Juan is the progressive choice for the voters in the 19th Suffolk.
Continue readingOur Endorsement for the 19th Suffolk Special: Juan Jaramillo
PM in the News: A Boston Changed
The work of Progressive Mass chapters in Boston was highlighted in the Bay State Banner article by Yawu Miller, “Mayoral race will take place in a changed city.”
While activists have for decades been organizing to increase turnout in the city’s Black, Latino and Asian communities, in recent years chapters of Progressive Massachusetts in Jamaica Plain, Downtown Boston, West Roxbury and Roslindale have been doing the same. During the 2018 electoral year, the groups rallied behind Rollins and Pressley, likely helping to drive turnout in their areas.
PM in the News: Two Letters in the Globe
Two PM board members recently had letters to the editor published in the Boston Globe.
Jonathan Cohn, “Mass. should move on Safe Communities Act before session ends,” 12/28/20:
The Globe editorial board is spot-on with its call for ending Bristol County’s 287(g) contract with the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement in light of Sheriff Thomas Hodgson’s latest abuses of power (“Time’s up, Sheriff Hodgson,” Dec. 21). Massachusetts is the only state in New England where such contracts exist. Fortunately, we don’t have to wait until the new presidential administration to end them.
A bill called the Safe Communities Act, filed in the Legislature by Representatives Ruth Balser and Liz Miranda and Senator Jamie Eldridge, would end such contracts with ICE and take additional steps to make sure that the rights of our immigrant communities are respected. It was reported out of committee in July, and it deserves a vote before the session runs out.
If we don’t take action soon, Massachusetts will have gone the four years of the Trump administration without passing any new legislation to strengthen the rights of immigrants in our Commonwealth, a sorry reflection of the politics in our so-called deep blue state.
And Mohammed Missouri responded to a misguided column by Globe opinion columnist Joan Venocchi:
The 15th Suffolk state representative race was the most hotly contested legislative primary of 2018 (and the most expensive). Voters in the district looked to the State House to find a bold response to the chaos and daily horror show of the Trump administration. They were hoping for bold action to protect immigrants’ rights, ensure a livable planet, and invest in community needs. But despite the high rank of their state representative, Jeffrey Sánchez, they didn’t find that leadership. So they voted him out, as we do in a democracy.
It’s easy to blame progressive activists for any disappointing outcome, as Joan Vennocchi does in her column “With Speaker Mariano, progressives get what they deserve” (Opinion, Dec. 29). But she ignores that Ways and Means chairman Sánchez was himself supporting majority leader Ron Mariano for speaker, and many of Mariano’s supporters pledged to him more than a decade ago (“Long the House’s consummate insider, Ronald Mariano poised to finally lead it,” Page A1, Dec. 27). An alternative outcome, unfortunately, wasn’t in the cards.
Many politicos believe that Mariano’s tenure will be short before he passes it on to someone else. Rather than relitigating old fights, I hope to help build support for a progressive speaker. I invite Joan Vennochi to join me.
Vote Yes on Question 1, Yes on Question 2
Election Day is just twelve days away. Can you believe it?
On your ballot statewide here in Massachusetts, you’ll see two ballot questions.
YES on Question 1: Right to Repair 🚙🚙
In 2012, Massachusetts voted for a Right to Repair ballot initiative that required automobile manufacturers to provide non-proprietary diagnostic information as well as safety information directly to consumers so that they can choose who repairs their car (rather than being dependent on the manufacturer itself). Technology has advanced in the past eight years, and Question 1 updates the legislative compromise that resulted from the 2012 ballot initiative accordingly. Curbing monopoly power and protecting consumers is a win for all of us.
YES on Question 2: Ranked Choice Voting 🗳🗳
Our first-past-the-post system forces ordinary voters to weigh whether they can vote for their preferred candidate or whether doing so would lead to a “spoiler effect” that gives a candidate they like less a clearer path to victory. This same dynamic can lead candidates and their supporters to try to force similar candidates out of a race due to a fear of “vote splitting.”
Within the current system, the ultimate winner may command less than a majority support, a contradiction of a basic tenet of democracy and a far too common occurrence in Massachusetts elections. We have some of the least competitive elections in the country, and candidates can win with small pluralities and then stay in office for decades. Ranked Choice Voting would eliminate these problems by enabling voters to rank the order of their preferences on the ballot and ensuring that whoever wins does so with majority support.
📢Find opportunities to volunteer with Yes on 2 here. 📢
📢Join Ayanna Pressley for a phone bank for Yes on 2 next Monday at 5:30 pm. 📢
Climate & Democracy Ballot Questions
Some state representative districts across the commonwealth will see non-binding advisory ballot questions. We are supporting a YES on two of them in particular.
YES on 100% Renewable Energy ☀️☀️
Question: Shall the representative for this district be instructed to vote in favor of legislation that would require Massachusetts to achieve 100% renewable energy use within the next two decades, starting immediately and making significant progress within the first five years while protecting impacted workers and businesses?
YES on Transparent Government 🗳🗳
Question: Shall the representative for this district be instructed to vote in favor of changes to the Legislature’s rules that would make the results of all votes in Legislative committees publicly available on the Legislature’s website?
It’s simple: if we want a livable planet, we need to rapidly transition away from fossil fuels. And our legislators represent us, so we should be able to know how they are voting.
Find out what’s on your ballot here.
2020 Primary Election Debrief
Tuesday’s primary broke records, with more than 1.5 million people casting ballots. By contrast, fewer than 1 million people voted in the 2018 state primaries.
What accounts for the difference? A hotly contested Senate race drove turnout for sure. But a major driver was the expansion of vote-by-mail and early voting, which alerted more people to the fact that an election was even happening and made it easier for them to participate. As the next legislative session nears, it will be important to make these reforms not just a pandemic-induced one-off but a part of how we do elections in Massachusetts.
Another major winner on Tuesday?
Senator Ed Markey. Markey’s campaign was able to clearly communicate his history of delivering for Massachusetts and leading on progressive policy (especially on climate action), and he was able to combine support from party regulars with energized youth activists who combined a spirited online presence with a commitment to organizing and mobilizing voters of all ages. When Congressman Joe Kennedy first announced, early polls showed him leading: on Tuesday, Markey won 55.4% to 44.6%, a double-digit win. Kudos to all involved.
While high turnout should always be celebrated, it may have made an uphill battle even steeper for Congressional primary challengers, as countless voters may have cast their ballots before the challengers’ had the chance to make contact with them (or may have never even been in an expected voter universe). Despite this and the myriad of challenges posed by COVID, Holyoke mayor
Alex Morse was able to pull 41.2% of the vote against Congressman Richard Neal, and physician Robbie Goldstein 33.3% of the vote against Congressman Stephen Lynch. We’re excited for their political futures and hope that Neal and Lynch realize that they’re on watch.
So How about the State Senate?
In the Springfield-based Hampden district, progressive Springfield City Councilor Adam Gomez defeated centrist incumbent Jim Welch 52.5% – 47.5%, adding another progressive voice to the MA Senate and increasing the size of the Senate Black & Latino Caucus.
Disappointingly, over in the southern suburbs and exurbs of Boston, progressive challenger Jarred Rose lost to conservative incumbent Walter Timilty 68.1% to 31.9%. A clear sign of the turnout jump from this year? Jarred Rose got 11,637 votes; in 2018’s uncontested race, Timilty got just 1,000 more total votes than that. More than twice as many ballots were cast as were in the contested open race for this seat in 2016.
So How about the State House?
Three of our endorsees —Steve Owens, Orlando Ramos, and Erika Uyterhoeven — won in their open primaries to replace Representatives Jon Hecht, Joe Tosado, and Denise Provost, respectively. All three had strong voter outreach operations and clear messages.
Other candidates — whether running in open seats or against incumbents — were not so lucky, although some came extremely close. Given challenges they faced — the inability to run as aggressive of a field operation due to the pandemic, huge spikes in turnout learned about too late to adjust, and a wave of outside spending from allies of Charlie Baker and Bob DeLeo –they all did respectably, and we look forward to what comes next for all of them. They were fighting for progressive policy change before they started running, and we know they will continue to do so — and have inspired more people to join because of their campaigns.
Orlando Ramos (9th Hampden): WON 47.0% – 39.1% Hurst – 14.0% Mullan [Won by 552 votes]
Marianela Rivera (17th Essex): LOST 64.4% – 35.5%
Lisa Arnold (17th Middlesex): LOST — 43.8% Howard (WON) – 32.1% Nangle (incumbent) – 24.1% Arnold
Erika Uyerhoeven (27th Middlesex): WON — Uyterhoeven 62% – Sharp 38%
Steve Owens (29th Middlesex): WON — Owens 59.65% – Sideris 22.95% – Ciccarelli 17.4%
Andrew Flowers (8th Norfolk): LOST — Philips 51.7% – Flowers 48.3% [lost by 342 votes]
Damali Vidot (2nd Suffolk): LOST — Ryan 57.6% – Vidot 42.4%
Gretchen Van Ness (14th Suffolk): LOST — Consalvo 53.4% – GVN 32.1% – Duckens 14.5%
Joe Gravellese (16th Suffolk): LOST — Giannino 61.45% – Gravellese 38.55%
Jordan Meehan (17th Suffolk): LOST 54.2% Honan – 45.8% Meehan [lost by 662 votes]
Ceylan Rowe (12th Worcester): LOST — Kilcoyne 51.4% – Rowe 28.2% – Turner 20.2%
Boston Globe: “Ed Markey Beats Joe Kennedy”
Victoria McGrane’s write-up of the MA Senate primary included a quote from Progressive Mass Issues Commmittee chair Jonathan Cohn:
Markey also benefited from the frustrated energy of young progressives who watched their chosen candidates, Sanders and Warren, lose the presidential primary this spring. The Markeyverse, as his young online backers call themselves, started taking off in early March, as the primaries ended and the pandemic shutdown began.
“Ed Markey became their cause,” said Jonathan Cohn, chairman of Progressive Massachusetts’ issues committee.
Vote for Ed Markey and Downballot Progressives!
ou may have already voted, but we’re sure that even if you have, you still know people who haven’t yet.
TOMORROW — Tuesday, September 1st — is the last day to cast your ballot for the primary.
Polls will be open from 7 am to 8 pm. Find your polling location at wheredoivotema.com. (Note: Some polling locations have changed, so make sure to double check.)
If you still have your mail-in ballot, the best thing to do would be to drop your ballot off at the secure dropbox in your city/town. You need to do so by 8 pm tomorrow (the earlier, the better). You can find dropbox locations here. You cannot drop your mail-in ballot at a polling location tomorrow instead, but you can still vote in-person if you have not submitted your mail-in ballot.
Check if your mail-in ballot has been processed here. If it has not been, you can still vote in-person.
If you have any issues casting a ballot, or see clear issues like long lines or closed polling places, call the Election Protection Hotline: 1-866-OUR-VOTE.
WHOM TO VOTE FOR
You can find a complete list of our 2020 endorsements below. Scroll down to find links to the full sets of questionnaires that we received, including for races in which we did not yet choose to endorse. We make all of the questionnaires we receive available to the public as a service to you, the voters.
NB: There are some races that are contested in the general (but not the primary) in which we haven’t endorsed. Stay tuned for more!
Congress
US Senate: Ed Markey
Read our endorsement announcement of Ed Markey here.
MA-01: Alex Morse
MA-08: Robbie Goldstein
Read our endorsement announcement of Alex Morse and Robbie Goldstein here.
MA Legislature
MA Senate
Adam Gomez, Hampden
Becca Rausch, Norfolk, Bristol & Middlesex
Jarred Rose, Norfolk, Bristol & Plymouth
Meg Wheeler, Plymouth & Norfolk
MA House
Amber Hewett, 1st Essex
Christina Eckert, 2nd Essex
Orlando Ramos, 9th Hampden
Marianela Rivera, 17th Essex
Lisa Arnold, 17th Middlesex
Erika Uyterhoeven, 27th Middlesex
Steve Owens, 29th Middlesex
Andrew Flowers, 8th Norfolk
Damali Vidot, 2nd Suffolk
Gretchen Van Ness, 14th Suffolk
Joe Gravellese, 16th Suffolk
Jordan Meehan, 17th Suffolk
Ceylan Rowe, 12th Worcester
Governor’s Council
District 6: Helina Fontes
District 7: Paul DePalo
Sheriff (Special)
Norfolk County: Bill Phelan
Click below for C
Vox: “It’s been a weird campaign”
Progressive Mass Elections Committee chair Jonathan Cohn was quoted in Li Zhou’s write-up of the MA Senate primary for Vox:
“On a number of issues, I would expect Markey to vote against a poorly negotiated bipartisan deal. Especially on climate and technology, I expect him to be introducing the new policy and moving the ball forward,” said Jonathan Cohn, of Progressive Massachusetts, who said he saw Kennedy as less likely to be making the same advancements.
…..
Ultimately, this lack of awareness is something the Markey campaign capitalized on to reestablish his image, Cohn said.
“Starting out with lower name recognition can be a blessing and a curse for a candidate,” he told Vox. “It allows them to craft what they want the narrative to be. They’ve had a very strong digital team, people who are either with Bernie or Warren in the primary, boosting the narrative about him.”
HuffPost & The Intercept Report on MA-08
Progressive Mass Elections Committee chair Jonathan Cohn was quoted in two recent articles in the MA-08 primary between Congresswoman Stephen Lynch and Dr. Robbie Goldstein.
“Boston Doctor Aims To Unseat Longtime Democrat Who Voted Against Obamacare” — Tara Golshan, HuffPost (8/24/20)
The Goldstein race “has the potential to be one of those sleeper races,” said Jonathan Cohn, with Progressive Massachusetts, a statewide advocacy group. “[Lynch] doesn’t have a strong presence. He’s not particularly outspoken on much of anything. I think there is fertile ground to not do as well as people expect.”
“Progressive Boston Doctor Seeks to Unseat “Do-Nothing Moderate Democrat” in Congress” — Rachel Cohen, The Intercept (8/16/20)
“I don’t think [Lynch] is as conservative as Lipinski, but I do think the thing that sticks with people here is him having voted against the Affordable Care Act, given how much activism there was around that,” said Jonathan Cohn, a leader with Progressive Massachusetts, a statewide advocacy group. “People remember that.”
The Primary Is Just Over Half Weeks Away. Here Are Some New Endorsements.
The Massachusetts primary is just over two weeks away. We’ve made some endorsements already this spring and summer, and we’re ready to announce a few more.
Do you have questions about voting safely this fall? Check out SafeElectionsMA.org.
MA Legislature
Adam Gomez for Hampden Senate District
Adam Gomez is the Vice President of the Springfield City Council, where he serves as chair of Economic Development, and holds positions on the committees for Casino Oversight, Finance, and Environment and Sustainability. Adam is running to build a community where everyone has a good-paying job they can get to, where everyone has a home in a safe and healthy neighborhood, and where everyone sends their children to a world-class school.
District: Parts of Chicopee, Springfield, and West Springfield
Learn more about Adam Gomez’s campaign here.
Orlando Ramos for 9th Hampden House District
Orlando Ramos is the chair of the Public Safety Committee of the Springfield City Council, where he has spearheaded the passage of one of the first ordinances to ban facial surveillance technology, and a member of United Brotherhood of Carpenters Local 336. He is running to continue the fight for police accountability and to ensure that cities like Springfield aren’t left behind, especially when it comes to equitable education funding.
District: Parts of Springfield and Chicopee
Learn more about Orlando Ramos’s campaign here.
Governor’s Council
The Massachusetts Governor’s Council is composed of eight individuals elected from districts, and the Lieutenant Governor who serves ex officio. The eight councillors are elected from their respective districts (consisting of five State Senate districts) every two years. The Council meets weekly to record advice and consent on warrants for the state treasury, pardons and commutations, and recording advice and consent to gubernatorial appointments such as judges, clerk-magistrates, public administrators, members of the Parole Board, Appellate Tax Board, Industrial Accident Board and Industrial Accident Reviewing Board, notaries, and justices of the peace.
Helina Fontes for Governor’s Council – District 6
Helina Fontes is a community organizer and an experienced human services and mental health program director. She is running to ensure that judges and parole board members are representative of the communities they serve, understand the unique challenges of those communities, and have demonstrated a personal commitment to jail and prison diversion, community integration, and racial justice.
Cities and Towns in District 6: Cambridge, Everett, Lynn, Lynnfield, Malden, Marblehead, Medford, Melrose, Nahant, Reading, Saugus, Somerville, Stoneham, Swampscott, Wakefield, Winchester + parts of Boston (East Boston, Charlestown, North End, West End, Downtown, Beacon Hill, and parts of the South End and Allston/Brighton)
State Senators’ Districts within D6: Brendan Crighton, Joe Boncore, Sal DiDomenico, Pat Jehlen, Jason Lewis
Learn more about Helina Fontes’s campaign here.
Paul DePalo for Governor’s Council – District 7
Paul DePalo is an attorney, former special education teacher, and member of the Worcester Planning Board. He’s running to ensure that the Parole Board has more mental health professionals and that Massachusetts judges protect women’s rights, workers’ rights, and civil rights for everyone in our inclusive Commonwealth.
Cities of District 7: Fitchburg, Gardner, Leominster, and Worcester; Towns of District 7: Ashburnham, Ashby, Athol, Auburn, Barre, Bellingham, Berlin, Blackstone, Bolton, Boylston, Brimfield, Brookfield, Charlton, Clinton, Douglas, Dudley, East Brookfield, Hardwick, Holden, Holland, Hopedale, Hubbardston, Lancaster, Leicester, Lunenburg, Mendon, Milford, Millbury, Millville, Monson, New Braintree, North Brookfield, Northborough (Pcts. 1, 2, 4), Northbridge, Palmer, Oakham, Oxford, Paxton, Petersham, Phillipston, Princeton, Rutland, Shrewsbury, Southbridge, Spencer, Sterling, Sturbridge, Sutton, Templeton, Townsend, Upton, Uxbridge, Wales, Ware, Warren, Webster, West Boylston, West Brookfield, Westminster, Winchendon
Learn more about Paul DePalo’s campaign here.
Sheriffs
Bill Phelan for Norfolk County Sheriff
Bill Phelan comes with the background of a former mentor for at-risk youth, former mayor, and current defense attorney. He is running to provide a continuum of services before, during, and after incarceration delivered with compassion and dignity in a safe environment and to foster a culture of racial equity and respect for all.