Why do you believe Democrats (and independents selecting a Democratic ballot) should vote for your slate?
After the 2016 national election, and once I was able to gather my thoughts after the disastrous result, I felt it was important to become a more active Framingham Democrat. The politics that affect us the most are those that are closest to home and so I looked up the local branch of the Democratic party and decided to attend a meeting.
While the membership of the Committee has changed since I first started attending the meetings, there are many stalwart members that consistently put in a lot of hard work year-after-year for local, state and national elections. Framingham has a tremendous reputation as having an active and impactful Democratic Committee. I believe that can be attributed directly to some of the individuals in Group 1.
That being said, many of the members in Group 1 are new members. The Committee has been committed to outreach within the community and its efforts have paid off. Group 1 is a very diverse group of people from all backgrounds with many activists that care about a wide array of Democratic issues. Group 1 strikes the right balance of experienced members and new voices needed to ensure that Framingham Democrats have the tools they need to make a positive impact in a critical election year for our country.
What would you say to the argument that it’s time for new people to run the city’s Democratic committee?
As District 2 voters know well, I have always said that Framingham needs new voices and that is what you get with Group 1! I am currently the Co-Chair of the Framingham Democrats despite having only been involved with the committee for a few years. In my time as a leader of the organization, we focused on outreach in order to bring in new people into the group. Group 1 reflects our success in this effort!
Please visit the Group 1 website and learn more about the members https://group1getsstuffdone.org/. I am honored to work alongside these talented, accomplished, and respected Framingham residents. I have been impressed with the commitment to outreach and the welcoming spirit of the Committee since I first joined. My response to the argument that it’s time for new people to run the committee is simple; new people are already running the committee.
What would you say to the concern that a slate filling out all the members leaves less room for newcomers?
35 PEOPLE WILL BE ELECTED ON MARCH 5TH. While I understand why some people may assume that, if Group 2 gets the most votes, there will be 11 vacancies, that would be incorrect. The 35 top vote getters will make up the new Framingham Democratic Committee.
Being elected to the Framingham Democrats is much more than just joining another committee to add to a resume or a signature line. Committee members are expected to attend monthly meetings and to put in at least 40 hours each year in support of Democratic candidates in state and national elections. That means knocking on doors, raising money, making calls, writing letters, advocating for legislation that is in line with Democratic values, etc. Group 1 has easily managed to find 34 members committed to doing this work and many more folks signed-up to work with us as unelected associate members.
As I mentioned before, Group 1 is a mix of experienced activists and newcomers. The fact is, that we currently do the work of the Democratic party in Framingham and we will continue to do it regardless of the election results. As Co-Chair of the Framingham Democrats, I welcome all the members of Group 2 to get involved in the Framingham Democratic Committee today! There is no need to wait for the election. The work is already underway and Group 2 as well as all other Framingham Democrats are welcome to join us anytime.
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