Paul Schlichtman, a School Committee member and past president of the Massachusetts Association of School Committees, provided the following letter to the editor. Letters supporting all candidates in the state Senate race are welcome:
When I first met Sean Garballey, I was a member of the Arlington School Committee and he was our student representative. He was enthusiastic and had a passion for public policy, which led him to a successful run for a Town Meeting seat less than two months after his eighteenth birthday in 2003.
Arlington voters recognized his passion and work ethic, electing him to the school committee two years later. In 2008, Arlington voters sent this enthusiastic 23 year old to the state legislature.
Sean still has his enthusiasm and passion, but in the last nine years as a member of the House, he has developed legislative skills and considerable respect among folks on Beacon Hill. He has built one of the most progressive records in the House.
We can talk about the legislation that Sean has filed, and the legislation he has sponsored that has been enacted. It’s an impressive record, a very public record, the record of a successful legislator. This alone makes Sean the most qualified candidate for the State Senate, but there’s so much more.
Sean is probably the most responsive legislator I have ever known. I have Sean on speed dial. If Sean doesn’t answer the phone, he is sure to call back as quickly as he can. There are many times I don’t even call and I get a response. If Sean sees in the news or in social media that I am concerned about a state issue, I can count on a call from Sean. His response is always, “how can I help?”
Voters in the Fourth Middlesex district will be thrilled with their new senator if they elect Sean Garballey. That’s a good thing, because Sean Garballey has truly earned a promotion to the State Senate. Please join me in voting for Sean in the Democratic primary, Tuesday, June 27.
This letter was published Monday, June 5, 2017.
Support expressed for Rep. Garballey
The following letter is from Arlington residents Lynn Bishop and Heather Fowles.
All of the candidates running to succeed the late Senator Donnelly in the special primary election share progressive values. Representative Sean Garballey has our vote for his incredible responsiveness, his strong ethic of service and his nearly a decade of experience and effectiveness as a legislator.
Rep. Garballey has represented us in the State House since 2009. Whenever we have had a question or concern and have reached out to him, he’s gotten back to us right away, often within a matter of minutes, with answers, offers to help, or a promise to follow up.
No other legislator we have ever had comes close to matching his responsiveness. He listens, shows up and sees his role as helping the most vulnerable his constituents, including working families, children, the LGBTQ+ community and the disabled.
Rep. Garballey has worked with constituents to develop and pass legislation to help them, including ensuring hearing aids for children are covered by insurance, increasing funding for public higher education and raising the minimum wage. He has earned the support of organizations serving his constituents, including the Mass. Nurses Association, and the Woburn and Arlington firefighters’ locals.
He will be able to be effective day one in the state Senate thanks to the strong working relationships he has established with fellow legislators, many of whom have endorsed him, including Senator Jamie Eldridge (Acton) and Reps. Ken Gordon (Burlington/Bedford), Jim Dwyer (Woburn) and Marjorie Decker (Cambridge).
We believe Rep. Garballey can best serve all of the people of the 4th Middlesex district in the state Senate. We hope you will join us in voting for Rep. Garballey on June 27.
This news announcement was published Friday, May 26, 2017.
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