One of the biggest upset victories from last Tuesday was consumer protection attorney Persis Yu’s defeat of Senate Majority Whip Mike Rush in the Norfolk and Suffolk district, which includes the southwestern part of Boston (part of JP, part of Hyde Park, Roslindale, West Roxbury) and nearby suburbs (Dedham, Westwood, Norwood, Walpole).
Although Persis’s win came as a surprise to many politicos, it wasn’t a surprise to our chapters on the ground in the district (JP Progressives, Progressive West Roxbury/Roslindale, and Neponset Valley Progressives).
Indeed, Persis’s win on Tuesday shows why chapters are so essential.
First, the year-round organizing, community building, and political education that chapters do changes who even considers running for office in the first place. The type of people we want to see in office will only take the risk of running if they think there will be people willing and eager to support them.
Second, chapters inform communities about what incumbents are actually up to. If you want people to realize how an incumbent’s voting record and values are increasingly out of step with the district, you need to show them. Hosting events, organizing trips to the State House, publishing votes, and more—these all help people understand whether their elected officials are representing them well.
So many people thought that this district was too conservative for a progressive to win. But our chapters across all corners of the district knew otherwise because they had been listening, influencing, organizing, and doing the work.
Learn more about our existing chapters here or reach out about creating a chapter in your community at chapters@progressivemass.com.In solidarity,
Jonathan Cohn
Policy Director
Progressive Massachusetts
🎉Congratulations to our endorsed candidates who won their primaries last week and are advancing to November! 🎉
~~US Senate~~
Ed Markey for US Senate
Djuna Perkins for Norfolk County District Attorney
Norfolk County voters who want to see a progressive reformer as their next District Attorney should vote for Djuna Perkins. Djuna will bring professionalism, accountability, a trauma-informed approach, and a commitment to building community trust to an office that desperately needs it, and her decades of experience show her strong commitment to fairness and justice.
She has been endorsed by Progressive Brookline, Progressive Mass Western Norfolk County, and Neponset Valley Progressives.
Learn more about Djuna at https://www.djunaperkins.com/.
~~MA Senate~~
Persis Yu for Norfolk and Suffolk State Senate
The District: Boston: Jamaica Plain / Roslindale / West Roxbury / Hyde Park (Ward 18 Pcts 9,-12, 16, 17, 19, 20, 22, 23; Ward 19 Pcts 2, 3, 5, 8-11, 13; Ward 20), Dedham, Norwood, Walpole, Westwood
A working mom and active BPS parent, trained as a lawyer and social worker, Persis Yu is an experienced consumer rights attorney and champion for families and workers. During her nearly two decades as a consumer rights attorney and advocate, she has secured billions of dollars in student debt relief, filed class action lawsuits that directly cancelled hundreds of thousands of dollars in predatory employer debt, and led campaigns that resulted in worker protection laws in more than a dozen states. She combines expert knowledge, a proven track record, and strong progressive values. Learn more about Persis at https://www.electpersis.com/.
Persis Yu has also been endorsed by our chapters JP Progressives and Progressive West Roxbury/Roslindale.
Shannon Teabo for Worcester and Hampshire
The District: Barre, Brookfield, East Brookfield, Gardner, Hardwick, Holden, Hubbardston, Leicester, New Braintree, North Brookfield, Oakham, Paxton, Phillipston, Princeton, Rutland, Spencer, Sterling, Templeton, Ware, West Brookfield, Westminster, Worcester (W7 Pcts 2, 4-6; W9 P3&4)
Shannon Teabo is an activist, organizer, and mom running to fight for affordable childcare, funding for education, and equitable access to quality healthcare. She is running against Republican incumbent Peter Durant, who has an 8% on our Legislative Scorecard and a racist, xenophobic, and anti-worker record as a state senator and previously as a state rep. Learn more about Shannon at https://www.teaboforsenate.com/.
~~MA House~~
Jack Richardson for 3rd Barnstable State Rep
The District: Bourne (Pcts 4-6), Falmouth (Pcts 3-5, 7-9), Mashpee
Jack Richardson became the youngest person ever elected to the Falmouth Select Board, and he immediately got to work. He led the effort to ban ICE from town property without a judicial warrant and secured funding for a Portuguese-speaking social worker. He has championed measures to make Falmouth more affordable, vibrant, and more climate-resilient at the local level and is ready to fight for housing affordability and climate action at the State House. Learn more about Jack at https://www.jackprichardson.com/.
Jack Richardson has also been endorsed by our chapter Indivisible Upper Cape.
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.
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.
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/.
Ravi Simon for 13th Middlesex State Rep
The District: Concord (Pcts 3 & 4), Lincoln (Pct 1), Marlborough (W1 Pcts 1 & 2, W2 Pct 2A, W7 Pct 2A, Sudbury, Wayland (Pcts 1, 4)
Ravi Simon brings policy experience, organizing skills, and strong progressive values. As the legislative aide to Rep. Carmine Gentile, he worked on PM priorities like debt-free higher education, a local option real estate transfer fee, and same day registration. He has served as a member of the Lincoln-Sudbury School Committee, and he was an organizer with the State House Employee Union, fighting for better workplace conditions for himself and fellow legislative staff. Learn more about Ravi at https://www.ravisimon.com/.
Lorena Betts for 16th Middlesex State Rep
The District: Chelmsford (Pcts 1, 2, 3A, 5B, 6), Lowell (Ward 1 Pcts 1, 2, 3, 4; Ward 2; Ward 4 Pct 4)
Lorena Betts is first and foremost an organizer. She is the founder of The Peacemakers Network, a grassroots movement of peacemakers in Massachusetts focused on building bridges through education, community building and policy advocacy, and has organized the local No Kings rallies in her community. She has State House experience as a legislative aide, and that experience has led her to understand how badly the State House is broken and the need for organizers inside working with those outside to make real change possible. Learn more about Lorena at https://lorenabetts.com/.
Lorena Betts has also been endorsed by our chapter Solidarity Lowell.
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/.
Ben Ewen-Campen for 27th Middlesex State Rep
The District: Somerville (Ward 1 Pct 4A; Ward 2 Pcts 1, 2, 3, 4; Ward 3 (all); Ward 4 Pct 2A; Ward 5 (all), Ward 6 Pcts 1, 2, 3, 4)
Ben Ewen-Campen has been a reliable progressive ally and a leader on key issues on the Somerville City Council. As an advocate for affordable housing, he helped found the statewide coalition fighting for a local option real estate transfer fee. He led the passage of Somerville’s Affordable Housing Overlay (AHO) District, and he spearheaded the work on Somerville’s rent control home rule petition. He led the passage of ordinances to ban tear gas and heavily restrict the use of other “non-lethal” crowd control techniques, require Council approval of surveillance technologies, and make Somerville the second city in the US to prohibit the usage of facial recognition technology by the local government. Learn more about Ben at https://www.benforstaterepma.com/.
Leila Migliorelli for 32nd Middlesex
The District: Malden (Ward 5 Pcts 2 & 3A), Melrose, Wakefield (Pcts 4 – 6)
Leila Migliorelli is a Melrose City Councilor who has led on such issues creating the first-ever Melrose Affordable Housing Trust, advocating for critical infrastructure projects, and supporting public schools. She is running to advocate for strengthening public schools’ funding, protecting immigrant rights, expanding access to reproductive health care, and and building more sustainable communities. Learn more about Leila at https://leilaforrep.com/.
Leila has also been endorsed by our chapter Mystic Valley Progressives.
Lisa Lopez for 6th Norfolk
The District: Avon, Canton, Stoughton (Pcts 1, 2A, 4A, 5, 7, and 8)
Lisa Lopez is a former Select Board Member in Canton, the third woman in history to ever be elected to the role. She championed the town’s municipal energy aggregation program (Canton Electrical Choice) and Affordable Housing Trust and played a key role in the town’s response to COVID. She was the initial chair of the Community Preservation Committee in Canton, and she is the current chair of the Canton Housing Authority and the local Affordable Housing Trust. She is running to be an advocate for housing affordability, environmental protection, and health care access. Learn more about Lisa at https://www.lopezforrep.com/.
Tom Melville for 9th Norfolk
The District: Medfield (Pcts 3 & 4), Millis (Pct 1), Norfolk, Plainville, Walpole (Pct 5), Wrentham
Tom Melville is a former journalist, having served as Executive News Director at WBUR and News Director at NECN, and someone who as a result values open communication, transparency, and listening. He was inspired to run after seeing the bigoted and divisive way that the incumbent, Republican Marcus Vaughn, responded to the opening of a shelter for migrant families. He is running to be a strong advocate for education funding, civil rights, climate action, health care access, and government transparency. Learn more about Tom at https://www.electmelville.com/.
Tom is also endorsed by Progressive Mass Western Norfolk County.
Jen Heck for 18th Worcester
The District: Douglas, Oxford (Pcts 1 & 4), Sutton, Uxbridge (Pct 1), Webster
Jen Heck is a documentary filmmaker who led the successful campaign to bring Sutton into MBTA Communities Act compliance, turning early opposition into near-unanimous support. She is running to be a champion for tackling the housing affordability crisis, investing more in our public schools, and establishing clear ethical guardrails around the use of AI. She is running against Republican Joe McKenna, who has a 0% on our Legislative Scorecard. Learn more about Jen at https://www.heckyeah2026.org/.
Governor’s Council
The Governor’s Council is the most important office that you may have never heard of. The Massachusetts Governor’s Council consists of eight individuals elected from districts each consisting of five state senate districts. The Council is responsible for confirming judges and members of the Parole Board, among other nominees, and of approving pardons and commutations. If you care about the present and future of courts in Massachusetts, then you should care about the Governor’s Council.
We are proud to endorse four incumbents facing contested elections.
Tamisha Civil for District 2
- Learn about Tamisha at https://tamishacivil.com/.
- Communities in District 2: Ashland, Attleboro, Avon, Bellingham, Braintree (Pcts 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, 3A, 4A, 5A, 5B, 6B), Bridgewater, Brockton, Canton, Dover, East Bridgewater, Easton, Foxborough, Framingham, Franklin, Halifax, Hanson, Holliston, Hopkinton, Mansfield, Medfield, Medway, Milford, Millis, Milton, Natick, Needham, Norfolk, North Attleborough, Norton, Plainville, Randolph, Sharon, Sherborn, Stoughton, West Bridgewater, Whitman, Wrentham
- State Senators’ Districts within D2: Mike Brady, Bill Driscoll, Paul Feeney, Karen Spilka, Becca Rausch
Mara Dolan for District 3
- Learn more about Mara at https://maradolan.com/.
- Boston neighborhoods in District 3: Boston — Fenway (W4P10, 12; W5P2, 10, 12, 15; W21P1); Boston – Allston/Brighton (W21P2-16, W22)
- Other cities and towns in District 3: Acton, Arlington, Ayer, Bedford, Belmont, Billerica, Boxborough, Brookline, Burlington, Cambridge – West Cambridge (W8P2; W9); Carlisle, Chelmsford, Concord, Harvard, Hudson, Lexington, Lincoln, Littleton, Marlborough, Maynard, Newton, Southborough, Stow, Sudbury, Waltham, Watertown, Wayland, Wellesley, Weston, Woburn
- State Senators’ Districts within D3: Mike Barrett, Will Brownsberger, Cindy Creem, Jamie Eldridge, Cindy Friedman
Paul DePalo for District 7
- Learn more about Paul at https://www.pauldepalo.com/.
- Communities in District 7:
- Hampden County: Brimfield, Holland, Monson, and Wales
- Hampshire County: Ware
- Middlesex County: Ashby, Groton, Shirley, Townsend, and Westford
- Worcester County (excluding Ashburnham, Athol, Harvard, Milford, Petersham, Royalston, Southborough, Warren, and Winchendon)
- State Senators’ Districts within D4: John Cronin, Peter Durant, Ryan Fattman, Robyn Kennedy, Michael Moore
Tara Jacobs for District 8
- Learn more about Tara at https://tarajacobs.com/.
- Communities in District 8:
- Berkshire County (all)
- Franklin County (all)
- Hampden County (all but Brimfield, Holland, Monson, and Wales)
- Hampshire County (all except Ware)
- Worcester County (Ashburnham, Athol, Petersham, Royalston, Waren, and Winchendon)
- State Senators’ Districts within D8: Jo Comerford, Adam Gomez, Paul Mark, Jake Oliveira, John Velis
We are excited about the victories from endorsed candidates last Tuesday, but not all of our endorsed candidates won.
To our endorsed candidates who didn’t win: We are still proud of all the work you put into the campaign, and we are excited to see what you do next
