Election Day — Tuesday, November 6th — is less than seven weeks away. We had some great wins on primary night two weeks ago, but the work continues.

Over the past couple of months, we’ve been inviting candidates to fill out our comprehensive policy questionnaire — a vital tool for informing voters and for holding politicians accountable. Our Election and Endorsement Committee reviews them and then chooses whether to make a recommendation to our members, the ultimate deciders. We set a high bar for endorsements; candidates must earn at least 60% of our members’ votes.

Congrats to our latest round of endorsees!

State Senate

Cape & Islands: Julian Cyr

Julian Cyr serves in the Massachusetts Senate representing Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket. Born and raised in Truro, Julian got his start in with a career in public policy, health advocacy, organizing, and social justice. Julian was elected to the State Senate in 2016 as the youngest senator in the 40-member body. As State Senator, Julian is dedicated to identifying solutions for the opioid epidemic, public education, and protecting the Cape’s vulnerable environment. As a proudly gay legislator, Julian has advocated on behalf of the Commonwealth’s LGBTQ residents as State Senator and as former chair of the Massachusetts Commission on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Questioning (LGBTQ) Youth.

Middlesex & Worcester: Jamie Eldridge

Jamie Eldridge has served as State Senator for the Middlesex and Worcester district since January 2009. Senator Eldridge serves as the Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Financial Services, and is known for his leadership on progressive issues. Previously, Senator Eldridge served as State Representative for the 37th Middlesex district, after being elected the only Clean Elections candidate to public office in Massachusetts history in November 2002. For the 2017-18 session, Senator Eldridge, filed bills aimed at reducing the wealth gap, making health care a right, protecting the environment, combating climate change, increasing education funding, reforming the criminal justice system, and safeguarding the civil rights of immigrants and Muslims in Massachusetts.

Plymouth & Norfolk: Katie McBrine

Dr. Katie McBrine is a lifelong Democrat, a pediatrician and a mom, not the classic politician. She decided to run for office because she is disappointed by our state’s failure to make progress toward the goals in our party platform. As a doctor, she is witnessing firsthand the attacks on health care. She cannot sit by any longer while people suffer because our legislators do not know enough about how our health care system works to propose effective solutions. Dr. McBrine has long been active in the community as a health and science educator. She is a progressive who sees many issues through the lens of impact on public health. She wants to see our state lead the nation in affordable health care, in environmental protection, in civil rights, in education, in public transportation, and in gun safety. She will take her experience, her concerns, and her values to Beacon Hill and knowledgeably advocate for change.

State House

5th Barnstable: Jack Stanton

Jack Stanton is a lifelong Sandwich resident with deep ties to his community. He is a product of the public schools, graduating as president of his high school class in 2010 and receiving his BA from the George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs in 2014. Since then Jack has been working primarily in the development sector with experience at the World Bank, and at Forcier Consulting in Mozambique. Deeply troubled by the political climate, concerned about the numerous challenges affecting Cape Cod, and seeing a need for more activist leadership at the state level, Jack decided to move home and run for office in his hometown. Since returning, Jack has been working as an offshore lobsterman while campaigning to bring attention to the many issues affecting Cape Cod – a region wrongly perceived as a wealthy enclave. Jack is running to challenge this notion and better serve his neighbors.

2nd Essex: Christina Eckert

Christina Eckert has been advocating for the children of Essex County for 11 years.  After serving as President of Boxford PTO, she then co-founded Masconomet Education Foundation, raising nearly half a million dollars for two STEM labs and other educational initiatives. She is Development Director for grassroots children’s charity Community Giving Tree, helping the organization grow from serving hundreds of children per year, to helping 10,000 annually. She also serves on Boxford’s Recreation Committee, overseeing the summer Park Program since 2008. Christina sees her run for State Rep in the 2^nd Essex District as a way to have a larger impact on the greater community. She wants to prioritize public schools and their safety; move toward a clean energy future; and make health care truly universal and comprehensive.

18th Essex: Tram Nguyen

Tram Nguyen is running for state representative to be a tireless advocate for the 18th Essex District. As a legal aid attorney, Tram has represented workers, domestic violence survivors, seniors, children, and veterans in the courtroom and has worked on legislation that improves the quality of life for ALL people in the Commonwealth. As state representative, Tram will advocate for the people of this district on issues like reproductive rights, common sense gun reforms and the opioid epidemic.  Tram’s family immigrated to America as political refugees when she was 5 years old —not knowing a word of English. Tram is proud of the public education system that allowed her to be the first in her family to attend college. She graduated from Tufts University and later went on to earn her juris doctor from the Northeastern University School of Law. Tram looks forward to bringing her passion, dedication, and determination to Beacon Hill.

1st Hampden: Tanya Neslusan

As the daughter, sister and wife of veterans, Tanya Neslusan believes strongly in the concept of service to country and community. She is an activist who currently serves as the President of the Sturbridge Regional Huddle, Secretary of the Sturbridge Democratic Town Committee, and a member of the Planning Committee for the Worcester Chapter of Showing Up for Racial Justice. Giving back to her community has always been important to her, whether she was coaching youth soccer or participating in Habitat for Humanity. Running for office is just another extension of that commitment which will enable her to help others on a larger scale. She currently resides in Sturbridge with her wife, Rebecca, her teenage son, Nick.

14th Middlesex: Tami Gouveia

Tami Gouveia is a strategic thinker and collaborator with a strong passion for social and environmental justice. For over 15 years, she has worked as a leader in public health and social work, serving as Director of Programs for the Greater Lawrence Health Center, Founder and Chair of the Lowell Roundtable on Substance Abuse Prevention, and Executive Director of Tobacco Free Mass. In 2016, Tami founded and co-organized the MA Chapter of the Women’s March, an experience that ultimately precipitated her run for office. On Beacon Hill, Tami hopes to continue the work she’s achieved in enhancing community health, addressing the roots causes of addiction, advocating for justice, and holding corporations accountable. A native Lowellian, Tami now lives in Acton with her two sons.

2nd Plymouth: Sarah Hewins

Sarah Hewins is in her fourth term as Carver Selectman, was elected twice for 10 years to the Planning Board, and served as the town’s Conservation Agent for 15 years. Thirty years ago, Sarah formed a coalition to preserve hundreds of acres of wetlands in the Mississippi delta. Over the past 20 years in southeastern Massachusetts, she has preserved 600 acres of land, established inclusive zoning for affordable housing, was a leader in getting a new elementary school, spearheaded passing the Community Preservation Act, was a co-founder and volunteer Executive Director of a non-profit to help at-risk youth, and attempted to unionize town hall management employees. She has served on many town and regional committees and boards and has run the toddler story hour at the library for 22 years. She earned a PhD in Sociology of Community from Princeton University.

17th Worcester: David LeBoeuf

David LeBoeuf is a lifelong Worcester resident and proud graduate of the Worcester Public Schools. David began his career as an interim staff assistant in the Worcester City Manager’s Office. In 2011, he was appointed as the Director of the Initiative for Engaged Citizenship (IEC), a coalition of community-based organizations focused on increasing civic participation in local elections and advocating for election modernization. Since 2015, he has been an Urban Business Initiatives Associate at the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City, focused on increasing opportunities for small businesses in underserved communities. He currently serves on the boards of the African Community Education program (ACE), the Latin American Health Alliance of Central MA (Hector Reyes House), and the NeighborWorks HomeOwnership Center of Central MA/Oak Hill Community Development Corporation, where he is board president.

Primary Night 2018 was a big night for Progressive Massachusetts and our endorsed candidates.

Boston City Councilor Ayanna Pressley defeated incumbent Congressman Mike Capuano by 17%, becoming the first woman of color to represent Massachusetts in Washington.

Rachael Rollins won by 16% and will become the first woman of color to be the District Attorney of Suffolk County. She ran on a strong progressive platform of implementing the recently passed criminal justice reform bill and taking bold steps beyond it to curb mass incarceration and make sure we aren’t criminalizing poverty, illness, and addiction.

And in a strong message to House Leadership, challengers Jon Santiago and Nika Elugardo defeated Assistant Majority Leader Byron Rushing and Ways & Means Chair Jeff Sanchez, respectively.

They will be joined in the House by other Progressive Mass endorsees Lindsay Sabadosa (Northampton), Maria Robinson (Framingham), and Tommy Vitolo (Brookline), all of whom had big wins last night and face no challenge in the general election. Additionally, Berkshire County will now have a progressive reformer District Attorney in Andrea Harrington.

Becca Rausch won big and will go on to face incumbent Senator Richard Ross this November, and Steve Leibowitz will go on to face incumbent Representative Tim Whelan. Christina Minicucci will face a Republican challenger this fall as well. They will all need your help.

As do our endorsees Jay Gonzalez and Quentin Palfrey, who are fighting to bring progressive policy back to the Corner Office.

Not all of our endorsed candidates won, but we admire the hard work they put in and commitment to moving Massachusetts in a more progressive direction.

Running for office isn’t easy, especially if you are challenging an incumbent. But primaries are essential in a single-party Legislature that too often quells any actual debate.

Reflecting on her victory, Nika Elugardo said, “We need a new kind of politician. And some of those are already in the State House and waiting for their own personal transformation and they will come to be that type of politician. And some are going to have to be replaced because that’s not what they want or are capable of.”

That has been our mission since Progressive Mass started. We hold elected officials accountable, combining issue advocacy and electoral organizing, in a uniquely powerful combination. And our ability to succeed at that work depends on supporters like you.

Elections matter. Our ability to make progressive change in Massachusetts depends on having progressive champions in office — every office.

In particular, primaries matter. Whether you’re ousting a conservative or passive incumbent (of either party) or electing a real champion in an open seat (replacing a retiring one or getting a real progressive upgrade), primaries can send a powerful message.

Massachusetts’s state primary is Tuesday, September 4th.

Over the past couple of months, we’ve been inviting candidates to fill out our comprehensive policy questionnaire — a vital tool for informing voters and for holding politicians accountable. Our Election and Endorsement Committee reviews them and then chooses whether to make a recommendation to our members, the ultimate deciders.

We’re proud to endorse the following candidates, each of whom won an overwhelming majority of the vote among our membership, for our second round of primary endorsements.

State Senate

2nd Essex & Middlesex: Mike Armano

Mike Armano is a proud member of the Lawrence Firefighters Local 146. Mike is a fourth-generation civil servant, with experience working with some of our most vulnerable populations as a coach, counselor, and substitute teacher. After attending Mass School of Law and starting his own law practice, he followed in his father’s footsteps eight years later and was hired as a firefighter. He graduated from the Mass Fire Academy while earning his EMT license and pursuing his master’s degree in Public Administration. Today, Mike supports legislative initiatives as a delegate to the Professional Firefighters of Massachusetts, and works with city officials and community leaders as the Lieutenant of Fire Prevention in Lawrence, Massachusetts. As a state senator, he will fight the expansion of charter schools and is committed to fully funding public education in Massachusetts.

State House of Representatives

1st Barnstable: Steve Leibowitz

Steve Leibowitz has been active in his community since being elected a town meeting member in Amherst as a Freshman to his work the past 23 years on Cape Cod. He’s served on the Brewster School Committee, Brewster Affordable Housing Partnership, and the board of Protect Our Cape Cod Aquifer. Steve chaired the Brewster Democratic Town Committee for 6 years, was elected twice to the Democratic National Convention as an Obama and Sanders delegate and currently is a member of the Democratic State Committee. He’s running to replace Republican Tim Whelan and would be a strong voice for economic fairness and open, engaged government.

14th Essex: Christina Minicucci

Christina Minicucci is a community activist in North Andover who understands that democracy is not a spectator sport. She currently serves as Vice-Chair of the North Andover School Building Committee, member of the Master Plan Advisory Committee, and the Expo Coordinator for the Feaster Five Road Race. Christina is also an active member of the North Andover Parent Advisory Council (NAPAC), her local Boy Scout Troop, and the Merrimack Valley Striders running club, as well as a former member of the YWCA Board of Directors and a sexual assault hotline advocate. She looks forward to being a strong advocate for investing in our public schools, addressing the affordable housing crisis, and promoting equitable economic development for the region.

2nd Hampshire: Marie McCourt

Marie McCourt is a dedicated community activist in Granby. Having grown up in a struggling family, she has made a point in her career to create opportunities for others. She currently works as an assistant program director for a grant-funded afterschool program, and it is through this work that she got involved in politics. She currently serves on the executive board and works as a volunteer for Neighbors Helping Neighbors, Inc., a client-choice pantry that serves South Hadley and Granby residents dealing with food insecurity. She will be an enthusiastic champion of increasing our investment in public education, increasing access to medical care, and improving our elder and disability services so that everyone can thrive.  

28th Middlesex: Gerly Adrien

Gerly Adrien ran for State Representative for the 28th Middlesex District as a first-time candidate in 2016 with no name recognition and fell just 600 votes short of winning. She is running again to continue the fight to improve education, economic development, and quality of life for the people of Everett. The oldest child of parents born in Haiti, Gerly moved to Everett in 1993 when she was 4 years old. Her parents instilled in her and her two brothers the importance of serving others, and she has carried that value with her wherever she has gone in life, whether working to advance teen empowerment, affordable housing, arts education, and public health.

15th Norfolk: Tommy Vitolo

Tommy Vitolo is an environmental professional and a long-time progressive leader in his local legislature, the Brookline Town Meeting. A PhD engineer, Tommy works as an expert witness on behalf of government agencies and environmental organizations. He has served on a dozen town boards and committees, and is an elected member of the Brookline Democratic Town Committee and an elected Brookline Constable. He’s authored and shepherded to passage progressive local legislation related to public schools, public health, diversity and inclusion, the environment, and public art in Brookline and looks forward to being a champion of these and other issues at the State House.

Elections matter. Our ability to make progressive change in Massachusetts depends on having progressive champions in office — every office.

In particular, primaries matter. Whether you’re ousting a conservative or passive incumbent (of either party) or electing a real champion in an open seat (replacing a retiring one or getting a real progressive upgrade), primaries can send a powerful message.

Massachusetts’s state primary is Tuesday, September 4th.

Over the past couple of months, we’ve been inviting candidates to fill out our comprehensive policy questionnaire — a vital tool for informing voters and for holding politicians accountable. Our Election and Endorsement Committee reviews them and then chooses whether to make a recommendation to our members, the ultimate deciders.

We’re proud to endorse the following candidates, each of whom won an overwhelming majority of the vote among our membership, for our first round of District Attorney and State Legislative primary endorsements.District Attorney

As countless stories from right here in Massachusetts and around the country have shown, a District Attorney has a lot of power. Too often, DAs have used that power in favor of mass incarceration and the attendant racial and economic disparities. From overcharging to lobbying against criminal justice reform, DAs have proven themselves to be an obstacle.

But DAs get away with much of what they do because no one is paying attention. Recent elections and public education campaigns have elevated DA races in the public mind and showed the possibilities of what a progressive DA can do. And with a landmark criminal justice reform bill now on the books in Massachusetts, it’s important to have DAs who support implementing the law — and pushing for bolder reforms as well.

Progressive Mass has been working with a coalition of progressive allies around the Commonwealth called Justice for Massachusetts to elect progressive DAs and hold them accountable to their promises.

Suffolk County: Rachael Rollins

Rachael Rollins has been a lawyer for over 20 years. She is a former state and federal prosecutor and clerk on the Massachusetts Appeals Court. Rachael was the general counsel of both the MBTA and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and the Chief Legal Counsel for the Massachusetts Port Authority. Rachael currently sits on Attorney General Maura Healey’s Advisory Council on Racial Justice and Equity. She was appointed by Governor Deval Patrick to the Judicial Nominating Commission, served as past president of the Massachusetts Black Lawyers Association, and served a three-year term on the Boston Bar Association Council. She brings her lived experience as someone whose family has been directly affected by the criminal justice system and is committed to implementing the recently passed Criminal Justice Reform bill, rebuilding the relationship between the DA’s office and the community, and ensuring that the lawyers in the DA’s office reflect the communities they serve. As the first female general counsel for the MBTA and the first person of color to serve as general counsel of MassDOT, Rachael brings the management experience needed to manage the reform process that will be critical in the Suffolk County DA’s Office.

State Senate

First Middlesex: John Drinkwater

John Drinkwater has spent his entire career promoting social and economic justice through the Labor Movement. He joined the Massachusetts AFL-CIO, an umbrella organization for over 700 local unions, in 2006 and served the organization in a variety of roles before being named Legislative Director in 2014. In addition to representing the interests of working people at the State House, he also plays a key role in the Massachusetts AFL-CIO’s political field program which helps to elect pro-worker candidates to office. John has been a part of legislative coalitions that have successfully passed into law: a $15 minimum wage, Paid Family and Medical Leave, workplace protections for temp agency workers, the Domestic Workers’ Bill of Rights, expanded health and safety standards for public sector workers, and gender-neutral parental leave rights.

Hampshire, Franklin & Worcester: Chelsea Kline

Chelsea Kline is a higher education leader and social justice advocate running for State Senate to be a strong progressive voice for Western Massachusetts’ working families, local businesses, and underrepresented communities. When she became a low-income single mom at 19, Chelsea juggled multiple jobs and relied on food stamps to make sure her daughter wouldn’t go hungry. She was able to succeed not only because she worked hard, but because of public investments in the social safety net and community college. Now, as the social safety net continues to fray, Chelsea is channeling her leadership experience and her 25 years as an activist and organizer into her run for State Senate. She is running on progressive issues, such as Medicare for All, 100% renewable energy, and full funding for public education from Pre-K through higher education, and strongly believes we need bold leadership in the legislature to achieve this vision.

Norfolk, Bristol & Middlesex: Becca Rausch

The granddaughter of a Holocaust survivor and the daughter of an activist, Becca Rausch has a life-long commitment to progressive values and social justice. Becca is an elected Needham Town Meeting Member, attorney who has practiced in both the public and private sectors, dedicated community leader, union steward, spouse, and parent of two young kids. Becca has the skills and experience at both the state and local levels of government to be an effective voice in the MA State Senate starting on her first day in office. She believes communities are stronger when progressive social policies are implemented by a transparent and accountable government. She plans to fight for universal health care, innovative and evidenced-based methods of addressing the opioid epidemic, transportation equity, strong public education with healthy learning environments and well-rounded curricula, meaningful voting rights and access, and policies that make government work for working families.

State House of Representatives

2nd Bristol: Jim Hawkins

Since his upset victory in April’s special election, Jim Hawkins has hit the ground running on Beacon Hill. He came to the State House with a history of community engagement and advocacy. In 1999, he was recognized by the National Society of Fundraising Professionals as a partner in philanthropy for his successful fundraising efforts and years of delivering food to the homeless. For twelve years, Jim taught math at Attleboro High School (AHS) and recruited tutors for homeless and disadvantaged students. During his time as a teacher at AHS, Jim founded the Rome Boulevard Road Race, which delivers much-needed funds to student programs at the school. More recently, he was a District Coordinator for the Massachusetts Teacher Association, fighting for the quality public education on which our Commonwealth depends.

1st Hampshire: Lindsay Sabadosa

Lindsay Sabadosa is an activist with a proven track record of advocating for concrete legislation at the State House. She is currently running for State Representative for the 1st Hampshire District, which represents Northampton, Hatfield, Southampton, Westhampton and Montgomery. She’s a mother, legal and financial translator, runner, and lifelong community organizer. She is the Director of the Pioneer Valley Women’s March, serves on the board of Emerge Massachusetts and the Abortion Rights Fund of Western Massachusetts, and sits on statewide organizing committees for progressive legislation like Medicare for All and the Safe Communities Act. Her progressive platform includes single-payer healthcare, education funding reform, 100% green energy, East-West/North-South rail, reproductive rights, immigrants’ rights, criminal justice reform, and other progressive legislation.

15th Middlesex: Mary Ann Stewart

Mary Ann Stewart is a community activist and member of the Lexington Democratic Town Committee. Since 2006, she has been a member of Lexington Town Meeting and the League of Women Voters of Lexington. She is a working parent who came up through the school site council and PTA, was elected twice to Lexington’s School Committee, and was appointed by Governor Deval Patrick to the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. She has spent countless hours pounding the pavement for workers’ rights and fair and adequate revenue; tirelessly meeting with parents and non-profit leaders, elected officials, and experts to hear their concerns, questions, and recommendations; and educating others on the issues. She looks forward to extending her leadership on these and other issues of critical importance to our families and our future.

19th Middlesex: Erika Johnson

Erika Johnson is currently chair of the Wilmington Democratic Committee. After graduating college with a political science degree, she worked in impact investing and then moved to the energy efficiency field, working to increase energy efficiency in residential applications and helping electrical distributors upgrade their customers to energy efficient lighting through rebates and incentives. She is running for office to fight for safe, well-funded quality public education; living wages for all; more affordable health care and higher education; and twenty-first-century infrastructure.

30th Middlesex: Darryn Remillard

Darryn Remillard is a United States Marine Corps veteran and a veterinarian running on a strong progressive platform. He grew up poor and spent a significant period of his early childhood in the Washington, DC, foster care system. After high school, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps and served for 8 years. The military provided him with many of the opportunities that he finds himself fighting for now: guaranteed healthcare for all, accessible and highly subsidized childcare, job security with consistent pay raises, and fully subsidized education. After leaving the Marines amidst disillusionment with the war effort in Iraq and Afghanistan, he went back to veterinary school. Now a father, he worries that a foster child today wouldn’t have the same opportunities he was able to have and intends to fight to change that.

36th Middlesex: Sabrina Heisey

Sabrina Heisey has lived in Dracut for 11 years with her husband (and now six children) and manages grants and budgets for scientific research at Children’s Hospital. She is the founder of the Greater Lowell League of Women Voters, a director of the Dracut Mom’s Group, a Girl Scout leader, and an elected member of the Dracut School Committee. Sabrina is running for State Rep in the 36th Middlesex District in MA and envisions a future for Massachusetts where schools are fairly and adequately funded, where our tax dollars are spent on the public good instead of corporate welfare, where LGBTQA+ people are afforded equal rights, where women and families have control over their reproductive health, and where Massachusetts strengthens its strict gun laws.

7th Plymouth: Kevin Higgins

Growing up in a family faced with the challenges of addiction and financial hardship, Kevin Higgins was motivated early in life to dedicate his career to improving social and economic opportunities for working families. After watching his family lose their home as a result of predatory sub-prime mortgage lending, Kevin put himself through college, becoming a social worker in elder and disability services and later working as a union organizer. Since the start of his professional life, Kevin has been a strong advocate for the community’s most vulnerable residents and has focused on expanding opportunity for individuals with disabilities, senior citizens, and working families.

TL;DR: Start thinking about what you want in a progressive governor, and start questioning and pressuring candidates and prospective candidates before committing.

One year from now, Democrats across the state will have elected delegates to go to the state party convention where gubernatorial candidates will vie with each other for the party’s endorsement.

The primary field is not settled yet—there’s some time to go, and candidates may yet emerge.

But, already, candidates and prospective candidates have begun listening tours–speaking at local caucuses, at house parties, at activist events.

When the field is settled, Progressive Massachusetts will invite all candidates to fill out our detailed candidate questionnaire, as we did in 2014.

We will ask tough questions about where they stand on the key elements of our Progressive Platform–shared prosperity, racial and social justice, open government and strong democracy, and sustainable infrastructure and environmental protection–and the Legislative Agenda that seeks to translate principles into policy.

And once they fill out those questionnaires, YOU–our grassroots members–will get to vet them and get to decide whom we endorse.

No smoke-filled rooms, just grassroots democracy.

But, the member endorsement is still a way off.

In the interim — what can you do to strengthen the field and ensure the boldest progressive platform is being talked about at every coffee, every house party? 

SOME IDEAS —  

We want them to understand that a progressive message is the winning one.

So get the candidates (and prospective candidates) on record about the issues that matter.

Ask them tough questions, don’t accept evasions, and see if those answers hold when they go before different crowds.

Charlie Baker has managed to coast with high approval ratings because the Legislature tries to minimize conflict, avoiding taking votes on anything he might veto and showering him with praise for small-bore accomplishments. But if we are to have a chance of defeating Baker next year, then we need to be drawing a clear contrast with an inspiring and affirmative progressive policy agenda. Not being Charlie, not being a Republican simply isn’t enough.

So what should you be asking declared and prospective candidates if you encounter them on a listening tour. Here are some ideas:

Charlie Baker doesn’t stand with us in wanting to make the minimum wage a living wage of $15 an hour. Do you?

Charlie Baker doesn’t stand with us in wanting to guarantee paid family and medical leave. Do you?

Charlie Baker doesn’t stand with us in wanting to guarantee health care as a right through a Medicare for All system. Do you?

Charlie Baker doesn’t stand with us in wanting to invest in our public schools to give all students the best opportunities we can. Do you?

Charlie Baker doesn’t stand with us in wanting to make public higher education tuition-free. Do you?

Charlie Baker doesn’t stand with us in wanting comprehensive changes to our criminal justice system to end mass incarceration and inhumane practices like solitary confinement. Do you?

Charlie Baker doesn’t stand with us in wanting to protect our immigrant family, friends, and neighbors by preventing the use of state resources for a mass deportation regime. Do you?

Charlie Baker doesn’t stand with us in wanting to expand voting rights through things like automatic voter registration and Election Day registration. Do you?

Charlie Baker doesn’t stand with us in wanting to aggressively shift away from a fossil fuel-based economy to one powered by renewables like solar and wind. Do you?

Charlie Baker doesn’t stand with us in wanting to raise the revenue needed to upgrade and expand our public transit system. Do you?

A contested primary can give YOU, the voter, leverage–but only if you use it. No candidate is owed your vote. Public servants work for you, and anyone running for such an office should have to work for your vote.

And when all Democratic candidates are arguing about who’s the bolder progressive, and not who’s friendlier to some supposed centrist ideal, that’s when we will have a policy debate worth having.