The Massachusetts state primary is just over two months away on Tuesday, September 1, and the general election is just over four months away Tuesday, November 3. That time will fly by.

Over the past few months, our Elections Committee has been hard at work developing our candidate questionnaires, researching candidates, and interviewing candidates.

We endorsed US Senator Ed Markey earlier this year and announced our first round of US House and State Legislature endorsements earlier this month. It’s time for the next round.

Read Congressional questionnaires here, MA Senate questionnaires here, and MA House questionnaires here.

As a member-based organization, all of our endorsements are ultimately decided by member votes, and we recently finished our first Congressional and Legislative member ballot of the summer.

Why Is a Race Not on the List Yet?

• As a member-based organization, we conduct member ballots and have thorough questionnaires. That limits how many offices we can include on a ballot.
• We defer to our chapters to take the lead on races in their territory. If our chapters want to host candidate forums or conduct their own votes, we will not take up the race until afterwards.

If you care about a specific Congressional or legislative race, just ask.

About Our Endorsement Process

Our endorsement process contains a few steps.

(1) Questionnaire: Every cycle, Progressive Mass’s Elections and Endorsements Committee (EEC) puts together comprehensive policy questionnaires for federal and state candidates, which we publish on our website. Only candidates who fill out these questionnaires are eligible for endorsement.

(2) Interviews: For Congressional races, the EEC conducts public interviews of all candidates who submit questionnaires. For legislative races, the EEC conducts research about the various races on the ballot and interviews candidates who submit questionnaires and meet certain criteria (progressive values, viability, etc.).

(3) Recommendations: The EEC then deliberates on whom and whether to recommend for endorsement to the full membership.

(4) Member Vote: The ultimate decision lies with our members. Candidates must receive at least 60% of the vote in a member ballot to receive an endorsement.

Congress

Jeromie Whalen for MA-01

As a public school educator, Jeromie Whalen understands the importance of investing in our future, of building a culture of civic engagement, and of creating a community and a country where all are welcome. He is running to rein in corporate power over our economy and our elections, make sure the wealthy are paying their fair share, and ensure that everyone has access to high-quality health care and higher education without cost. He is running against 37-year incumbent Richard Neal, who is one of Congress’s biggest recipients of corporate PAC money.

Jeromie has also been endorsed by our chapter Franklin County Continuing the Political Revolution.

Learn more about Jeromie at https://www.whalenforcongressma.com/.

Patrick Roath for MA-08

Patrick Roath is a democracy and voting rights advocate, having served as the former board chair of Common Cause Massachusetts. In that role, he was active in the rights for automatic voter registration, universal vote-by-mail, and same day registration. He is running on an omnibus Working Families Affordability Package, including tackling the costs of health care, housing, and child care, and Trump-proofing our government in order to rein in corruption and the abuse of power.

He is running against 22-year incumbent Stephen Lynch, one of the few Democrats left in the US Congress to have voted against the Affordable Care Act. Lynch is the only member of the Massachusetts delegation to have voted for the Laken Riley Act and has repeatedly voted with Republicans this Congressional session to roll back protections for our immigrant communities.

Patrick has also been endorsed by our chapters JP Progressives, Neponset Valley Progressives, True North Action Alliance, and Progressive West Roxbury/Roslindale.

Learn more about Patrick at https://patrickroath.com/.

MA House

Lora Wondolowski for 1st Franklin State Rep

The District: Ashfield, Bernardston, Buckland, Charlemont, Colrain, Conway, Deerfield, Greenfield (Pcts 5 – 8), Hawley, Heath, Leverett, Leyden, Monroe, Montague, Rowe, Shelburne, Sunderland, Whately

Lora Wondolowski is the Greenfield City Council President, a role in which she has been able to shepherd a number of progressive policy initiatives. She got into local politics to fight cuts to Greenfield public schools, and she has been a reliable champion of public education. She was the founding executive director of the Massachusetts League of Environmental Voters, where she helped pass the state’s Global Warming Solutions Act, and currently works for the Peace Development Fund, investing in grassroots organizing efforts. She would bring a much-needed mix of progressive values, policymaking knowledge, and organizing experience to the State House. Learn more about Lora at https://wondoforrep.org/.

Lora has also been endorsed by our chapter Franklin County Continuing the Political Revolution.

Celina Reyes for 16th Essex State Rep

The District: Lawrence (Ward A Pcts 2A, 3, 4; Ward E Pcts 1A, 2, 3, 4; Ward F), Methuen (Pcts 3, 7, 13A)

Celina Reyes is a Lawrence City Councilor, a family child care provider, and a leader of her local in SEIU 509. Through her work with SEIU 509, she has championed greater investments in child care and rent stabilization, and organized to help pass the Fair Share Amendment. She is running against a Democratic incumbent who joined Republicans in voting to weaken the protections for reproductive and gender-affirming care in the Shield 2.0 law, owns so many properties that he can’t remember how many, and has opposed efforts like a local option real estate transfer fee to address the housing crisis. Learn more about Celina at http://www.celinareyes.com.

Tom Hendrickson for 3rd Hampden State Rep

The District: Agawam (Pcts 2–8), Blandford, Chester, Granville, Huntington, Middlefield, Montgomery, Russell, Southwick, Tolland

Tom Hendrickson is an Agawam City Councilor, who has led local initiatives on Community Choice Aggregation and Council transparency, and has worked to elect progressives across Western Mass. He is running to be a champion for public schools, workers’ rights, taking on corporate power, and single payer health care. He is running against a 16-year conservative Republican incumbent who has never broken 28% on our Scorecard. Learn more about Tom at https://www.tomhendrickson.org/.

Michael Lachenmeyer for 12th Hampden State Rep

The District: East Longmeadow (Pcts 1, 2A, 3A, 4A), Monson (Pct A), Springfield (Ward 5 Pcts D, G; Ward 7 Pcts B, C, D, E, F, G, H1; Ward 8 Pcts B1, G), Wilbraham

Michael Lachenmeyer is a teacher, journalist, and organizer who is running to champion policies like reducing wealth inequality, single payer health care, and making state government more democratic and transparent. He is running against a conservative Democratic incumbent who voted against the Fair Share Amendment, the 2020 police reform bill, and the ROE Act. Learn more about Michael at https://electlachenmeyer.com/.

Mike Connolly for 26th Middlesex State Rep

The District: Cambridge (East Cambridge, Central Square, The Port, Cambridgeport: Ward 1 Pct 3; Ward 2 Pcts 1, 2, 3A; Ward 3 Pcts 1, 2, 3; Ward 4 Pct 1; Ward 5 Pcts 1, 3; Ward 6 Pcts 1, 1A); Somerville (East Somerville; Ward 1 Pcts 1-4; Ward 2 Pct 1A)

Mike Connolly has been a strong progressive ally since we first endorsed him in 2016. On our Progressive Scorecard of the State Legislature, his scores have ranged from 95% to 100%. Mike has fought for stronger tenant protections, social housing, and revenue for affordable housing, as well as workers’ rights, bold climate action, voting rights, transparency, and more. Mike is willing to speak out against bad, rushed legislation, and to push the State House to be more ambitious in all of its policymaking. Learn more about Mike at https://www.mikeconnolly.org/.