Tuesday, September 6, we went to the polls. To have people, who I’ve come to know and admire, put their trust in me is humbling. Thank you for making me your nominee for a second term as state Representative.
No one campaigns alone. No one governs alone. So I want to take a moment to talk about our achievements.
I am proud to have led, in coalition with the people in this room, and delivered tangible investments that will benefit the Merrimack Valley economy. Amesbury received close to $1 million to fund a public boat ramp and unlock an estimated $5 million in economic growth. Soon, the #11 bus will begin to run between Lawrence, Haverhill and Newburyport–connecting people to job opportunities and critical health resources. My budget amendments are being used to set up frisbee golf in Salisbury and planning for a more pedestrian/bike friendly downtown Newburyport. This year’s budget made record investments in public education and made community college free. These dollars make a real difference in people’s everyday lives.
We also passed major legislation. This session:
We put real muscle to solving the state’s housing crisis so we eliminate barriers that are keeping an entire generation from home ownership.
We defined a new path forward with maternal health in a state where too many women are dying from complications of childbirth.
We modernized our firearm laws. We continue to lead the nation where mass shootings occur with grotesque regularity at schools.
I’m proud of these major legislative achievements. The work to deliver for the district has made me more aware of the values it holds.
The First Essex is a district of Innovators. I’ve met: an educator who gambled her life savings to create a school for the neurodiverse; small business owners who support every good cause, and climate innovators. What binds these people together: They are risk takers for the common good–not for fame or extreme profits, but the common good – a more resilient environment, and a community that meets the needs of children, a main street culture of caring for one another.
This is a proud district. I mean this literally. We celebrate LGBTQ Pride for a full month. We are unafraid to revisit our histories and write new stories. Look at Newburyport’s award winning Black History Initiative. Look at our community Iftar. Celebrating this diversity is not a divisive concept; it is a core source of pride.
This is a respectful district. We respect our veterans and honor our elders. Merrimac organized a parade for a 100-year-old veteran, Robert Eastman. Fire trucks, police cars, motorcycles rolled by his apartment in MerriVillage just to honor his long life and his service in WWII. We turn out for every event that honors the sacrifice of veterans and their families.
When I think back over this first term, these are the values that I see: Innovation for the common good. Pride in our distinctive cultural experiences. Respect for our veterans and elders.
We talk alot about tradition here. But I believe the tradition that makes us strongest is our democracy. Our high voter turnout. Our civic engagement. Our work as partners at every level of government and public service. Our pragmatism in working across the aisle and with all voices at the table. That’s what makes us distinct.
These are the values we should export to the rest of the nation. This is the Massachusetts message.
Growing up in Selma during the tumultuous years it began integrating its schools and its voter rolls, I know what it means not to have these traditions. I know what the absence of common good looks like, and it’s harsh. I know that the arc of the moral universe does not bend toward justice unless everyday people, like you and me, work toward a common goal.
So I am honored to work with people who hold these values. Confident in the results we are achieving together. Excited to be on the same ballot with Harris/Walz team. I am humbled to be your nominee in the upcoming November election.
Thank you.
