but she’s overcome long odds before,” WBUR, June 23, 2022.

Some other progressives agree, including Jonathan Cohn, policy director for Progressive Massachusetts, which endorsed Chang-Díaz.

“She’s been a leader on a number of the marquee progressive victories in recent sessions — where she’s been somebody who really did go to bat for those issues,” he said.

Cohn said Chang-Díaz has led on education, transgender rights, criminal justice reform and police accountability. And unlike Maura Healey, he points out that Chang-Díaz supports other big progressive goals, including single-payer health care and debt-free public college.

Lisa Kashinsky, “Maura Healey’s Democratic rival drops out of Massachusetts governor race,” Politico, June 23, 2022.

And with a growing air of inevitability around Healey’s ascension to the governor’s office, Democratic activists are now starting to look ahead to January. Jonathan Cohn, policy director for Progressive Massachusetts, which had endorsed Chang-Díaz, said now is the time for activists and progressive groups to begin having conversations about early priorities for a progressive Democratic governor and a Democratic supermajority Legislature that skews more moderate.

“It’s not clear what are the first things a governor Healey wants to do, or wants the Legislature to do,” Cohn said. “There need to be discussions among groups about what can be pushed early on in her term, both when it comes to executive actions and what having a Democratic governor means for shaping what action looks like in the Legislature.”

Sonia Chang-Díaz has been a proactive, prolific, and progressive state legislator and an ally to movement organizers, which is why our members overwhelmingly voted to endorse her earlier this year. We are disappointed to see that she will not be continuing her campaign for Governor. Throughout her campaign, she has emphasized the need for bold action on ending racial disparities, combating climate change, and investing in our future as a Commonwealth, and we know that she will continue to do so. — Jonathan Cohn, Policy Director of Progressive Massachusetts