FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 17, 2020
Former Lieutenant Governor Nominee Quentin Palfrey, Ten Other Local Leaders Endorse Jesse Mermell for Congress
BROOKLINE – Jesse Mermell was endorsed by former candidate for Massachusetts Lieutenant Governor Quentin Palfrey, ten other local leaders and two progressive advocacy organizations, building last week’s monumental endorsements from Attorney General Maura Healey, Planned Parenthood, and former MA-04 candidate Dave Cavell.
“I’ve known Jesse for almost 15 years, dating back from when she was a Select Board Member in Brookline when I lived there,” said Quentin Palfrey, former Democratic Candidate for Lieutenant Governor in Massachusetts. “Jesse is exactly the kind of progressive leader the Fourth Congressional District needs. From her time as a local elected official, her service as a senior advisor to Gov. Deval Patrick, her work at Planned Parenthood, and in her work at the Alliance for Business Leadership, Jesse has consistently shown a commitment to progressive values and a demonstrated track record of getting results. I am confident that she will be a strong voice for working families in Washington and I endorse her enthusiastically.”
“Local leaders and advocacy organizations are rallying around our campaign because they know that I’m the proven progressive in this race with the grassroots coalition and momentum to win on September 1st and defeat the former Republican operative in the race who does not represent our values,” said Mermell. “We’re honored to welcome these new endorsers to Team Jesse, where they are joining the ranks of leading progressive voices like Attorney General Maura Healey, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, Planned Parenthood, NARAL, SEIU and many more.”
In addition to Palfrey, Mermell was endorsed by Taunton City Councilor Phillip Duarte, Brookline Select Board Member John VanScoyoc, Brookline Town Meeting Members Deborah Brown, Clint Richmond, Lynda Roseman Davis Wimberly and Paul Harris, Newton Economic Development Commission Member Chuck Tanowitz, Co-Vice Chair of the Taunton Democratic City Committee and Co-Founder of Sustainable Taunton Jonathan Gray and longtime Democratic activist Kate Donaghue.
“Whether it was advocating for reproductive rights at Planned Parenthood or helping negotiate and pass paid family and medical leave as President of the Alliance for Business Leadership, Jesse has always been on the right side of the issues,” said Taunton City Councilor Phillip Duarte. “As a former Brookline Select Board member and a candidate who has made it a priority to visit every corner of this district, I know Jesse will fight for the needs of every city and town in the 4th District when she is in Washington. Jesse Mermell is a champion for working families, and we need someone with her progressive values, experience, and passion to represent us in Congress.”
“As one who has witnessed Jesse Mermell’s effectiveness first-hand, I trust her to fight for equity and justice for all the people of every corner of the 4th District, in this time when we need healing and uniting more than ever,” said Brookline Select Board Member John VanScoyoc.
“When you vote for Jesse on September 1, 2020, you are not simply voting for a progressive, you are choosing the candidate with the most experience, leadership and commitment to what we hold dear, giving everyone an opportunity,” said Brookline Town Meeting Member Deborah Brown. “Make no mistake, a vote for Jesse will help to cement more for the residents of our district than other candidates are offering. A vote against her all but guarantees support for lackluster candidates, whether you are in the southeast part of the district or its northern-most areas.”
“When Jesse was a Select Board member, she was the leader supporting the groundbreaking environmental and privacy protection regulations that I brought forward and were successfully passed at Town Meeting,” said Brookline Town Meeting Member Clint Richmond.
“Jesse Mermell will fight for progressive values on behalf of all of the people of the Fourth District,” said Brookline Town Meeting Member Lynda Roseman.
“Jesse is a problem solver, a team builder, a listener, and she will represent our communities well,” said Brookline Town Meeting Member Davis Wimberly.
“I have endorsed Jesse because her values and experience best represent our MA 4th Congressional District,” said Brookline Town Meeting Member Paul Harris. “We need many more people like Jesse in the U.S. Congress.”
“I’m supporting Jesse because she’s the only candidate who combines progressive values and leadership experience with a true ability to get things done,” said Newton Economic Development Commission Member Chuck Tanowitz. “She did amazing work at the Alliance for Business Leadership by helping amplify issues that were often ignored around the region. And, through it all, she never loses sight of those around her. When you have a moment with Jesse, it’s your moment, she listens to you fully and hears your concerns. That’s why she’s the person I want to see in Congress representing this district.”
“Jesse will be a strong ally in Congress, focusing federal clean energy and environmental justice investments in the communities that have been disproportionately harmed by the climate crisis,” said Co-Vice Chair of the Taunton Democratic City Committee and Co-Founder of Sustainable Taunton Jonathan Gray.
“I lost a child to a drug overdose. Ending tragic overdose deaths and stopping the stigma associated with addiction are priorities for me and Jesse Mermell is the candidate in this race who will be a champion for families like mine,” said Democratic Activist Kate Donaghue. “I am proud to support Jesse and help grow her already strong grassroots coalition because I know the passion she’ll bring to the fight to hold opioid makers accountable for their actions that have taken so many young lives.”
Also on Monday, Mermell received endorsements from #VOTEPROCHOICE and the Working Hero PAC. #VOTEPROCHOICE is a national political organizing project and technology platform founded in March 2016 by Democrats.com LLC. Democrats.com LLC is the original online news and community site for progressive activists. They connect the nation’s pro-choice majority voters with pro-choice champion candidates in every election. Working Hero PAC, founded in 2018 by progressive entrepreneur and Earned Income Tax Credit advocate Joe Sanberg, is a people-powered political organization to support elected leaders and candidates who champion policies that will help end poverty.
Mermell’s campaign has surged in recent weeks as she builds the strongest grassroots coalition in the crowded field. She has also been endorsed by more than 100 local leaders, including Attorney General Maura Healey and Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, 21 labor unions representing 269,000 Massachusetts workers, and leading progressive advocacy organizations such as NARAL and Planned Parenthood. 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.