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Massachusetts Fraternal Order of Police Endorses David Solet for Middlesex District Attorney

The Massachusetts State Lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police (Mass FOP), the state’s chapter of the world’s largest organization of sworn law enforcement officers, today announced its endorsement of David Solet for Middlesex District Attorney, citing his 24 years of prosecutorial experience, commitment to law enforcement, and vision for strengthening public safety across Middlesex County.

The endorsement reflects Solet’s longstanding record of working alongside law enforcement to pursue justice for victims and his commitment to modernizing the District Attorney’s Office. As District Attorney, Solet has pledged to aggressively combat illegal gun trafficking, strengthen protections for seniors targeted by financial exploitation and cybercrime, improve the prosecution of drugged driving offenses, and advocate for reforms that ensure prosecutors have the tools necessary to protect communities from dangerous offenders.

“Dave has consistently proven his commitment to public safety in our communities and his unwavering support for victims of violent crime,” said Frank Frederickson of the Massachusetts State Lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police. “We know he will work hard to prevent illegal guns from entering our communities, crack down on the exploitation of our seniors, and hold dangerous offenders accountable.”

Solet said: “Receiving the endorsement of the Fraternal Order of Police of Massachusetts is a tremendous honor. They know my work, they know my commitment to victims, and they know how much I care about getting it right.”

Solet will establish a dedicated Crime Gun Unit focused on identifying, disrupting, and prosecuting the criminal networks responsible for trafficking illegal firearms into Massachusetts. He has also pledged to modernize the District Attorney’s Office to better address emerging crimes driven by advances in technology, including cyberstalking, online exploitation, cryptocurrency fraud, and financial crimes targeting older adults. In addition, Solet will advocate for stronger protections against elder financial exploitation, ensuring prosecutors have the legal tools needed to hold offenders accountable when vulnerable seniors are manipulated or abused.

Recognizing the growing threat posed by drug-impaired driving, Solet has also committed to working with law enforcement, legislators, and public safety leaders to advance evidence-based reforms that improve the investigation and prosecution of drugged driving cases while protecting due process. He has further pledged to support legislative reforms that close gaps in Massachusetts’ dangerousness law, allowing prosecutors to seek detention hearings for individuals accused of the most serious violent crimes when public safety demands it.

“There are real public safety challenges facing Middlesex County, and standing still is not an option,” Solet said. “Whether it’s stopping illegal guns before they reach our neighborhoods, protecting seniors from increasingly sophisticated financial crimes, addressing the rise in drugged driving, or ensuring dangerous offenders can be held accountable, I will lead an office that is proactive, principled, and focused on protecting the people of Middlesex County.”

A veteran prosecutor for twenty-four years, Solet has sought justice for victims of domestic violence, gun violence, narcotics trafficking, and public corruption. He was a longtime member of the office’s Special Investigations Unit, which prosecuted organized crime, then served as the first Chief of the Cyber Protection Unit, fighting online child exploitation. Since 2019, he served as the first Chief of the Middlesex County Cold Case Homicide Unit, investigating hundreds of unsolved homicides and dozens of unsolved sex assaults.

For his work, he was named Middlesex County Prosecutor of the Year in 2025, and has received numerous other awards from law enforcement organizations.

An honors graduate of Harvard Law School, Solet previously served as Chief Legal Counsel to the Massachusetts Secretary of Public Safety. He is a Major in the JAG Corps of the United States Army Reserve, where he has been a defense attorney for soldiers, and represented victims of sexual assault. He is the proud father of two daughters, both graduates of Newton North High School, and now lives in Cambridge.

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Somerville City Councilor At-Large Ben Wheeler Endorses Diann Baylis for Governor’s Council

Immigration attorney and Governor’s Council candidate Diann Baylis today received the endorsement of Somerville At-Large City Councilor Ben Wheeler.

 “We need experienced advocates who have been standing up for our immigrant community, and who refuse to be satisfied with the status quo,” said Wheeler. “Diann wants to push beyond what the Governor’s Council is minimally required to do, and to serve as a voice for educating judges about the unique needs of the people–especially the immigrant children–who appear before them, for whom every single day of delay matters. I’m excited to support Diann, and to have her leadership on the Governor’s Council.”

The Massachusetts Governor’s Council is an eight-member elected body that reviews and votes on the Governor’s nominations for judges and certain other public offices. The Council also acts on pardons and commutations and performs other responsibilities established under the Massachusetts Constitution, including certification of the state’s election results.

Baylis is an immigration attorney who represents children navigating the immigration process. Her work includes cases involving unaccompanied minors seeking Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, a federal immigration classification for certain young people who have experienced abuse, neglect, or abandonment. These cases require specific findings from state courts before a young person can petition federal immigration authorities for the status.

“I am proud to receive Councilor Wheeler’s endorsement in my campaign to bring change to the Governor’s Council,” said Baylis. “Ben Wheeler is an experienced educator, and as a member of the City Council he is a strong voice for early education, safe streets, affordable homes and government responsiveness.  We’ve spoken about the need for judges that will be compassionate, open-minded, and fair to immigrant children, and the role that the Governor’s Council can play in accomplishing this.”

The endorsement by Councilor Wheeler follows Baylis’ endorsement by Somerville Mayor Jake Wilson earlier this week, and the Somerville Democratic Party’s endorsement of Baylis’ candidacy, where she earned 80% of the vote of those expressing a preference for a candidate in the race.

“Somerville is a wonderfully progressive community, and it’s a community that deserves a progressive voice on the Governor’s Council,” said Baylis.

Voters who have questions or would like to learn more about Diann Baylis and her campaign can visit https://www.votefordiann.com or email diannbaylis@gmail.com.

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Somerville Current and Former Elected Officials Endorse Chris Oates for State Representative

Chris Oates, Democratic candidate for State Representative in the 34th Middlesex District, announced the endorsements of two current and former Somerville elected officials: Ward 7 School Committee Member Leiran Biton and former Ward 7 City Councillor Judy Pineda Neufeld.

Both leaders pointed to Oates’s focus on the practical work of making Massachusetts more affordable and ensuring that progressive priorities translate into results.

“Chris’s focus on making life more affordable and livable for families is exactly what we need to move our Commonwealth forward on education funding, clean energy, and protecting immigrant rights,” said Leiran Biton, Somerville Ward 7 School Committee Member. “I’m proud to support Chris Oates for State Rep!”

Judy Pineda Neufeld, former Somerville Ward 7 City Councillor, highlighted Oates’s approach to governing and his emphasis on implementation.

“After nearly four years serving in local government, I know this: having the right priorities is only half the job. Getting anything done requires persistence, relationships, and a willingness to do the hard work. That’s what I see in Chris Oates.”

Oates said he was honored to receive the support of two leaders who understand the challenges facing residents of the district.

“I’m grateful to have Leiran and Judy’s support,” Oates said. “They both understand that voters need more than a list of promises. They need representatives who will listen, understand the details, build coalitions, and do the work required to turn good ideas into actual policy. It’s very easy to make promises, but it’s harder to actually get things done in a State House that is the least competitive in the country. There’s no simple trick to government. It’s a daily process of showing up, listening to the community, and working with advocates to get the details right.”

Oates is the founder of a business that makes state legislatures more accessible. He was previously Senior Advisor to Yes on 2 / Voter Choice MA, the ranked choice voting ballot question in 2020, an associate and analyst at Oxford Analytica, and has an MPhil and PhD in International Relations from the University of Oxford.

He lives in Winter Hill with his wife and four-year old son.

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Every major organization that has endorsed in the 26th Middlesex has endorsed Rep. Mike Connolly.

Whether a voter’s top concern is housing affordability, reproductive health care, LGBTQ+ rights, climate change, workers’ rights, public education, or transportation, the people fighting for these issues are united behind State Representative Mike Connolly in his campaign for re-election in the 26th Middlesex.

Rep. Mike Connolly has earned the trust and support of every major organization endorsing in the race, both locally and across the state. The coalition backing Connolly includes over 30 organizations, representing thousands of organizers and activists fighting on the front lines and working on the most pressing issues facing our state.

Here’s what the state’s leading progressive advocacy organization has to say about Mike:

“Mike Connolly has been a progressive champion since we first endorsed him in 2016,” said Jonathan Cohn, Policy Director at Progressive Massachusetts. “Mike is the rare state representative who gets an ‘A’ every year on our Progressive Scorecard. Mike has fought for stronger tenant protections, social housing, and revenue for affordable housing, as well as workers’ rights, bold climate action, voting rights, transparency, and more. Mike is willing to speak out against bad, rushed legislation and to push the State House to be more ambitious in all of its policymaking.”

Advocates working to address the housing emergency are also with Mike.

“Representative Connolly has consistently championed reforms that expand housing production while strengthening tenant protections. He has actively sponsored and co-sponsored pro-housing legislation and used his position in the State House to help turn those policies into law — from legalizing ADUs by right statewide and unlocking more housing production around transit, to pioneering the concept of mixed-income social housing in Massachusetts. The cities of Cambridge and Somerville have a real housing champion in Mike Connolly,” said Jesse Kanson-Benanav, Executive Director of Abundant Housing MA.

As Trump continues to wage war on reproductive freedom, organizers at the center of the fight to protect abortion rights are with Mike.

“For years, Mike has been a true partner to Planned Parenthood at the State House, championing health care access for all and fiercely advocating for reproductive rights legislation including bills to remove abortion restrictions in Massachusetts,” said Dominique Lee, President of the Planned Parenthood Advocacy Fund of Massachusetts. “In the year and a half since Trump took office, attempts to curtail Planned Parenthood’s services and threaten reproductive health providers have skyrocketed, but at every turn, we’ve had leaders like Representative Connolly taking action to invest in reproductive health care and ensure Massachusetts leads the way for reproductive freedom. The Planned Parenthood Advocacy Fund is proud to endorse Mike Connolly for re-election.”

Environmental groups across the state have also backed Connolly as the climate candidate for Cambridge and Somerville.

“Mike Connolly has been a champion for energy efficiency, renewable power, expanding clean air and water regulations, and community engagement,” said Casey Bowers, Executive Director of the Environmental League of Massachusetts Action Fund. “He has demonstrated true leadership for the 26th Middlesex District, including for environmental justice communities like East Somerville, the Port, and Cambridgeport. The ELM Action Fund is thrilled to endorse his candidacy.”

“Mike will continue to fight for climate justice and energy affordability, and he knows we can’t pit the two against each other,” said Vick Mohanka, Chapter Director of the Sierra Club Massachusetts. “Our chapter is proud to endorse Mike for reelection in his fight to hold investor-owned corporate utilities and the fossil fuel industry accountable.”

The message from Massachusetts progressives is resoundingly clear: they want Mike Connolly to continue the fight alongside them in the State House.

“I am honored that so many labor unions, progressive organizations, and local groups have recognized my accomplishments in the legislature and my commitment to justice in all its forms,” said Mike Connolly. “From teachers and housing advocates to nurses and climate activists, these are the organizers who know what it takes to deliver on our values on Beacon Hill. These organizations do not offer their support lightly. In some cases, I am the only incumbent, or one of just a few, to receive their endorsement. I am grateful and proud to have earned their support through years of standing together, fighting for our shared values, and delivering results.”

Rep. Connolly has also been endorsed by Reproductive Equity Now, MassEquality, Massachusetts AFL-CIO, Massachusetts Teachers Association, Massachusetts Nurses Association, National Association of Social Workers (Mass. PACE), Service Employees International Union State Council, UNITE HERE Local 26, Transportation Division of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers, Massachusetts Organization of State Engineers and Scientists, Massachusetts Voters for Animals, Our Revolution Cambridge, Cambridge Bike Safety, Somerville YIMBY, Somerville for Palestine, and dozens of other groups and elected officials. For a full list, please visit www.mikeconnolly.org/endorsements

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The David Solet campaign  announced that more than 40 public safety organizations – including the Somerville Police Employees Association and the Somerville Police Superior Officers Association – have endorsed his campaign to become the next Middlesex District Attorney. This is an unprecedented show of support from public safety professionals who understand that today’s criminal justice system needs someone willing to rethink the priorities of the Middlesex DA’s office while displaying the skill and willingness to reshape it into a 21st-century operation.

Solet is challenging current Middlesex DA Marian Ryan in the September 1 Democratic primary.

“I am humbled that my vision of what the Middlesex DA’s office can and should be has been embraced by these public safety professionals – the men and women who are willing to put themselves in danger to protect our communities, and who have first-hand knowledge of where our system is letting too many victims down,” Solet said. “Together we can and will work to make Middlesex County a national model of excellence, real justice, and 21st-century reform.”

Solet has pledged to modernize the DA’s office to bring 21st century tactics to fighting modern crime, and ensure that prosecutorial decisions are driven by the facts and the law, not political considerations or fear of repercussions.

Among his planned initiatives, he will aggressively pursue gun trafficking organizations that smuggle guns into Massachusetts, protect the elderly from cybercrime and cryptocurrency scams, and work to address the addictive lure of electronic gambling.

Recognizing the growing threat posed by drug-impaired driving, Solet has also committed to working with law enforcement, legislators, and public safety leaders to advance evidence-based reforms that improve the investigation and prosecution of drugged-driving cases.

He has further pledged to support legislative reforms that close gaps in Massachusetts’ dangerousness law, allowing prosecutors to seek detention hearings for individuals accused of the most serious violent crimes where public safety demands it.

In addition to the Somerville police associations, Solet has received endorsements from public safety organizations in large cities and towns such as Cambridge, Newton, Lowell, Everett, Marlborough, Framingham, Medford, Waltham, Watertown, and Winchester, and smaller communities such as Ashland, Carlisle, Concord, Dracut, Wayland, and Lincoln.

He has also received the endorsement of the Middlesex Sheriff’s Officers Association and statewide organizations such as the State Police Association of Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Coalition of Police, the New England Police Benevolent Association, the Fraternal Order of Police of Massachusetts, Massachusetts Correctional Officers Federated Union, and the Massachusetts Police Association.

A prosecutor for twenty-four years, Solet has sought justice for victims of domestic violence, gun violence, narcotics trafficking, and public corruption. He was a longtime member of the office’s Special Investigations Unit, which prosecuted organized crime, then served as the first Chief of the Cyber Protection Unit, fighting online child exploitation. From 2019-2025, he served as the first Chief of the Middlesex County Cold Case Homicide Unit, investigating hundreds of unsolved homicides and dozens of unsolved sex assaults.

For his work, he was named Middlesex County Prosecutor of the Year in 2025, and has received numerous other awards from law enforcement organizations.

An honors graduate of Harvard Law School, Solet previously served as Chief Legal Counsel to the Massachusetts Secretary of Public Safety. He is a Major in the JAG Corps of the United States Army Reserve, where he has been a defense attorney for soldiers, and represented victims of sexual assault. He is the proud father of two daughters, both graduates of Newton North High School, and now lives in Cambridge.

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I am proud to endorse Will Mbah for State Representative (Middlesex 34^th). As a Somerville City Councillor, neighbor and resident, Will has consistently demonstrated that he will fight for safe streets, better bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, and a transportation system that works for everyone.

I have known Will for 15 years and I have always been impressed with his dedication to the vitally important cause of safe streets. Even before Will was a City Councillor, Will led efforts to advocate for a safe crossing of Alewife Brook Parkway for Somerville kids to get to Dilboy Stadium. As City Councillor, Will has been a consistent champion for safer streets, bicycle infrastructure, and transportation equity on the Somerville City Council. His commitment to bicycle safety began years before Somerville adopted its 2022 Bicycle Plan, with his first policy order on the City Council calling for a robust bicycle infrastructure network in Somerville. He also joined me and others in the early days of the Somerville Alliance for Safe Streets, where we brought residents and advocates together around the need for safer, more accessible, and more equitable transportation.

Since then, Councilor Mbah has helped move Somerville from planning to implementation. He has supported the expansion of protected bicycle lanes on high-volume streets, recognizing that people biking should not have to share dangerous road space with fast-moving vehicles. He has also supported neighborways on lower-volume streets, creating safer connections through residential neighborhoods and connecting people to the broader bicycle network. Councilor Mbah supported Somerville’s 2022 Bicycle Plan, which established a comprehensive framework for coordinating bicycle advocacy, planning, financing, construction, and maintenance.

But Councilor Mbah’s vision goes beyond simply building bike lanes. He has consistently connected bicycle safety to transportation equity, climate action, Vision Zero, and Complete Streets. He believes our transportation system must prioritize pedestrians, cyclists, transit riders, and other vulnerable road users, particularly in neighborhoods that have historically received less investment.

Councilor Mbah understands that safe streets are not a luxury. They are essential infrastructure, climate infrastructure, and equity infrastructure.

I am proud to endorse Will Mbah for State Representative because he has already demonstrated that he will fight for safer streets, better bicycle infrastructure, and a transportation system that works for everyone. We need that same leadership at the State House.

Ken Carlson, Former Chair of the Somerville Bicycle Advisory Committee, and Co-Founder of the Somerville Alliance for Safe Streets

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Diann Baylis Endorsed by Somerville Democratic Party for Governor’s Council

Immigration attorney and candidate for Governor’s Council Diann Baylis announced today that she has been endorsed by the Somerville Democratic City Committee.  Baylis received 80% of the votes cast that expressed a preference for a candidate in the race.

 “The Somerville Democratic Party announced this week that Diann Baylis has met the rigorous 3/5ths supermajority support requirement in a vote of their 222 elected committee members, to earn the city party’s support for Governor’s Council in the September 1^st primary election” said Jack Perineck, Chair of the Somerville Democratic City Committee.

 “I’ve spent a great deal of my time as a candidate in Somerville, meeting people on their doorstop, or at public events such as Porchfest (in the rain), ArtBeat and the Big Gay Dance Party,” said Baylis.  “Somerville is a wonderfully progressive community, and they deserve a progressive voice on the Governor’s Council.  Somerville has one of the strongest Democratic City Committees in the entire state, and I’m grateful for the vote of confidence from these progressive Democratic leaders.” 

 The Governor’s Council is an elected body in Massachusetts that provides advice and consent on the Governor’s judicial and other appointments, pardons and commutations.  The Council also plays a role in the certification of statewide election results.  The 6th district encompasses parts of Boston, most of Cambridge, the cities of Chelsea, Everett, Lynn, Malden, Medford, Melrose, Revere and Somerville, and the towns of Lynnfield, Marblehead, Nahant, Reading, Saugus, Stoneham, Swampscott, Wakefield, Winchester and Winthrop.

 Baylis represents children in the immigration process.  While most immigration proceedings take place in federal immigration courts, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, a path to citizenship for unaccompanied minors, is determined at the state level through the probate courts.

 Baylis, a lifelong resident of the North of Boston region, is a graduate of Merrimack College and Suffolk Law School.  She has a long history of public service, including volunteering for the Lawyer of the Day program at Essex Probate Court.  Earlier in her career she served as Deputy Campaign Coordinator for the Massachusetts Democratic Party, and she represented Massachusetts as a delegate to the 2024 Democratic National Convention.  Baylis has also supported the work of the Massachusetts Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence, having testified at legislative hearings and spoken at State House rallies to urge action on much-needed gun violence prevention legislation.  She has participated multiple times in the Falmouth Road Race to raise funds for the Alzheimer’s Association.

 Voters with questions or who would like to learn more can visit https://www.votefordiann.com,email diannbaylis@gmail.com.

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Dear Friends,

Tonight at 5:30pm, 8/10, we will be holding our semi-weekly phone bank on Zoom! We will reach out to voters across the district and speak with them about the issues that concern them this election cycle. You can find the Zoom link here! I hope to see you there!

If you can’t make it tonight, we are holding another phone bank on Thursday, 8/13, at 7pm. You can sign up for it here!

Additionally, I am proud to announce that our campaign has been endorsed by Harris Gruman, Executive Director of the SEIU State Council! It is an honor to be endorsed by such a prolific pro-labor activist, and I promise to continue my fight for worker rights when elected as State Representative!

Thank you all for your support, Will Mbah for State Represntative