FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 13, 2020
Attorney General Maura Healey Endorses Proven Progressive Jesse Mermell for Congress
BROOKLINE – Attorney General Maura Healey today issued a game-changing endorsement in the Fourth Congressional District primary, supporting Jesse Mermell as the proven progressive best suited to take our shared priorities to Congress.
Healey, one of the most popular elected officials in Massachusetts, adds an immeasurable boost to Mermell’s already rapidly growing momentum in the campaign’s final 20 days.
“Jesse Mermell is a proven progressive leader who will stand up to powerful special interests and stand for working families,” said Attorney General Healey. “I’ve worked alongside Jesse for a long time – I’ve seen her commitment to protecting women’s access to reproductive health care, expanding workers’ rights, and advocating for families devastated by the opioid crisis. I’m proud to support Jesse because I know she will fight for the equitable future that the people of Massachusetts deserve.”
“I’m honored to welcome the People’s Lawyer to our people-powered coalition,” said Mermell. “Attorney General Healey is a fearless advocate for the people of Massachusetts as she defends the rule of law from reckless attacks by Donald Trump, holds powerful corporations accountable to consumers and leads the fight against the opioid crisis. With her support, our bold, progressive movement is stronger than ever and we have the momentum to deliver a victory on September 1st.”
Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, an early endorser of Mermell’s campaign, praised Attorney General Healey’s leadership and highlighted the partnership between the three leaders. Attorney General Healey endorsement of Congresswoman Pressley in her historic 2018 campaign for Congress played a significant role in her victory.
“Throughout her career, Maura has been a passionate advocate for the people of Massachusetts,” said Congresswoman Pressley. “As Attorney General, she has led the fight to expand civil rights protections, ensure justice for workers and families, and hold big corporations and the Administration in Washington, DC accountable. I’m so glad to call her a friend and partner-in-good, I was humbled to have her support during my first run for Congress in 2018, and I’m so proud to be standing alongside her in support of Jesse Mermell for Congress in the MA-04.”
Attorney General Healey said she saw first-hand working with Mermell earlier in their careers the effort she brings to advocating for the most important causes. She pointed to Mermell’s commitment to affordable and accessible health care, including standing up to Big Pharma, advocating for families devastated by the opioid crisis and fighting for lower prescription drug prices, as a key driver of her support. And she praised Mermell for building the strongest grassroots campaign in this race, echoing her own grassroots-powered victory in 2014 and that of Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley in 2018.
“We know grassroots muscle wins,” said Healey. “I’ve been watching this campaign and I’ve seen clearly that Jesse has built a coalition of supporters south to north, across labor and working families, progressive advocacy organizations and hard-working volunteers. I’m thrilled to join this team and do the work needed to put Jesse in Congress.”
Attorney General Healey’s endorsement comes in the midst of a major surge for the Mermell campaign in recent weeks as local leaders, labor unions, and advocacy organizations coalesce around her as the proven progressive who has built the strongest grassroots coalition in the race.
Just today, Mermell received a major endorsement from Planned Parenthood Action Fund. Earlier this week, she earned the first endorsement from a Massachusetts statewide elected official from Auditor Suzanne Bump. She has also been endorsed by Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, NARAL, SEIU, the Massachusetts Teachers Association, the Massachusetts Nurses Association, IBEW Local 103, United Auto Workers Region 9A, the Coalition for Social Justice and many more. A full list of endorsements can be found here.
Election Day is September 1st but voters can vote-by-mail now or vote early in person beginning on August 22nd.