Vote Yes on Question 1, Yes on Question 2

Election Day is just twelve days away. Can you believe it?

On your ballot statewide here in Massachusetts, you’ll see two ballot questions.

YES on Question 1: Right to Repair  🚙🚙

In 2012, Massachusetts voted for a Right to Repair ballot initiative that required automobile manufacturers to provide non-proprietary diagnostic information as well as safety information directly to consumers so that they can choose who repairs their car (rather than being dependent on the manufacturer itself). Technology has advanced in the past eight years, and Question 1 updates the legislative compromise that resulted from the 2012 ballot initiative accordingly. Curbing monopoly power and protecting consumers is a win for all of us.

Yes on 1: Right to Repair Q

YES on Question 2: Ranked Choice Voting 🗳🗳

Our first-past-the-post system forces ordinary voters to weigh whether they can vote for their preferred candidate or whether doing so would lead to a “spoiler effect” that gives a candidate they like less a clearer path to victory. This same dynamic can lead candidates and their supporters to try to force similar candidates out of a race due to a fear of “vote splitting.” 

Within the current system, the ultimate winner may command less than a majority support, a contradiction of a basic tenet of democracy and a far too common occurrence in Massachusetts elections. We have some of the least competitive elections in the country, and candidates can win with small pluralities and then stay in office for decades. Ranked Choice Voting would eliminate these problems by enabling voters to rank the order of their preferences on the ballot and ensuring that whoever wins does so with majority support. 

Yes on 2: RCV

📢Find opportunities to volunteer with Yes on 2 here. 📢

📢Join Ayanna Pressley for a phone bank for Yes on 2 next Monday at 5:30 pm. 📢

Climate & Democracy Ballot Questions

Some state representative districts across the commonwealth will see non-binding advisory ballot questions. We are supporting a YES on two of them in particular.

YES on 100% Renewable Energy ☀️☀️

Question: Shall the representative for this district be instructed to vote in favor of legislation that would require Massachusetts to achieve 100% renewable energy use within the next two decades, starting immediately and making significant progress within the first five years while protecting impacted workers and businesses?

YES on Transparent Government 🗳🗳

Question: Shall the representative for this district be instructed to vote in favor of changes to the Legislature’s rules that would make the results of all votes in Legislative committees publicly available on the Legislature’s website?

It’s simple: if we want a livable planet, we need to rapidly transition away from fossil fuels. And our legislators represent us, so we should be able to know how they are voting.

Find out what’s on your ballot here.

2020 Primary Election Debrief

Tuesday’s primary broke records, with more than 1.5 million people casting ballots. By contrast, fewer than 1 million people voted in the 2018 state primaries.

What accounts for the difference? A hotly contested Senate race drove turnout for sure. But a major driver was the expansion of vote-by-mail and early voting, which alerted more people to the fact that an election was even happening and made it easier for them to participate. As the next legislative session nears, it will be important to make these reforms not just a pandemic-induced one-off but a part of how we do elections in Massachusetts.

Another major winner on Tuesday?

Senator Ed Markey. Markey’s campaign was able to clearly communicate his history of delivering for Massachusetts and leading on progressive policy (especially on climate action), and he was able to combine support from party regulars with energized youth activists who combined a spirited online presence with a commitment to organizing and mobilizing voters of all ages. When Congressman Joe Kennedy first announced, early polls showed him leading: on Tuesday, Markey won 55.4% to 44.6%, a double-digit win. Kudos to all involved.

While high turnout should always be celebrated, it may have made an uphill battle even steeper for Congressional primary challengers, as countless voters may have cast their ballots before the challengers’ had the chance to make contact with them (or may have never even been in an expected voter universe). Despite this and the myriad of challenges posed by COVID, Holyoke mayor

Alex Morse was able to pull 41.2% of the vote against Congressman Richard Neal, and physician Robbie Goldstein 33.3% of the vote against Congressman Stephen Lynch. We’re excited for their political futures and hope that Neal and Lynch realize that they’re on watch.

So How about the State Senate?

In the Springfield-based Hampden district, progressive Springfield City Councilor Adam Gomez defeated centrist incumbent Jim Welch 52.5% – 47.5%, adding another progressive voice to the MA Senate and increasing the size of the Senate Black & Latino Caucus.

Disappointingly, over in the southern suburbs and exurbs of Boston, progressive challenger Jarred Rose lost to conservative incumbent Walter Timilty 68.1% to 31.9%. A clear sign of the turnout jump from this year? Jarred Rose got 11,637 votes; in 2018’s uncontested race, Timilty got just 1,000 more total votes than that. More than twice as many ballots were cast as were in the contested open race for this seat in 2016.

So How about the State House?

Three of our endorsees —Steve Owens, Orlando Ramos, and Erika Uyterhoeven — won in their open primaries to replace Representatives Jon Hecht, Joe Tosado, and Denise Provost, respectively. All three had strong voter outreach operations and clear messages.

Other candidates — whether running in open seats or against incumbents — were not so lucky, although some came extremely close. Given challenges they faced — the inability to run as aggressive of a field operation due to the pandemic, huge spikes in turnout learned about too late to adjust, and a wave of outside spending from allies of Charlie Baker and Bob DeLeo –they all did respectably, and we look forward to what comes next for all of them. They were fighting for progressive policy change before they started running, and we know they will continue to do so — and have inspired more people to join because of their campaigns.

Orlando Ramos (9th Hampden): WON 47.0% – 39.1% Hurst – 14.0% Mullan [Won by 552 votes]

Marianela Rivera (17th Essex): LOST 64.4% – 35.5% 

Lisa Arnold (17th Middlesex): LOST —  43.8% Howard (WON) – 32.1% Nangle (incumbent) – 24.1% Arnold 

Erika Uyerhoeven (27th Middlesex): WON — Uyterhoeven 62% – Sharp 38% 

Steve Owens (29th Middlesex): WON — Owens 59.65% – Sideris 22.95% – Ciccarelli 17.4% 

Andrew Flowers (8th Norfolk): LOST — Philips 51.7% – Flowers 48.3% [lost by 342 votes] 

Damali Vidot (2nd Suffolk): LOST — Ryan 57.6% – Vidot 42.4% 

Gretchen Van Ness (14th Suffolk): LOST  — Consalvo 53.4% – GVN 32.1% – Duckens 14.5% 

Joe Gravellese (16th Suffolk): LOST — Giannino 61.45% – Gravellese 38.55% 

Jordan Meehan (17th Suffolk): LOST 54.2% Honan – 45.8% Meehan [lost by 662 votes]

Ceylan Rowe (12th Worcester): LOST — Kilcoyne 51.4% – Rowe 28.2% – Turner 20.2% 

Boston Globe: “Ed Markey Beats Joe Kennedy”

Victoria McGrane’s write-up of the MA Senate primary included a quote from Progressive Mass Issues Commmittee chair Jonathan Cohn:

Markey also benefited from the frustrated energy of young progressives who watched their chosen candidates, Sanders and Warren, lose the presidential primary this spring. The Markeyverse, as his young online backers call themselves, started taking off in early March, as the primaries ended and the pandemic shutdown began.

“Ed Markey became their cause,” said Jonathan Cohn, chairman of Progressive Massachusetts’ issues committee.

Vote for Ed Markey and Downballot Progressives!

ou may have already voted, but we’re sure that even if you have, you still know people who haven’t yet.

TOMORROW — Tuesday, September 1st — is the last day to cast your ballot for the primary.

Polls will be open from 7 am to 8 pm. Find your polling location at wheredoivotema.com. (Note: Some polling locations have changed, so make sure to double check.)

If you still have your mail-in ballot, the best thing to do would be to drop your ballot off at the secure dropbox in your city/town. You need to do so by 8 pm tomorrow (the earlier, the better). You can find dropbox locations here. You cannot drop your mail-in ballot at a polling location tomorrow instead, but you can still vote in-person if you have not submitted your mail-in ballot.

Check if your mail-in ballot has been processed here. If it has not been, you can still vote in-person.

If you have any issues casting a ballot, or see clear issues like long lines or closed polling places, call the Election Protection Hotline: 1-866-OUR-VOTE.

WHOM TO VOTE FOR

You can find a complete list of our 2020 endorsements below. Scroll down to find links to the full sets of questionnaires that we received, including for races in which we did not yet choose to endorse. We make all of the questionnaires we receive available to the public as a service to you, the voters.

NB: There are some races that are contested in the general (but not the primary) in which we haven’t endorsed. Stay tuned for more!

Congress

US Senate: Ed Markey

Read our endorsement announcement of Ed Markey here.

MA-01: Alex Morse

MA-08: Robbie Goldstein

Read our endorsement announcement of Alex Morse and Robbie Goldstein here.

MA Legislature

MA Senate

Adam Gomez, Hampden

Becca Rausch, Norfolk, Bristol & Middlesex

Jarred Rose, Norfolk, Bristol & Plymouth

Meg Wheeler, Plymouth & Norfolk

MA House

Amber Hewett, 1st Essex

Christina Eckert, 2nd Essex

Orlando Ramos, 9th Hampden

Marianela Rivera, 17th Essex

Lisa Arnold, 17th Middlesex

Erika Uyterhoeven, 27th Middlesex

Steve Owens, 29th Middlesex

Andrew Flowers, 8th Norfolk

Damali Vidot, 2nd Suffolk

Gretchen Van Ness, 14th Suffolk

Joe Gravellese, 16th Suffolk

Jordan Meehan, 17th Suffolk

Ceylan Rowe, 12th Worcester

Governor’s Council

District 6: Helina Fontes

District 7: Paul DePalo

Sheriff (Special)

Norfolk County: Bill Phelan

Click below for C

Vox: “It’s been a weird campaign”

Progressive Mass Elections Committee chair Jonathan Cohn was quoted in Li Zhou’s write-up of the MA Senate primary for Vox:

 “On a number of issues, I would expect Markey to vote against a poorly negotiated bipartisan deal. Especially on climate and technology, I expect him to be introducing the new policy and moving the ball forward,” said Jonathan Cohn, of Progressive Massachusetts, who said he saw Kennedy as less likely to be making the same advancements.

…..

Ultimately, this lack of awareness is something the Markey campaign capitalized on to reestablish his image, Cohn said.

“Starting out with lower name recognition can be a blessing and a curse for a candidate,” he told Vox. “It allows them to craft what they want the narrative to be. They’ve had a very strong digital team, people who are either with Bernie or Warren in the primary, boosting the narrative about him.”

HuffPost & The Intercept Report on MA-08

Progressive Mass Elections Committee chair Jonathan Cohn was quoted in two recent articles in the MA-08 primary between Congresswoman Stephen Lynch and Dr. Robbie Goldstein.

 “Boston Doctor Aims To Unseat Longtime Democrat Who Voted Against Obamacare” — Tara Golshan, HuffPost (8/24/20)

The Goldstein race “has the potential to be one of those sleeper races,” said Jonathan Cohn, with Progressive Massachusetts, a statewide advocacy group. “[Lynch] doesn’t have a strong presence. He’s not particularly outspoken on much of anything. I think there is fertile ground to not do as well as people expect.”

“Progressive Boston Doctor Seeks to Unseat “Do-Nothing Moderate Democrat” in Congress” — Rachel Cohen, The Intercept (8/16/20)

“I don’t think [Lynch] is as conservative as Lipinski, but I do think the thing that sticks with people here is him having voted against the Affordable Care Act, given how much activism there was around that,” said Jonathan Cohn, a leader with Progressive Massachusetts, a statewide advocacy group. “People remember that.”

The Primary Is Just Over Half Weeks Away. Here Are Some New Endorsements.

The Massachusetts primary is just over two weeks away. We’ve made some endorsements already this spring and summer, and we’re ready to announce a few more.

Do you have questions about voting safely this fall? Check out SafeElectionsMA.org.

MA Legislature

Adam Gomez for Hampden Senate District

Adam Gomez is the Vice President of the Springfield City Council, where he serves as chair of Economic Development, and holds positions on the committees for Casino Oversight, Finance, and Environment and Sustainability. Adam is running to build a community where everyone has a good-paying job they can get to, where everyone has a home in a safe and healthy neighborhood, and where everyone sends their children to a world-class school. 

District: Parts of Chicopee, Springfield, and West Springfield

Learn more about Adam Gomez’s campaign here.

Orlando Ramos for 9th Hampden House District

Orlando Ramos is the chair of the Public Safety Committee of the Springfield City Council, where he has spearheaded the passage of one of the first ordinances to ban facial surveillance technology, and a member of United Brotherhood of Carpenters Local 336. He is running to continue the fight for police accountability and to ensure that cities like Springfield aren’t left behind, especially when it comes to equitable education funding.

District: Parts of Springfield and Chicopee

Learn more about Orlando Ramos’s campaign here.

Governor’s Council

The Massachusetts Governor’s Council is composed of eight individuals elected from districts, and the Lieutenant Governor who serves ex officio. The eight councillors are elected from their respective districts (consisting of five State Senate districts) every two years. The Council meets weekly to record advice and consent on warrants for the state treasury, pardons and commutations, and recording advice and consent to gubernatorial appointments such as judges, clerk-magistrates, public administrators, members of the Parole Board, Appellate Tax Board, Industrial Accident Board and Industrial Accident Reviewing Board, notaries, and justices of the peace.

Helina Fontes for Governor’s Council – District 6

Helina Fontes is a community organizer and an experienced human services and mental health program director. She is running to ensure that judges and parole board members are representative of the communities they serve, understand the unique challenges of those communities, and have demonstrated a personal commitment to jail and prison diversion, community integration, and racial justice.

Cities and Towns in District 6: Cambridge, Everett, Lynn, Lynnfield, Malden, Marblehead, Medford, Melrose, Nahant, Reading, Saugus, Somerville, Stoneham, Swampscott, Wakefield, Winchester + parts of Boston (East Boston, Charlestown, North End, West End, Downtown, Beacon Hill, and parts of the South End and Allston/Brighton)

State Senators’ Districts within D6: Brendan Crighton, Joe Boncore, Sal DiDomenico, Pat Jehlen, Jason Lewis

Learn more about Helina Fontes’s campaign here.

Paul DePalo for Governor’s Council – District 7

Paul DePalo is an attorney, former special education teacher, and member of the Worcester Planning Board. He’s running to ensure that the Parole Board has more mental health professionals and that Massachusetts judges protect women’s rights, workers’ rights, and civil rights for everyone in our inclusive Commonwealth. ​

Cities of District 7: Fitchburg, Gardner, Leominster, and Worcester; Towns of District 7: Ashburnham, Ashby, Athol, Auburn, Barre, Bellingham, Berlin, Blackstone, Bolton, Boylston, Brimfield, Brookfield, Charlton, Clinton, Douglas, Dudley, East Brookfield, Hardwick, Holden, Holland, Hopedale, Hubbardston, Lancaster, Leicester, Lunenburg, Mendon, Milford, Millbury, Millville, Monson, New Braintree, North Brookfield, Northborough (Pcts. 1, 2, 4), Northbridge, Palmer, Oakham, Oxford, Paxton, Petersham, Phillipston, Princeton, Rutland, Shrewsbury, Southbridge, Spencer, Sterling, Sturbridge, Sutton, Templeton, Townsend, Upton, Uxbridge, Wales, Ware, Warren, Webster, West Boylston, West Brookfield, Westminster, Winchendon

Learn more about Paul DePalo’s campaign here.

Sheriffs

Bill Phelan for Norfolk County Sheriff

Bill Phelan comes with the background of a former mentor for at-risk youth, former mayor, and current defense attorney. He is running to provide a continuum of services before, during, and after incarceration delivered with compassion and dignity in a safe environment and to foster a culture of racial equity and respect for all.

Learn more about Bill Phelan’s campaign here.

One Month Until Primary Day: Our New State Legislative Endorsements

The Massachusetts state primary is just one month away: Tuesday, September 1st. And the general election just three months and two days.

The basics for getting prepared for the next month:

But beyond just being registered, we want you to be informed. Read questionnaires from candidates running for State Legislature across the state here.

There are a lot of questionnaires, so we decided to break up our endorsements into multiple batches as in years past.

Our Elections Committee reviewed questionnaires, spoke with allies, and made recommendations for our second round of endorsements, and then our members voted.

And we’re proud to endorse the following candidates, who will be progressive champions in the MA House and Senate.

🗳🗳🗳🗳🗳🗳🗳🗳🗳🗳🗳🗳🗳🗳🗳🗳🗳🗳🗳🗳🗳🗳🗳🗳🗳🗳🗳🗳🗳🗳🗳🗳🗳🗳🗳🗳🗳

SENATE 

NorfoBlk, Bristol & Middlesex: Becca Rausch

Becca Rausch is a first-term senator and a progressive champion. We endorsed Becca in 2018, and she’s been one of our strongest allies in the Senate, with a perfect score on our 2019 scorecard. She’s been a tireless fighter for health equity, civil rights, and strengthening our democracy, and we need more senators like her.

Learn more at https://www.beccarausch.com/.

Where’s the District?: All or parts of Attleboro, Franklin, Millis, Natick, Needham, Norfolk, North Attelborough, Plainville, Sherborn, Wayland, Wellesley, and Wrentham

Norfolk, Bristol & Plymouth: Jarred Rose

Jarred Rose is a Town Meeting Member in Stoughton, a member of the Stoughton Cultural Council, and a former policy adviser in the MA Senate. He is running to fight for a Massachusetts Green New Deal, affordable housing for all income levels, and a more equitable and inclusive commonwealth.

Learn more at https://www.jarredrose.com/.

Where’s the District?: All or parts of Avon, Braintree, Canton, East Bridgewater, Easton, Milton, Randolph, Sharon, Stoughton, and West Bridgewater

Plymouth & Norfolk: Meg Wheeler

Meg Wheeler is the founder of One for Women, an online community and marketplace devoted to connecting and empowering women. She is running to fight for universal child care, a more aggressive response to climate change, and an economy that works for all, not just those on the top.

Learn more at https://www.megwheeler.com/.

Where’s the District?: Cohasset, Duxbury, Hingham, Hull, Marshfield, Norwell, Scituate, and Weymouth

🗳🗳🗳🗳🗳🗳🗳🗳🗳🗳🗳🗳🗳🗳🗳🗳🗳🗳🗳🗳🗳🗳🗳🗳🗳🗳🗳🗳🗳🗳🗳🗳🗳🗳🗳🗳🗳

HOUSE

1st Essex: Amber Hewett

Amber Hewett is an environmental advocate who has advanced offshore wind policy in a number of states at the National Wildlife Federation. She’s ready to continue the fight for bold policies to mitigate climate change and address the intersectionality of the climate crisis with inequality and systemic racism.

Learn more at https://www.amberhewett.com/.

Where’s the District?: Amesbury, Newburport, and Salisbury

2nd Essex: Christina Eckert

Christina Eckert is a community advocate who has worked for Merrimack River Watershed Council, Masconomet Education Foundation, and the Community Giving Tree. She is running to fight for environmental protection and housing security and address the district’s status as public transit desert.

Learn more at https://www.eckertforrep.com/.

Where’s the District?: All or parts of Boxford, Georgetown, Groveland, Haverhill, Merrimac, Newbury, and West Newbury

8th Norfolk: Andrew Flowers

Andrew Flowers is an economist and the chair of Walpole’s affordable housing committee. He is running to fight for greater investments in public transit, make Massachusetts a more welcoming state for all, and strengthen democracy in the State House and the state as a whole.

Learn more at https://andrewflowers.com/.

Where’s the District?: All or parts of Mansfield, Sharon, Stoughton, and Walpole

16th Suffolk: Joe Gravellese

Joe Gravellese is former legislative director and mayoral aide and has the hands-on experience of crafting policy. He’s running for office in order to fight for greater investment in public transit, solutions to our affordable housing crisis, and an accelerated transition to 100% renewable energy.

Learn more at https://www.joegrav.com/.

Where’s the District?: Parts of Chelsea, Revere, and Saugus

“The Democratic Party’s Most Confounding Primary” — The Intercept

PM elections committee chair Jonathan Cohn was recently quoted on the MA Senate primary in The Intercept:

“One thing we’ve pointed out is that in 2018, he had the choice to support progressive women of color — Ayanna Pressley and Nika Elugardo — but he didn’t,” said Jonathan Cohn, a leader with Progressive Massachusetts, a statewide advocacy group that has endorsed Markey. In those races, Kennedy endorsed incumbents Capuano and Jeffrey Sanchez, who both lost. (This cycle Elugardo has endorsed Markey, and Pressley is staying out of the race.)

Boston.com: The Left & Ed

 PM elections committee chair was quoted in Boston.com’s Nik DeCosta-Klipa’s article “Ed Markey ‘ain’t no Bernie.’ But left-wing groups are rallying behind him all the same.”

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And then there’s the actual substance of the Green New Deal resolution, which calls for a transformative shift toward clean energy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Jonathan Cohn, the issues chair for Progressive Massachusetts, says climate change has become “especially salient” for younger voters and that Markey has been doing “solid work” in the space for years.

“It’s much to his credit that he’s one of the few people in the Senate who actually understands environmental policy,” Cohn said. ….

Cohn says Markey — who long wielded corny acronyms as part of his communications strategy — has developed an “older dad joke personality” that has endeared him to the younger generation. And his campaign has played up that perception. …

“His Iraq War vote was bad,” Cohn said. “But he’s not a hawk in the same way as some of his colleagues are.” …

Markey’s supporters are not convinced. And if their candidate loses, they wonder what happens to the movement to address climate change before it’s too late. Even if the Green New Deal — which framed racial and economic justice as focuses along with fighting climate change — continues to have advocates in the Senate like Sanders and Warren, the defeat of its co-author could have ripple effects for the movement, according to Cohn.

In addition to losing Markey’s expertise, he said a Kennedy win would effectively be disincentive for other Democrats to prioritize climate change

“It sends a really bad message about what it means to be somebody who stakes their ground on environmental policy,” Cohn said, noting that there will be a lot of competing priorities — and proverbial fires — to address in 2021 if Democrats retake the White House and Senate.