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There is less than one week to go until the 12th Middlesex State Representative election! Early voting is under way this week at Newton City Hall & Brookline Town Hall through Friday. Your mail-in ballots also must be received back to the clerks by September 3rd at 8 PM. Regular polling locations will be open from 7 AM to 8 PM on September 3rd, next Tuesday. Do you have a plan to vote by the day after Labor Day?
Tomorrow (Thursday 8/29) I will be delivering a keynote speech outside Newton City Hall at 4:15 PM to the members of the Newton Teachers Association as they head into the new school year, where we will talk about a shared vision for a Commonwealth for everyone – and moving past the bitterness of recent years into a more hopeful place. I encourage any supporters or undecided voters to attend and hear what I have to say and why so many people are behind me so enthusiastically!
Don Siegel endorsement
I’m grateful for the support of Don Siegel, retired labor lawyer, former president of multiple Jewish communal organizations, and a Newton resident for almost 50 years. Don is one of my Ward 5 constituents and has played an essential role as an unofficial adviser to my campaign this year. Here’s what he has to say after working with me:
“I have followed the race for our next State Representative from the 12th Middlesex District with interest. I voted for my Newton City Councilor, Bill Humphrey, because of his positive commitment to our community. He is studious, energetic and committed to all of us. He is thoughtful and welcoming. He wants to improve the lives of his constituents and will work hard to do so. He has endorsements from a broad spectrum of representative organizations.
Having had a number of in-depth conversations with him on the subject, I know that Bill Humphrey is and will be a leader in the fight against all forms of religious intolerance, including antisemitism. He recognizes the special needs of religious minorities to be protected in their houses of worship and will support public funding to make that happen. He deplores the current spike in antisemitism in Massachusetts and will work hard to arrest it.
The near-term future for all of us in the Commonwealth will be challenging. Bill will help us meet those challenges in a thoughtful way. He will be a good listener and a committed leader. He is my choice for our next State Representative.”
(These are Don’s personal views and not speaking for any organizations.)
32BJ SEIU endorsement
In this campaign, I have earned the support of a dozen labor unions in our state, representing a wide range of occupations. I am extremely proud and honored to have secured the endorsement of 32BJ SEIU, which represents some of our state’s most essential but least well compensated service workers, who keep so much of our economy humming along behind the scenes. This endorsement came after meeting with a panel of their members conducted in both English and Spanish. Here is their statement:
“The majority of our members are immigrants and people of color, and all of them provide essential services that keep the state’s workplaces, transportation hubs, and centers of higher education running smoothly and safely,” said Roxana Rivera, 32BJ SEIU Assistant to the President and head of the union in Massachusetts. “Our members fully understand the importance of electing candidates who support the rights and advancement of people historically marginalized because of their race, gender, sexuality, place of birth, or economic status. That is why we are proud to ask voters in their districts to support Bill Humphrey on September 3, and help make the great state of Massachusetts an even better place for everyone.”
I also want to add that I am strongly endorsing 32BJ's ballot question (Question 3) this November to "provide for unionizing and collective bargaining for transportation network drivers."
32BJ joins the SEIU MA State Council, 1199 SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, and SEIU Local 509 within the broader family of the Service Employees International Union as endorsers of my campaign for Massachusetts State Representative.
Youth Justice reform
Citizens for Juvenile Justice – in partnership with the Boston Bar Association and a number of other organizations – has published a candidate guide for those interested in youth justice reform issues, featuring answers from some of the candidates on these issues. (The responses begin on page 33 of the PDF.)
In recent years, Massachusetts took key steps towards reforming the criminal justice system, but there is always more to be done. We need a fair-minded criminal justice system whose goals far surpass those of trying to be “tough on crime” for its own sake and which is instead focused on achieving justice for all and helping get people’s lives back on track.
Our young people especially need further reforms: We must raise the juvenile justice age to account for modern understanding of cognitive development in youth and in recognition of the research demonstrating that young offenders have much lower re-offending rates if sent through the juvenile system than through the adult system, controlling for other factors.
More info on my criminal justice reform platform here.
Some closing arguments from former City Councilor Brenda Noel
In 2021, Brenda Noel and I were both re-elected as neighboring Ward Councilors for Wards 5 and 6 of Newton with over 60% of the vote. We sometimes even held joint office hours for Newton Highlands. She decided not to seek re-election last year but has been a core part of my campaign team in this election for State Representative, and she was the first person to contact me to urge me to run when the seat became open in February. We share a devotion to constituent services and a dedication to clear, regular communication with constituents.
Brenda, along with former Councilors Alicia Bowman and Holly Ryan, also came to know me very well during the challenging pandemic term when many City Councilors never really got to know each other, and we all became inseparable collaborators on advancing policy and winning complex procedural vote battles at critical points over the years. All three of them have been actively working for this campaign every day since February. You’ve heard from her before, but here is Brenda’s closing argument for electing me:
“I have made my case in the past as to why I am supporting Bill Humphrey- but as this race has unfolded- it has become even clearer to me that he is the only choice for this seat. Much is at stake in our local elections. I have served on the City Council with all three of the candidates, and Bill remains the candidate with the most integrity, vision for the future and willingness to take political risks to do what is right. His platform includes reproductive freedoms, disability services, thoughtful and affordable housing policy, a commitment to properly funding public education, advocating for LGBTQ rights, and proven effective climate and transportation policy.
I have seen his dedication to constituent services and his commitment to understand complex policy issues. My favorite thing about Bill -- besides his progressive values -- is what you see is what you get. He is transparent, honest, and remains true to our shared principles and the constituents he serves.
There is a lot of noise this election- and sometimes it's hard to know what is real. What I can assure you is Bill is a person of integrity and character- I don't stake my reputation on another individual lightly- and I believe character matters.”
I hope to earn your vote by Tuesday September 3rd, the day after Labor Day, to be your Democratic nominee for our next State Representative.
Learn more at billhumphrey.org – and please volunteer or donate if you are able. We are looking for a lot of volunteers Friday through Tuesday for various roles from door-knocking and literature dropping to sign-holding at polling locations.