I heard this again and again as I was passing our ballot question endorsement palm cards at a recent community festival.
With 9 statewide ballot questions (as well as some additional local or district-specific ballot questions in some communities), the ballot this year is long. Ballot questions can be confusingly worded and have implications that aren’t fully clear at first reading.
That’s why trusted sources of information are so important. Our endorsement palm cards provide that resource.
Here’s how you can help:
Share our endorsement graphic on social media or with your friends. (Facebook, Instagram, BlueSky)
Want some copies of our palm card to distribute? Just ask us.
Click here for a deep dive on each question so you can talk about them fluently.
In solidarity, Jonathan Cohn Policy Director Progressive Massachusetts
“No [on 3]: Jonathan Cohn, the policy director of Progressive Massachusetts, says private equity executives provided 71 percent of the funding for the pro–Question 3 campaign. He argues that running twice raises costs and favors well-funded candidates. He also says the system pressures candidates in crowded fields to drop out early, and lets any group of fifty people get its endorsements printed on the ballot.”
“No [on 5]: Cohn of Progressive Massachusetts cites an estimate from the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center of about $2 billion in lost revenue per year, just as federal cuts are set to hit next year. He argues this would drain rainy-day reserves and lead to cuts in arts and culture spending, as well as the programs creative workers depend on.”
The most dangerous words in the English language are: “we’re from private equity, and we’re here to help.”
When private equity swoops in to “help” a struggling business, that typically means worsening labor conditions and worsening product quality—but increasing the money of those private equity executives. That’s exactly what private equity executives are trying to do with democracy in Massachusetts with this year’s Question 3, making it a place where they can more easily buy candidates and forestall progressive victories at the state and federal level. These donors are seeking to curb the rise of more populist messaging and policy that centers working people rather than the rich and large corporations. The fact that jungle primaries are detrimental to workers’ interests is why labor unions and progressive groups across Massachusetts are united in urging you to vote NO on Question 3.
Question 3 would change MA’s electoral system to a jungle primary system like California and Washington. Proponents have been saying that this is about democracy, accountability, choice, competition, but a quick look at where the money comes from says otherwise.
According to campaign finance disclosures, 70% of the money raised for Question 3 comes from private equity, with most of that from Bain Capital or Berkshire Partners. Indeed, just six private equity executives account for half of all the money raised by the campaign. These are overwhelmingly donors to conservative Democrats (like MA’s Jake Auchincloss and Seth Moulton) and Republicans (like Susan Collins and Bill Cassidy) who are friendly to the corporate centrism that the financial industry loves.
These donors have a long history of funding education privatization ballot questions, and not a lot of history caring about democracy.
What is Q3?
Question 3 makes several noteworthy changes to Massachusetts elections. It’s important to understand the risks of all of them.
The marquee part of Question 3 is the all-party primary system, often called a jungle primary, in which all candidates run on the same ballot and the top two candidates of any party advance to the general election. More on that in a moment.
Question 3 also changes how MA elects Lieutenant Governors. Currently, MA has a system with the perhaps inartful moniker of “shotgun marriage”: Governor and Lt. Governor candidates run separately in the primary, and then are paired together in the general election. Under Question 3, gubernatorial candidates would pick their running mates upon formally filing as a candidate with the Secretary of State. Vetting possible running mates is a major hurdle for grassroots and less institutionally connected candidates, and if people don’t think you can win (grassroots candidates often peak late), why would anyone want to bet a year of their time on your campaign? It’s a very clear way to limit the possibility of who can consider running.
Question 3 also changes ballot design in Massachusetts. In a bastardized version of fusion voting, it allows multiple minor parties to endorse the same candidate on the ballot. Fusion voting in states like New York strengthens democracy by enabling voters to choose minor parties’ ballot lines and help them to build a base. They earn that ballot line by having actual voters. By contrast, in Massachusetts, you can get minor party status with only 50 people petitioning the secretary of state. With such a low threshold, any slumlord can create a minor party (say, “Massachusetts Housing for All”), and start endorsing candidates on the ballot with deceptive names. The SuperPACs that flood your mailboxes in election season have to disclose their donors, but imagine if they can just get their endorsements printed directly on your ballot.
A Warning From California
California’s recent gubernatorial primary should be a warning to anyone thinking about voting YES on Question 3 this November.
This year, given the diverse Democratic field and narrow Republican field in the gubernatorial race, polling consistently showed that two conservative Republicans would advance to the general election, denying voters real choice.
Out of fear of such a lockout, the CA Democratic Party started pressuring candidates to drop out of the race, and the two dominant candidates became a self-funding billionaire and the candidate backed by every corporate PAC in the state. Actual policy debate was sidelined, and party elites and big money donors were empowered.
Whenever there is a push for consolidation, those with power, money, and privilege will always claim a right to stay in a race, regardless of whether they have the best ideas (often, they don’t).
One of the biggest advocates for California’s jungle primary system has been the California Chamber of Commerce. They have touted its ability to help them get more corporate-aligned Democrats elected on the basis of lots of outside special interest money, conservative crossover votes in Democrat vs. Democrat general elections, and the loss of cues through which people typically understand the differences between candidates. And they are right, with the emergence of a new bloc of corporate-backed Democrats more loyal to Uber, Chevron, Meta, and crypto than to any constituencies or values.
That’s not a solution to any problem we have in Massachusetts; it will make the ability to pass policies to help working people even harder.
Getting Diverse, Working-Class Candidates to Run
I have worked for many years to try to recruit more candidates to run for office and support them when they do. When I talk with prospective candidates, the two biggest barriers for them when considering running for office are time and money. Running for office takes up a lot of time. It might require you to take an extended leave from work, or balance a full-time campaign and a full-time job.
It also costs a lot of money to run for office, and most people don’t start out with a readymade list of high-net-worth donor prospects.
If we want to see more working people run for office, then we need to find ways to rein in the time and financial burdens of running for office.
Question 3 makes both of them worse, increasing both the time and money involved in running for office–benefiting incumbents and wealthy candidates for whom neither poses a true obstacle.
Ranked Choice Voting vs. Jungle Primaries
Although Massachusetts voters unfortunately rejected Ranked Choice Voting in 2020, there has been a robust and inspiring push on the local level to adopt Ranked Choice Voting on the local level. The push for a top-two primary system takes the wind out of those sails.
New York City’s mayoral race last year showed us the wide-ranging benefits of ranked choice voting. Zohran Mamdani’s Democratic primary was due to an amazing field operation and a compelling message, for sure, but NYC’s Ranked Choice Voting system was essential to how the campaign played out.
When voters can pick multiple candidates and register their preferences accordingly, progressive candidates aren’t in a fight to the death: they want each other’s voters to also rank them. We saw that dynamic in 2025’s greatest bromance: the cross-endorsement between Zohran Mamdani and former Comptroller and current Congressman-elect Brad Lander and the positivity and goodwill surrounding it. When progressive candidates lift each other up, the ideas and the movement benefit.
In a ranked choice system, voters also don’t need to be afraid that voting for their top choice could lead to their least favorite choice getting elected. If you were a voter who did not want to see Andrew Cuomo become governor, you didn’t need to spend hours agonizing about how others might vote: you just vote for multiple progressive candidates and leave Cuomo off your ballot.
A jungle primary, by contrast, is what Andrew Cuomo wanted to jerry-rig New York’s election system into. After losing the primary, he insisted on staying in the election, and he wanted to force out other candidates in order to form a cross-party conservative coalition, backed by a lot of money and a lot of racism. Cuomo was able to strong-arm Mayor Eric Adams out of the general election, but failed to convince Republican candidate Curtis Silwa out. Nonetheless, Cuomo still got 73% of Republican voters to vote for him, according to exit polls. With Mamdani pulling 50.78% of the vote in the general election, one can easily see how Cuomo’s theory of the election could have worked if he bullied his way into a two-party race. Democracy and the City of New York would have been worse for it.
Just Say No
Question 3 is shaping up to be a “Whose side are you on?” question. On the yes side: private equity, venture capitalists, and investment bankers. On the no side: every major labor union and progressive group in the state.
The yes side, bankrolled by those who have been fighting for years to make working people’s lives worse, and the no side, backed by those who have been fighting to make working people’s lives better. The choice is clear: NO on Question 3.
Jonathan Cohn is a member of Boston DSA and Policy Director for Progressive Massachusetts, a multi-issue grassroots organization that advocates for state level policy. He has been active in campaigns to expand voting rights, strengthen immigrants’ rights, increase education funding, and make a fairer tax code, among many more. He has also been a volunteer, neighborhood team leader, regional coordinator, or campaign manager for various candidate campaigns and ballot initiatives at the city, state, county, and national level.
“You can’t really address a problem you’re not collecting data on,” Jon Cohn, the policy director for Progressive Massachusetts, told the Independent. “There’s nothing in the law that restricts someone’s legal gun ownership; it just makes guns easier to track.”
Cohn said the law’s broader ban on “assault-style firearms” is important to keep Massachusetts laws “aligned with the type of weapons that exist in 2026.”
Cohn said that the bill’s expansion of red flag laws was important to protect against suicide, which “is often forgotten about as a large share of gun violence.”
In 2024, about two-thirds of gun-related deaths in Massachusetts were suicides, according to the CDC.
“It was a very well thought out, robust piece of legislation responding to real needs,” Cohn said.
…….
Cohn, meanwhile, said that repealing the law would set a bad precedent for gun control elsewhere in the country.
“Massachusetts, as one of the more liberal states, should be constantly leading on policy,” he said. “If we’re going backward on policy, it sets a really bad precedent for what can happen in other states.”
With a record-tying 9 statewide ballot questions this year, that ballot will be much longer than usual, and voter education this fall is extra important. Read on for our recommendations on all 9 questions.
✅VOTE YES ON 1 to expand the public records law to cover the Governor and the Legislature. We’re the only state in the country that doesn’t do that already. Let the sunlight in.
✅VOTE YES ON 2 to enable public defenders to collectively bargain. Every worker deserves to have a union, and public defenders, who are often overworked and underpaid, should be no exception.
❌VOTE NO ON 3 to prevent private equity billionaires from rigging our election system in their favor. Top-two primaries empower corporate PACs and self-funders, disadvantage grassroots candidates, and turn MAGA voters into election kingmakers.
✅VOTE YES ON 4 to enable voters to register to vote or update their registration on Election Day. No eligible voter should be turned away due to a clerical error, and this reform is one of the most proven ways to increase voter turnout.
❌VOTE NO ON 5 to protect our state’s ability to invest in health care, transportation, and public education. The rich would get millions in tax rebates, while the rest of us suffer from underfunded public services.
⚪VOTE how you want on 6. Question 6 fell shy of our endorsement threshold: our members valued land and water conservation, but were worried about the dedication of existing funds as opposed to new ones.
✅VOTE YES on 7 to enable more starter homes across the Commonwealth. We have a housing crisis, and large lot size requirements mean fewer homes are able to be built.
❌VOTE NO on 8 to protect our state’s cannabis laws. We said NO to the war on drugs back in 2016, and we shouldn’t turn back time and destroy local economies.
✅VOTE YES ON 9 to protect our state’s landmark gun safety law, which cracked down on ghost guns, banned machine gun conversion devices, and strengthened gun violence data collection.
Phone Bank for Ballot Questions
Phone Bank for No on 3: Wednesdays at 6 pm, RSVP here (also text banking on Mondays & Tuesdays) Don’t let private equity buy our election system
Phone Bank for Yes on 4:RSVP here No eligible voter should but shut out from our elections.
Phone Bank for No on 5:RSVP here Protect our state’s ability to invest and say no to CEOs trying to undermine Fair Share.
Phone Bank for Yes on 9: Wednesdays at 6 pm, RSVP here Protect MA’s leadership in gun violence prevention.
Our 2026 Candidate Endorsements
~~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.
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 an8% 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 athttps://www.teaboforsenate.com/.
State Rep. Erika Uyterhoeven has been a champion of tax fairness, climate action, public schools, criminal justice reform, and so many important issues. Erika has consistently had an A+ on our Progressive Scorecard. Learn more about Erika at https://www.electerika.com/.
Vanna Howard for First Middlesex
The District: Dracut, Dunstable, Lowell, Pepperell and Tyngsborough
Sen. Vanna Howard won the special election for this seat earlier this year. Both as a state rep before and a as a state senator now, she has been a strong champion for immigrants’ rights, reproductive justice, and public education. Learn more about Vanna at https://www.vannahoward.com/.
Jamie Eldridge for Middlesex & Worcester
The District: Acton, Ayer, Boxborough, Harvard, Hudson, Littleton, Marlborough, Maynard, Southborough, Stow, Sudbury, and Wayland
Senator Jamie Eldridge has been a stalwart on so many progressive issues, like tax fairness, immigrants’ rights, climate action, housing justice, and more and has reliably had an A or A+ on our Legislator Scorecard. Learnmore about Jamie at https://www.jamieeldridge.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. Learn more about Celina at http://www.celinareyes.com.
Connor Murray for 18th Essex
The District: Andover (Pcts 1, 4A, 5-10), Boxford (Pct 1), North Andover (Pcts 7&8), Tewksbury (Pcts 3, 5A, 7)
Connor Murray has been an activist for climate action, affordable housing, and gun violence prevention and is ready to lead on those and other progressive issues in the State House. Learn more about Connor at https://www.murray4ma.com/.
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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 a0% 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.
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.
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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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.
“People outside the district didn’t know what was happening,” said Rob Orthman, a Yu backer and co-director of Progressive West Roxbury/Roslindale. “And we were perfectly fine keeping it that way. We did not want to raise attention to this to suddenly start seeing, you know, all the money and support for the incumbent start to flow in.”
Yu, a Boston Public Schools parent and mother of two, had been active on Boston’s Ward 18 Democratic Committee, but first popped up on Orthman’s radar last spring, he said, as she met with progressive groups around the district to test the waters on a potential state Senate bid.
A consumer protection attorney, “she always likes to say[that] she’s sued the last few presidential administrations on behalf of student loan borrowers, both Democratic and Republican,” Orthman said.
“These campaign donations and Moulton’s voting record make him unfit to call himself a progressive, said Jonathan Cohn, policy director with the statewide grassroots organization Progressive Mass.
“Seth has done a fascinating job of trying to rebrand himself as progressive this cycle,” Cohn told The Lever. “[Moulton] doesn’t ever really actually hit on the big problem over the past few decades of the Democratic Party’s movement away from thinking about how the government can positively intervene to improve people’s everyday lives.”
Cohn said that progressive candidates need to support core issues at the center of the progressive movement, like taxing the rich and providing universal public services, such as Medicare for All.”
Koh’s endorsements — Biden, Kamala Harris, Pete Buttigieg — reflect his vast connections. He’s also dominated when it comes to fundraising in his second foray into congressional politics. He lost the 2018 primary in the 3rd District by a mere 122 votes to eventual general winner Lori Trahan.
“Both of his parents are affluent and well connected,” said Jonathan Cohn, policy director at advocacy group Progressive Massachusetts. “And he used to be the chief of staff for former Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, so he has all of Marty’s connections as well.”
Progressive Massachusetts backed one of Koh’s opponents for the 6th District: Tram Nguyen, a state representative who has worked as a lawyer representing immigrants and domestic violence victims.
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But Cohn, whose Progressive Massachusetts endorsed Roath, is hopeful that momentum from other recent elections — and connections Roath built while as an aide to former Governor Deval Patrick — could propel him to victory. He’s particularly optimistic after races in cities like Quincy, not particularly known to be a progressive haven, yielded positive results for his allies.
“Quincy had a big upset year in local elections last year, where a number of progressive challengers won,” Cohn said. “With that level of local dissatisfaction with a conservative status quo, it’ll be interesting to see if that carries over to the congressional.”
