The New Comfort Zone, Some Eye-Opening Numbers, and Stronger Than Ever
Hi Everyone,
It was my great pleasure and honor in June to speak at dozens of caucuses in cities and towns all across the district. Caucus goers learned that since the Supreme Court established the right to court-appointed counsel in 1963, not a single Governor’s Councillor has been a full-time public defender. It’s a perspective we badly need to help us decide who our judges and Parole Board members will be, and who receives commutations and pardons.
Commutations and pardons were on my mind this week when I was terribly saddened to see reports that Massachusetts again had record deaths from opiates this year. Commutations and pardons are critical tools in fighting the opiate crisis at the judicial level, as they provide another path to justice when our court system fails. Here’s the piece I wrote for GBH on holding our courts accountable for their role in the opiate crisis. This is personal to me. I will never vote yes until I make sure nominees understand the science of addiction and will work to support recovery.
That policy, and the entire platform of my candidacy, was extremely well received in all the caucuses I attended. Support for this campaign is the strongest I have ever seen. It’s clearer than ever that all we have to do to win next year is get our message out to more voters. That’s where you come in. Please forward this email. Tell your friends, neighbors, and colleagues. With only the sheer power of the grassroots last year, we came so close we need just 50 more votes per town to win next year.
I don’t like to ask anyone to go outside their comfort zone, but our comfort zone cannot include keeping Marilyn Devaney in office. Her anti-choice record, her history of tricking voters into thinking she has endorsements she didn’t earn, and decades of self-funding make her campaign very different from this one. Since 2002, Marilyn Devaney has spent $168,000 of her own money on her campaigns. Last year, she did not have even one contribution from a voter in the district.
I’m proud that the strength of this campaign comes directly from the grassroots. I rely solely on your support to get our message out. Unlike Marilyn Devaney, I can’t afford to pour money into my own campaign. So please give what you can, now, so we can be ready for next year.
This down ballot race has enormous consequences. Please give what you can. The impact of your support will be immeasurable.
Take Care,
Mara
