Thoughts On A Snow Day: the Press Gets It, Devaney Abstains on Vote for Highly Qualified Nominee, Facing Facts, and More!
Hi Everyone,
One of the many wonderful things about a snow day is the way the world gets so quiet your thoughts naturally go deeper. Even before the first snowflake falls, there is a stillness and sense of anticipation that makes you put down your distractions and live in the moment as you look outside, up to the sky for signs of what will happen next.
It’s very much like the start of a new year. The holidays were wonderful, and as you can see we had fun at the Waltham Dems holiday party! But now 2024 is finally here, and this campaign is off to an excellent start! I announced my campaign this week, and the press showed they get it: the work of the Governor’s Council is enormously consequential and must be taken seriously. That means that who serves really matters, so voters need to know as much about the candidates as they can. Check out these terrific stories in The Lexington Observer, The Weston Owl, and The Watertown News.
Yesterday I joined Concord Indivisible at the Rally to Save Democracy to mark the third anniversary of January 6th. Former Governor Deval Patrick spoke, and his words were as powerful as ever. “When substance, integrity, duty and honor seem always secondary to political performance art, small wonder that so many have lost confidence in democracy as a path to a better future,” he said. “And here’s where we come in. Citizenship is an act, a thing you do, not just a thing you are.” Danielle Allen also spoke, movingly telling the crowd, "Fight with love, my friends. Fight with love."
So here’s where I come in. My responsibilities as a candidate include educating voters about the work of the Governor’s Council, the difference I will make as the first full-time, experienced public defender on the Council, and facing facts about the very real differences between the incumbent and myself. That last part is a little hard sometimes. I wish her all the best, but it’s very clear that we need better representation on the Governor’s Council. In December, she abstained from voting on a very highly qualified Housing Court nominee, and told Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll that she and Governor Healey could be “embarrassed” and that the vote could cause “humiliation". Of course that wasn’t true, and the nominee should never have had to go through that. Following these unfortunate remarks, all of the other Governor’s Councillors present in person voted to confirm our first Black justice of the Housing Court, Ben Adeyinka. Watch here.
I had a terrific discussion with Samantha Stone on Today in Woburn about being pro-choice and pro-science and why that matters on the Governor’s Council. Check it out here.
We have lots of great events coming up! Please come join us! I’ll be in Stow on January 9, Weston January 14, Arlington January 21, Brookline February 4, Newton March 14, Concord March 28, and Lexington April 10. We are working on more events all over the district. Please email me at Mara@MaraDolan.com if you’d like to join me or want more information.
2024 is really here! There is much to be done and much to celebrate. I am so grateful to everyone for all your support, your enthusiasm, and your conviction. We can and will win in 2024. It’s actually very simple. All we have to do is make sure voters know what you know: the work of Governor’s Council is of the utmost importance, and we must elect the best person to serve. Please make a contribution so we can reach as many voters as possible.
This campaign is a joy. I am honored to run to represent you, so I can bring your values and your principles to the work of the Governor’s Council. I wish each and every one of you a very happy new year!
Take Care,
Mara
