For several years now we have written and shared with friends and allies our opinions about candidates running for office and ballot questions. We began compiling and sharing our recommendations after receiving requests from some of our friends who respect and appreciate our attention to things political and electoral. It is a continual source of amazement to us that we get such requests, and we acknowledge the tremendous responsibility this confidence places on us. We emphasize that we offer our suggestions based on our values: people over profits, voting rights, and racial, environmental, gender, and economic justice. We recognize that you may disagree partially or even completely. We urge you to do your own research and vote your own conscience. Please feel free to share our views with your friends and allies as well. We welcome you sharing your own views with us.
This year most of our recommendations will be short and sweet, especially because most of the races for our local offices are uncontested. We are making recommendations only where our chosen candidate has opposition. We will have a longer focus on the State Senate in the district where we live.
Please join us in voting for:
President/Vice President: Kamala Harris
and Tim Walz. While we are clear
that no candidate is perfect, we will enthusiastically vote for this ticket. We believe they offer a compelling vision of
inclusion and compassion. We are
horrified at the prospect of the full totalitarianism that would result from a
Trump takeover of the Federal government.
U.S. Senate: Elizabeth Warren. We have been on board with her since her first run in 2012. We are always impressed by her courage in speaking out against all kinds of injustice and the depth of her understanding of and clarity in explaining economic policy. It’s important not to take her race for granted because her opponent, a billionaire who can dump millions into his own campaign, is trying to present himself as a moderate, claiming that Warren is the extreme candidate.
U.S. Congress: Jim McGovern. We feel very fortunate to have Jim as our Congressman. He is consistently true to many values that we share with him. He acts with sincerity and decency and is committed to listening when some of his constituents do not agree with his positions.
Governor’s Council: Paul DePalo. The Governor’s Council is charged with approving or rejecting nominees to both judgeships and the Parole Board. It has a significant role in shaping how people are treated in the criminal legal system. Currently an attorney and formerly a special education teacher, Paul understands the importance of addressing youth trauma in that system, appointing judges and parole board members who understand this, and getting young people on a path of opportunity rather than incarceration. He approaches his responsibility in this office with the utmost thoughtfulness and sincerity.
Now our discussion of our candidate for State Senate: Sheila Dibb
We live in the area along the western and southwestern
border of Worcester (about 10% of the city) that is now, as a result of the
2022 redistricting, in the Worcester
and Hampshire State Senate district.
We are delighted that Sheila Dibb, former chair of the Select
Board in Rutland, is running to challenge the MAGA Republican who won the seat
in a low turnout special election last fall.
When no one had filed for the Democratic nomination, Sheila decided to run
as a write in candidate. She needed 300
votes to secure a spot on the November 5 ballot and garnered more than
1,000!
Sheila is committed to Democratic values across the board. She has a deep grounding in and understanding of the suburban and rural towns that are essential to securing a win in this district. She served for 13 years on the Rutland Select Board. Since the primary she has secured the endorsement of Democratic officials up and down the ballot, labor and environmental organizations and Mass Alliance.
Although it changed somewhat with redistricting every ten years, the district composed of suburban and rural towns west of Worcester elected a Democrat to the State Senate in every election from 1976 to 2022. We believe that this is a great opportunity to return it to Democratic hands if enough voters learn about Sheila.
Some of you who are getting this message have already heard from us about Sheila, and many of you do not live in this district. But all of you can help! We have a very short time to spread the word. Look at this map to see if you have friends and family in the district, and call them! (After you do that, you can use this form to let us know how they responded.) We also welcome donations to help spread the word, and you can sign up to volunteer in various ways.
This year’s ballot questions: we hope to write a piece dedicated to these issues. Some of our trusted allies are urging a Yes vote on all five, but we feel we need to do more research on some of them. For now, please vote YES on Question 2, removing the MCAS test as a graduation requirement while keeping it in place as one of the assessment tools for educational success. If passed, teachers will be able to focus on teaching critical thinking skills instead of test taking skills. The website above explains how high stakes are not the same as high standards.
You have many options for how to vote this year.
- For Worcester voters, you can find all of the information about early voting times and locations, drop boxes, and deadlines on this page.
- Vote by mail: If you haven't sent in a vote-by-mail application yet and wish to do so, you can apply online or download a form here. If you've already received your ballot, you can send it back via mail or find a drop box anywhere in the state. And if you want to confirm receipt, you can track your ballot.
- Vote early in person: Early voting begins on October 19 for a two-week period. Locations anywhere in the state will be posted here by October 11.
- Vote on Election Day (Tuesday, November 5): As always, you can confirm your polling place at wheredoivotema.com.
- And remember, the deadline to register to vote or update your registration is Saturday, October 26. You can register online here if you need to.
Margot Barnet and David Coyne
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