The Somerville Times submitted five questions to the candidates for State Representative Twenty-sixth Middlesex District, along with the opportunity to include a short bio/statement. The following answers were submitted by the candidates (presented in alphabetical order by last name):

Mike Connolly
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Bio:

I am an attorney, a community organizer, and a proud progressive Democrat running for State Representative in East Somerville and parts of the Union Square area.

My commitment to social and economic justice stems from my own background. I was raised in public housing by a single mother who struggled with health issues. I spent time in foster care and benefited from a Head Start program and other social services as a young child.

With the help of these programs, caring community members, and an extended family, I had the support to overcome adversity and beat the odds. I went on to attend Duke University on a football scholarship. After that, I put myself through Boston College Law School, served as a managing editor for a progressive law journal, became a licensed attorney, and worked for a global technology company.

While I was fortunate to have these opportunities, however, so many of my childhood peers have ended up incarcerated, out of work, on the streets, or victims of the heroin and opioid epidemics. I know it doesn’t have to be that way, but not everyone is given the support I had, and the results are just not something that we should accept in Somerville.

I respectfully ask for your vote on Thursday, September 8, so together, we can have the new leadership we need to make progressive for all of our residents. To learn more about my campaign, give me a call at (617) 202-3807 or visit www.mikeconnolly.org.

1. What is your position on the ballot questions to “lift the cap” on charter schools and why?

I oppose the ballot question to lift the cap on charter schools, and I am proud to say that I am the only candidate in this race who has consistently opposed efforts to lift the cap on charter schools in recent years. The reason why I oppose Question 2 is because additional charter schools are likely to siphon revenue away from our public schools. As someone who benefited from Head Start as a kid, I understand that we need to focus on raising revenue and making investments to ensure that every child in our Commonwealth has access to early childhood education.

2. What is your position on the ballot question to “regulate marijuana” like alcohol?

I support the question to regulate marijuana like alcohol. I think we need to take marijuana “out of the shadows,” and regulate it just like we do alcohol, because that is the surest way to keep it out of the hands of children. Moreover, with the revenue we gain from taxing marijuana, we can fund new programs to treat those who are struggling with heroin and opioid addiction.

3. Due to the high initial cost estimates for the proposed Green Line Extension, the project has been stalled and is being scaled back. What would you do to make sure the Green Line Extension becomes a reality and how soon? What would you do to help speed the completion?

As State Representative, I will be a consistent vote in support of added revenue for our system of public transportation, including the MBTA, the Green Line Extension, and the Somerville Community Path. It has been 26 years since the state was ordered to build the Green Line Extension, but the legislature has failed to enact measures that would have made the project a success. Groups such as the Sierra Club, Mass Alliance, and Progressive Democrats of Massachusetts have endorsed my campaign, because they understand we need new leadership to make the Green Line Extension a reality.

4. Opioid abuse is a problem that cannot be ignored. What steps can the state legislature take to address this epidemic here in the District as well as the City of Somerville.

Somerville has made very significant strides in responding to the ongoing emergency that is the heroin and opioid epidemic. The state legislature can build on the progress that has been made by the Somerville Police Department in its smart response to overdoses. We must ensure that all of our first responders are empowered to use Narcan, and we also must make deep investments in treatment programs and support for those overcoming addiction, including support for treatment facilities and affordable housing.

5. What initiatives have you or would you support to enhance the environmental quality of the Mystic River watersheds.

I will join with other members of the Somerville delegation to continue fighting for additional funding and implementation of the Mystic River Master Plan, and I will continue to be an ally of the Mystic River Watershed Association. In addition, I will not allow Gov. Baker to walk away from the commitments we have made to beautify and maintain the Mystic River, including continued efforts for invasive species control, such as the removal of water chestnut plants from the river.

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Tim Toomey
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Bio:

My name is Tim Toomey and I am running for re-election to the office of State Representative from the 26th Middlesex District. I am running for State Representative because our community needs experienced, principled, and community-focused progressive leadership in the state legislature.

I was raised alongside my four brothers and sisters in a working class household in East Cambridge. My mother worked as a clerk and union shop steward at the county courthouse, and my father was a Cambridge police officer. Both worked long hours to make ends meet for our family. They taught me and my siblings the values of compassion, hard work, and being a good neighbor. While growing up, I saw how a community made up of immigrants from all over the world could still be close-knit and welcoming, and am proud to say that those values are alive and well in Somerville and Cambridge today.

As a lifelong Democrat, I am now honored to represent the community I was raised in as a member of the state legislature. I was elected to the Cambridge School Committee in 1985, and to the Cambridge City Council in 1989. In 1992, I was elected to the office of State Representative and have proudly served as both a City Councillor and State Representative since 1993. With your support, I will continue to fight to protect the rights of immigrants, increase the minimum wage, and bring paid family leave to all Massachusetts workers. You can learn more at timtoomey.org.

1. What is your position on the ballot questions to “lift the cap” on charter schools and why?

I am opposed to the ballot question that would lift the cap on charter schools in Massachusetts. My position on this issue is simple: before we increase the charter school cap any further, we need to address the issue of funding reimbursement for our district public schools. This year, I continued to fight to add funding for public school reimbursement in the state budget, and although my opponent has attempted to distort my record on this issue, my strong support of our public schools has earned me the endorsement of the Massachusetts Teachers Association in this election.

2. What is your position on the ballot question to “regulate marijuana” like alcohol?

Although I supported the marijuana decriminalization and medical marijuana ballot questions, I have come to the conclusion that I cannot support full legalization at this time. I have concerns about opening up Massachusetts to out-of-state marijuana industry investors, and am troubled about the prospect of legalizing an intoxicating substance that we do not yet have accurate and reliable procedures for detecting in drivers. That said, I will respect the will of the voters and should the ballot question pass, I pledge to work constructively to make sure that legalization is implemented quickly and safely.

3. Due to the high initial cost estimates for the proposed Green Line Extension, the project has been stalled and is being scaled back. What would you do to make sure the Green Line Extension becomes a reality and how soon? What would you do to help speed the completion?

The Green Line Extension is absolutely vital for Somerville, and is long overdue. Over the past year, I have been working diligently with the Somerville legislative delegation to keep this project moving forward. State transportation officials must organize and appoint a new, fully-staffed GLX project team quickly to ensure that a new contractor can be chosen within 18 months. State officials must also listen to local Community Path advocates like the Friends of the Community Path, who have put forward new and interesting ideas about how the Community Path can be fully extended to North Point at minimal cost.

4. Opioid abuse is a problem that cannot be ignored. What steps can address this epidemic here in the District as well as the City of Somerville.

The opioid abuse epidemic has not spared the City of Somerville, and too many families are struggling with this problem. The legislature can and must take a proactive role in addressing addiction in our state. Over the past term, I have worked to increase funding for treatment beds, helped pass landmark legislation that will limit quantities of opioids that can be dispensed to new patients, and voted for legislation that will expand needle exchange programs and reduce harm. I continue to support local grassroots organizations like Somerville Overcoming Addiction in their efforts to reduce stigma and raise awareness.

5. What initiatives have you or would you support to enhance the environmental quality of the Mystic River watersheds.

The Mystic River Watershed encompasses over 21 cities and towns, which means that in order to adequately protect water quality in the Mystic, we need to fully fund the state agencies that enforce our environmental protection laws. I’ve proudly supported efforts to fund invasive species control in the Mystic River, and will continue to push for more funding in the state budget to enable state environmental agencies to fulfill their essential missions. I will also continue to support the important work of MyRWA in their efforts to revitalize and protect the Mystic.