Many of our friends, acquaintances, and political allies have asked us for our election recommendations; so over the years we have compiled and shared lists for each election. This is perhaps especially important at this fraught moment when so much that we once considered safely settled is once again very much at stake.
And in Worcester’s non-partisan municipal elections the
amount of research needed to make ideologically based decisions is much more
complex. We are honored and humbled that some people respect our opinions,
and we feel a tremendous responsibility to find good information and to offer
thoughtful analysis.
What we are looking for in 2025 from our city elected officials:
Accountability, most especially civilian review of alleged police misconduct
Responsiveness to inclusion and to amplifying the voices of marginalized
communities
People over profits: cost of living, rental housing
affordability, food access
Addressing problems: bold, brave leadership, finding
creative solutions
Accountability is a key problem in Worcester, largely due to the structure of government under our charter in which the City Manager, who is not elected by or responsive to the public, holds nearly all of the power. If the city council does not exercise their oversight responsibilities, there is no check on that power. We have seen decisions driven by unelected entities such as a police union, the real estate industry, and the Chamber of Commerce. We are particularly concerned about oversight – or lack of it – regarding actions of the Police Department. When there have been opportunities for councilors to hold the City Manager accountable, we have looked to see how individual councilors have voted and what they have said.
Organizations and groups advocating for marginalized communities, such as the Worcester Affordable Housing Coalition, Black Families Together, Project Priceless, and Love Your Labels have approached the City Council with their concerns and proposals. We have looked carefully at the level of respect with which councilors have responded to proposals and requests from these groups and other concerned residents.
Several votes and discussions have come up that showed councilors’ responsiveness to the housing crisis. This includes the vote on inclusionary zoning, discussion about accessory dwelling units, and how the needs of homeless people are addressed. We have looked closely at these.
For candidates not currently on the City Council, we have looked at their proposals and their grasp of the issues above.
The bottom line is that Worcester has so much potential. Our community can and should be so much more inclusive and so much better for all of us. To get there, to amplify grassroot leadership voices, we need and we deserve fresh leadership.
We are enthusiastically supporting and urge those who share our values to vote for:
Mayor (vote for one)
Khrystian King
City Councilor at Large (the ballot allows voting for up
to six, but we recommend the only four who we believe deserve support)
Cayden Davis
Jermoh Kamara
Khrystian King
Jessica Pepple
District City Councilor (vote for one)
District 1, Keith Linhares
District 2, Rob Bilotta
District 3, no recommendation
District 4, Luis Ojeda
District 5, Etel Haxhiaj
School Committee at Large (vote for up to two)
Sue Mailman
Adwoa Sakyi-Lamptey
District School Committee (vote for one)
District A, no recommendation
District B, Vanessa Alvarez (unopposed)
District C, Feanna Jattan-Singh
District D, no recommendation
District E, Nelly Medina
District F, Jermaine Johnson (unopposed)
A few notes of explanation:
Moe Bergman, Donna Colorio, Candy Mero-Carlson, and Kate Toomey have almost always voted against the accountability and inclusiveness measures we value. Bergman and Colorio have been the most egregious in this regard.
Joe Petty, while giving lip service to inclusion and occasionally voting for it, has failed to exercise leadership to advance either accountability or inclusion. His repeated appointment of Councilor Toomey – a staunch advocate for and never critic of the police – as chair of the Public Safety Committee shows a disdain for police accountability. We feel that it is unconscionable that he has embraced the “chaos” narrative. He claims to be a unifier, but by including this language in his campaign literature he is allying with forces that seek to crush dissent and calls for accountability. We have supported Mayor Petty in the past but are now very disappointed in the path he has chosen.
We have watched Khrystian King exercise the kind of courageous leadership we need, over and over. A case in point was challenging the wholly inadequate administration proposal on inclusionary zoning by pointing out what actually constitutes affordability in housing for Worcester residents. Councilor King has been the leading voice calling for meaningful oversight of the Police Department.
Etel Haxhiaj has been a constant champion of human rights, police accountability, developer and landlord accountability, affordable housing, safer streets, and environmental sustainability. She has been the target of unfounded vicious attacks and some of the most reactionary elements in Worcester are behind her opponent.
You can visit the websites of Cayden Davis (At-Large), Keith Linhares (District 1) and Rob Bilotta (District 2) to get a feel for their visions and commitments to the values we share.
For a thoughtful analysis of the School Committee race, see this piece by our friend Aislinn Doyle, who has been diligently watching and chronicling
the School Committee for several years. Quick takeaway: Binienda, Biancheria, and Roy formed a bloc to impede needed progress and bring back regressive policy. Removing any or all of them would be a plus.
The municipal election is Tuesday, November 4th, with early in-person voting beginning Saturday, October 25th and continuing through Friday, October 31st. All early voting will take place at the Worcester Public Library. More information, including hours of early voting, how to request an absentee or mail in ballot, and location of your polling place can be found here.
Thanks for reading, and as we say in the campaign business,
Many Happy Returns!
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