Massachusetts Primaries Are Here, So Suit Up!

Run for Something
Sep 4, 2018 · 11 min read

Massachusetts’ primaries are today and voters have some major decisions to make across the state. This cycle, dozens of young progressives are running for state office for the first time hoping to bring the blue wave to their local communities. Succeeding in tonight’s primaries is the first step in knocking out the conservative competition in November and bringing fresh ideas to old policies.

We have some kick ass candidates up for contested election today — 15 in total — who are pumped and ready to take their place at the table.

Get to know them now!

CONTESTED ELECTIONS

Amaad Rivera
Massachusetts State Senate, Hampden District
https://www.amaadrivera.com

Amaad is running for the Massachusetts State Senate in his hometown of Springfield, MA challenging an NRA A rated incumbent. Amaad is a former Springfield City Councilor, and most recently served as the State Policy Director for U.S. Senator Edward Markey. As a Springfield City Councilor, Rivera championed an anti-foreclosure ordinance to protect homeowners from predatory banks, stopped a biomass plant that would have posed a long-term public health problem, and stopped Springfield from participating in a Bush-era program that have turned local police into ICE agents Amaad has a bachelor at Bentley University and has a M.Ed from University of Massachusetts.

Becca Rausch
Massachusetts State Senate, Norfolk, Bristol & Middlesex District
https://www.beccarausch.com

The granddaughter of a Holocaust survivor and U.S. veteran, and the daughter of an activist, Becca Rausch has a life-long commitment to progressive values and social justice. An elected 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 skill and experience to be an effective progressive voice in the Massachusetts State Senate starting on her first day in office. Becca believes our communities are stronger when progressive social policies are implemented by a transparent and accountable government. She will passionately pursue 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, including paid parental leave, affordable and accessible early child education and care, and assistance for aging in communities of choice.

Casey Pease
Massachusetts State House of Representative, 1st Franklin District
https://www.caseypease.org

Casey is a local volunteer firefighter and community organizer who chairs the Worthington Democratic Town Committee. He was hired as the youngest full-time staffer on Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign and has devoted his life to advocating for working class families — from getting big money out of politics to walking the picket lines with our nurses and teachers and fighting for Medicare for All. Set apart in this race as a lifelong resident and graduate of the district’s public schools, Casey has the deep local understanding to be effective and the strong progressive record to be transformative.

David LeBoeuf
Massachusetts State House of Representative, 17th Worcester District

David LeBoeuf is a lifelong Worcester resident who has championed efforts in our communities to support public school students, keep seniors and working families in their homes, and cultivate entrepreneurship. As a small business advisor, non-profit board president, and political activist David has the knowledge and experience to stand up for what matters to improve the lives of all the residents in our district. A proud graduate of the Worcester public schools, David is advocating for the establishment of universal pre-kindergarten in Massachusetts.

Drew Russo
Massachusetts State House of Representatives, 11th Essex District
https://www.davidleboeuf.org

A Lynn native and first time candidate for public office, Drew Russo has served as Executive Director of the Lynn Museum/LynnArts organization since May 2015. Prior to his work with the Museum/LynnArts, Drew directed in-district operations for former U.S. Representative John Tierney, managed State Senator Thomas McGee’s successful campaign for re-election in 2010, and served as Assistant Director of Advancement at St. Mary’s High School, whose campus in the heart of downtown Lynn. After graduating St. Michael’s College, he served in the Jesuit Volunteer Corps working as a case manager in Detroit, Michigan. Drew lives in Lynn with his wife Patricia Ridge and is currently seeking the Democratic nomination for State Representative in the 11th Essex District (Lynn and Nahant).

Erika Johnson
Massachusetts House of Representatives, 19th District Middlesex

Erika is proud to be a Democratic candidate for State Representative in the 19th Middlesex District in Massachusetts. She’s lived in the district since she was 4 years old, going through the public school system and moving back after getting her Bachelors Degree in Political Science from Roger Williams University. Erika is the Chair of the Wilmington Democratic Town Committee and works full-time for Mass Save, Massachusetts’ Energy Efficiency Program. As Representative of the 19th Middlesex District, Erika will be a new, progressive voice in the legislature fighting for working families, improving infrastructure and college affordability.

Gerly Adrien
Massachusetts State House of Representative, 28th District Middlesex
https://www.gerlyadrien.com

In 2016, Gerly Adrien ran for State Representative in the 28th Middlesex and fell just 600 votes short. Daughter of two Haitian parents, Gerly became a youth organizer at the age of 14. In college, Gerly continued her volunteer service as an English teacher, a kindergarten teacher’s aide, and in Ghana, where she taught English to orphans. Currently, Gerly is the Finance/Grants Manager for Boston University’s Medical Center’s Hematology and Oncology section, where she supports the researchers who are working to prevent and cure cancer, and sickle cell. Gerly is also a candidate for her MBA at Boston University. Last, Gerly is a small business owner of Tipping Cow Ice Cream with her fiancée, David.

Joshua Mason
State House of Representatives 1st Barnstable District
https://electjoshuamason.com

Josh was born in Houston and raised in the First Barnstable District. He graduated from Hofstra University in 2004 with a BA in film production, worked in Los Angeles after college, and moved back home for good in 2014. Josh is running because we need bold ideas to both preserve and progress Cape Cod, and legislators governing by data, not tradition. Lasting change must include a year-round, self-sustaining Cape economy, and reenergizing the region means shifting our approach to healthcare, underfunded public schools, outdated infrastructure, cable and broadband system, senior care and protections, and the opioid crisis.

Katie Forde
Suffolk County Register of Deeds
http://katieforde.com

Katie Forde is a progressive community organizer, wife, and mother of two daughters running to serve the cities of Boston, Winthrop, Chelsea, and Revere as Suffolk County Register of Deeds. Katie will lead a service-oriented agency focused on increasing accessibility to homeownership. If elected, Katie will be the first woman to serve Suffolk County as Register of Deeds.

Kevin Higgins
State House of Representatives, 7th Plymouth District
https://electkevinhiggins.com

Growing up in a working class family that faced many challenges, Kevin was motivated at a young age to dedicate his professional life to improving social and economic opportunity for working families. He attended Whitman-Hanson Regional High School before graduating from the College of Public and Community Service at UMass Boston and is currently concluding a Master of Public Administration degree at Roger Williams University. Since the start of his professional life, he has been an advocate for our community’s most vulnerable residents and has focused his career on expanding opportunity and equity for individuals with disabilities, senior citizens, and working families. Kevin will be a strong advocate on Beacon Hill for all of the families in Abington, East Bridgewater, and Whitman.

Maria Robinson
Massachusetts State House of Representative, 6th District Middlesex
https://www.votemariarobinson.com

Maria Robinson is running for State Representative in the 6th Middlesex District of Massachusetts. A former Town Meeting member, Maria is a clean energy policy expert and advocate, who has spent the last decade helping state policymakers and public officials throughout the country to address climate change through renewable energy and energy efficiency policies. Maria is an MIT graduate and the child of public servants and union members, who taught her the value of hard work and giving back to her community. Maria serves on the board of the Framingham Public Library Foundation, the Friends of the Framingham Library, and is a member of the Framingham Democratic Committee. Maria lives in Framingham with her husband, their two foster (soon-to-be-adopted!) children ages 10 and 12, her parents, and their lively dog Guinness.

Mary Kate Feeney
Massachusetts State House of Representatives, 6th Middlesex District
http://www.feeneyforframingham.com

Mary Kate Feeney has been involved in the civic life of the Framingham community throughout her life both as a volunteer and a public servant. Mary Kate is a former aide to Governor Deval Patrick, where she worked on the front lines of government working with advocates, agencies and residents on solving problems and listening to concerns. Dedicated to making her hometown a better place to live, work, learn and play, she helped lead the successful campaign for Framingham voters to adopt a more transparent, accessible and equal form of government in April 2017. Mary Kate is running to take her passion for her community, her experience and put that to work as her neighbors’ voice on Beacon Hill.

Sabrina Heisey
Massachusetts State House of Representatives, 36th District Middlesex
https://www.sabrinaheisey.com

Sabrina Heisey is a politically active mom to 6 kids who understands the only way to move this country forward is to elect progressives who will not stand for the status quo. A full time Research Administrator at Boston Children’s Hospital, involved in the League of Women Voters and Girl Scout troop leader, she will not be sitting on the sidelines. She is running for the 36th Middlesex State Rep in Massachusetts against a 12 term incumbent who does not share her views or values.

Sabrina 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.

Segun Idowu
Massachusetts State House of Representatives, 14th District
https://segunforma.com

Segun is running for Massachusetts State Representative in the 14th Suffolk, which covers the neighborhoods of Hyde Park, Roslindale, and West Roxbury. A lifelong resident of Boston, Segun has spent much of his 29 years fighting for the betterment of others. He is the son of working class parents: Tayo — an immigrant who became a city employee and successful entrepreneur; and Rachel — a daughter of Malden who served as a former representative for Local SEIU 888 and is a retired city employee of over 20 years.

A longtime resident of the Roslindale and Hyde Park neighborhoods of Boston, Segun is a proud product of the Boston Public Schools. Following his graduation from Boston Latin Academy, he earned his Bachelor of Arts in History from Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia and honors from the Phi Beta Kappa and Golden Key Societies.

Segun also organized the Boston Police Camera Action Team (BPCAT) in 2014 with fellow high school graduate, Shekia Scott. The mission of the community group was to further accountability and safety in Boston through the mandatory use of police body-worn cameras. Segun and his team built relationships with community organizations and leaders, as well as engaged a vast number of fellow Bostonians, in order to explore the issues surrounding the tools. In early 2015, BPCAT released a report proposing policies for the use of body-worn cameras. As a result of their efforts, Boston began a yearlong mandatory body-worn camera pilot program and policy in September 2016. For the city, it was a powerful example of what ordinary citizens can accomplish when they come together around a shared cause.

Ted Steinberg
Massachusetts State House of Representatives, Norfolk District 13
https://www.vote4ted.com

Ted Steinberg is running for State Representative in Norfolk County’s 13th District, which includes his hometown of Needham, MA. With extensive experience in local, state, and federal government, and a focus on transparency, Ted is ready to fight as a progressive advocate in the Massachusetts State House. A former Congressional Aide and constituent caseworker, Ted began his community organizing efforts during the 2016 election cycle, coordinating voter registration sign-ups, leading civic engagement workshops, and volunteering for local Democratic candidates. Earning a degree in Public Policy and a certificate in Public Administration, Ted was named a 2017 Forbes 30 Under 30 Student Scholar. He is an avid advocate for education reform, strong environmental policy, immigrant rights, and LGBT+ equality. Ted will serve as more than just a vote on Beacon Hill, ready to champion progressive values and put words to action.

UNCONTESTED ELECTIONS

Jack Stanton
Massachusetts State House of Representatives, 5th Barnstable District
https://www.electjackstanton.org

Jack Stanton is a lifelong Sandwich resident with deep ties to his community. Jack graduated from Sandwich High School as president of his class and graduated from The George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs in 2014. Jack’s career has been spent working primarily in international settings for the World Bank and a consultancy in Mozambique. Since returning home, Jack began work as a lobsterman while campaigning to bring attention to the many issues affecting Cape Cod — a region long perceived as a wealthy enclave. Jack is running to challenge this notion and serve the community which raised him.

Katie McBrine
Massachusetts State Senate, Plymouth & Norfolk
http://votemcbrine.com

Doctor Katie McBrine is a Scituate pediatrician and Hingham mom of two, running for Massachusetts State Senate, Plymouth and Norfolk (which includes: Weymouth, Hingham, Hull, Cohasset, Scituate, Marshfield, Duxbury, Norwell). She is a lifelong true-blue Democrat running to improve healthcare, education, transportation and environmental protection.

Matthew Crescenzo
Massachusetts State House of Representatives, 9th Essex District
http://www.mattforstaterep.com

Matt Crescenzo is committed to the ideals and spirit of public service. Coming of age during the War on Terror, Matt served on the front lines in Afghanistan as a security officer for high ranking dignitaries as part of the effort to protect the American homeland. Now he wants to make the government more responsive to the residents of 9th Essex. Born and raised in Saugus, Matt wants a government focused on the concerns of the people. He wants a government that understands that workers who put in a 40-hour week are entitled to a living wage, that we need to do more to combat the opioid epidemic, and that a young single mother and her child shouldn’t be condemned to a life of poverty and that opportunity should never be taken away from someone before they’re even too old to realize it. Matt knows that strong leadership rooted in the values of the community can help make real change. Matt will work to create jobs, protect the environment and ensure that everyone in the community feels they have real opportunity.

Tram Nguyen
Massachusetts State House of Representatives, 18th Essex District
https://votetram.com

Tram Nguyen is running for Massachusetts State Representative for the 18th Essex District. When she was five years old, Tram and her family fled the hostile communist regime of Vietnam as political refugees and immigrated to the United States, where they settled in the Merrimack Valley. Tram is a proud graduate of Massachusetts’s public schools. Tram has dedicated her career to public service and has been a champion for people who needed one. She has consistently been on the front lines helping victims of domestic abuse, exploited workers, and vulnerable people navigate the legal system as a Staff Attorney at Greater Boston Legal Services. Tram is committed to taking her expertise navigating the laws and legal system to the Massachusetts State House where she can continue to be a strong advocate on behalf of the Commonwealth and 18th Essex District. She is a graduate of Tufts University and received her J.D. from Northeastern Law School. Tram is the first Vietnamese American woman to run for public office in the history of the Commonwealth.

Run for Something

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Recruiting & supporting young people running for office. Building a Democratic bench. Want to help? hello@runforsomething.net

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