Second Suffolk (Chelsea/Charlestown): Damali Vidot
Damali is a longtime Chelsea resident and activist who I got to know during my time in that lovely but challenged city as a fearless advocate for its poorest and most forgotten residents. She is taking on Dan Ryan who admits in the Commonwealth profile of their race that he doesn’t like to push too hard for bolder priorities unless there’s already a consensus behind them. We complain about Beacon Hill inaction a lot around here and this seems like a clear place to make a change.
Lisa Arnold in Lowell is one of two challengers fighting to replace ethically embattled incumbent David Nangle, one of the more conservative members of the House. Arnold is the challenger endorsed by Lynne from Lowell which is good enough for me, but you can check out her website for more info. Her background in database systems and management combined with her involvement in social justice causes and familiarity with the Lowell and Chelmsford portions of the district make her a great choice to replace a lousy incumbent.
Paul Donato, a formerly socially conservative and presently fiscally conservative Democrat is being challenged by an OR founder and PM endorsed progressive, Nichole Mossalam. There’s a good write up of her race here. She’s a Muslim American progressive leader and Malden mother committed to economic, environmental, and social justice. The incumbent was endorsed by Mass Right to Life and Gun Owners Action League as recently as six years ago. An original legislative opponent of marriage equality to boot. While he’s ‘evolved’ on social issues in his first three decades in office, how long can voters wait for him to evolve on the economy and climate?
Lastly while an open race, my friend Joe Gravellese whom Charley interviewed last month, is running a strong progressive race in Saugus, Revere, and Chelsea. He’s an alumni of our award winning speech and debate program at RHS and I met him through my current students who are working on his campaign. He’s the clear progressive in the race on immigration, BLM, transit, health care, and affordable housing. His opponent is the cousin of the current incumbent, who’s voted in lockstep with the leadership her entire tenure.
Joe is endorsed by PM, MA Sierra Club, Sunrise, ACT, SEIU 32BJ, my union the MTA, the BTU, Operating Engineers Local 4, and the bricklayers whom I had the privilege to campaign with on Joes behalf two weekends ago. He’s the only guy I know who can bring cigar chomping/chopper riding bricklayers together with WEE, the Latinx/Muslim parent coalition in Revere.
Additional challengers listed below from Statehouse News:
Seventeen Democratic members of the House face primary challengers, including Second Assistant House Majority Leader Paul Donato of Medford, Housing Committee Co-chair Kevin Honan of Allston, Election Laws Committee Co-chair John Lawn of Watertown, and Revenue Committee Co-chair Mark Cusack of Braintree.
I will second the endorsement of Lisa Arnold. I cut some turf early on for her before it was clear canvassing was not likely to happen this year. She has the endorsement of various progressive groups such as Solidarity Lowell, of which I believe she is also a member. My acquaintance with Lisa actually has non-political origins. My family have all rung handbells and she is very active in that scene, as a member of Merrimack Valley Ringers, a solo ringer, and currently serving as Chair of Area 1 of the Handbell Musicians of America. The other candidate is Vanna Howard, a former staffer for Niki Tsongas who just endorsed her. She is recognizable as a Dem and my concern is that the anti-Nangle vote will be split.
I don’t know much about Nichole Mossalam, but she is a new member of the DSC and is already an active participant and not afraid to speak her mind.
Thanks so much for this. I’d be remiss in the extreme to not mention our old pal Steve Owens (sco), who is running for Jon Hecht’s seat in Watertown. He’s an excellent, level-headed guy and will be a fine addition in the House.
I like Steve and wish him the best, that district includes my old neighborhood too. I’ll remind any friends left to vote for him. I don’t think we’ve met in person but I appreciated his commentary here.
It’s too bad about Jon, a really smart and dedicated public servant who felt stymied by leadership for being one of the few willing to speak out. It’s been nearly four years since we met for coffee at Darwin’s after Trump won, but he gave me excellent career advice. The House is definitely losing some independent voices with his retirement and Denise Provosts.
Let’s not forget the Governor’s Council, which approves or rejects Gov. Baker’s judges, parole board members…check out Helina Fontes(www.helinafontes.com) as a candidate in the 6th District
Thanks Keith! Glad to see she is a thoughtful candidate and not just a protest vote against the incumbent. It’s a stupid branch of government, but as long as we have it, we should have smart people on it.
So Fontes, whom I did vote for, is down a few points with 74% reporting, although she had the lead earlier tonight.
All the other challengers I mentioned here lost, but narrowly so. Damali Vidot lost time Dan Ryan 55-45, a similar result over in the 35th Middlesex where Nichole Mossalam carried Malden but lost Medford, with Donato winning overall 53-43. He’s vowed to include her and her issues in his own work going forward and acknowledged the district was changing. Gravellese looked more like a 60-40 loss, but he did do better in the Chelsea parts of the district.
Steve Owens, Erika uyterhoeven, and my buddy Andrew Flowers all won their open seats and are going to move the house left.
Ms. Provost will be replaced by the daughter of a real estate investor and tenured Harvard professor who now lives in an expensive Union Square condo bought by her mother — she registered to vote in Somerville the day that Ms. Provost announced her resignation (in January of this year).
Erika Uyterhoeven is unlikely to move Denise Provost’s seat left.
Their collective presence moves the hill left. Steve Owens is also an independent progressive replacing another independent progressive in the House, but his win and Erikas are a win for progressives. While Hecht and Provost were sometimes the only people standing on an issue like term limits, there are now 20 or so progressives who’ve been elected to the state house since 2016. Something to celebrate as a whole. I’d be saying the same thing if Sharpe won, both are good candidates and solid progressives.
Also while I liked Lisa Arnold, Vanna Howard has a cool story and it’s still a win for a more progressive and more diverse legislature.
https://www.lowellsun.com/howard-wins-state-rep-race