Folks, the national scene is deservedly getting a lot of attention, and my eyes will be on the debate Monday. The presidential race and senate races, in particular, could not be more important this year. But down ballot races in Massachusetts also deserve your focus and support. In my districts, I’m lucky to have a fairly safe congresswoman, state senator, and state rep. While I will likely be spending some time in New Hampshire between now and November 8, yesterday I spent the afternoon with the incomparable Amanda Smith canvassing for freshman state rep Mike Day (Winchester and Stoneham, 31st Middlesex district), after a rousing sendoff by Congresswoman Katherine Clark.
Mike Day is a hard-working rep who is in the legislature for the right reasons and has made a positive impact in his first two years. He has a far right-wing opponent (though she does not present herself that way) who is a Republican state committeewoman and has been endorsed by Gov. Baker (though he did not endorse her in the Republican primary). The choice could not be clearer. Yet Mike Day won his last race by barely 2 percentage points against this same opponent, and she’s coming on strong. This could be a close race, and it depends on getting to the doors, getting the message out, and getting out the vote. If you want to make an impact and keep this dedicated progressive Democrat in the legislature, you might throw some support his way. He has a long list of endorsements including Congresswoman Clark and State Senator Jason Lewis.
In Massachusetts, the strategy of the right seems to be to build a farm team of republican selectmen, city councillors, etc. who can then move on to state rep and state senate seats, aided by a lot of out-of-state money. Let’s stop this one. It’s not my district, not my campaign, but it matters to our ability to improve the lives of residents today and tomorrow. Check out his website for more info. The key point here is that every vote counts. People need to 1) register, 2) vote, 3) complete the entire ballot, 4) tell their friends and neighbors that their votes for all offices matter, 5) make sure that people who have trouble voting on election day can either vote absentee or vote early, and 6) Get Out The Vote. (Others should feel free to chime in, highlight their important local races, and share exactly how we can help one another.)
jconway says
I like Day and have some friends canvassing for him (say hi to Ryan Marchant and Adam Chaikoff for me!). And Migliore beating Donald Wong who voted against gun control and transgender equality is a big race next door in Wakefield/Saugus. Kudos to BMG’s own Fred Rich for managing what should be a very competitive race. Some of my best interns also worked on her campaign, and in the year of Hillary it would be great to get some more progressive women into the legislature as well.
I also want Nora Harrington running against Timilty again, even if 2018 might be a harder year, and Boncore should get a challenger too. These are winnable races in progressive districts, and we shouldn’t let conservatives in either party take them for granted.
Donald Green says
it is critical. Dedicated groups are working hard to bring us a more modernized government. Check out ourrevolution.com , brandnewcongress.com , progressive democrats of Ma, and PDA. All of them are backing progressive candidates, and have already have had a heavy role in successful outcomes. If this is old news, it is a reminder of where people can participate.
ljtmalden says
Yes, approaching this challenge from all the angles is important. I agree with Fred that as I get older I have greater appreciation for the impact we can make locally.
fredrichlariccia says
and, I would add, personal.
As a lifelong Democrat in my 56th year of organizing and campaigning for progressives I’ve even surprised myself at how obsessive I’ve become at winning this current race for my state rep.
Maybe it’s because with age comes the realization that the place you can have the greatest impact to affect positive change in the world is right in your own hometown.
Or as my friend, Eleanor Roosevelt — who like, Hillary, I channel and talk with on a daily basis — would say, as the author of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948:
” Where, after all, do universal human rights reside ? In small places, close to home — so close and so small that they cannot be seen on any maps of the world. Yet they are the world of the individual person; the neighborhood they live in, the school or college they attend … or the office where they work. Such are the places where every man, woman and child seeks equal justice, equal opportunity, equal dignity without discrimination. Unless these rights have meaning there, they have little meaning anywhere. Without concerted citizen action to uphold them close to home, we shall look in vain for progress in the larger world.”
Fred Rich LaRiccia
Campaign Manager
The Migliore Committee