FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
OCTOBER 31, 2019
Former Representative Frank Smizik & Leading Education Advocate Julie Johnson Endorse Jesse Mermell
Brookline Leaders Highlight Mermell as a Progressive Leader Dedicated to Public Service
BROOKLINE – Former State Representative Frank Smizik and his wife, Julie Johnson, a longtime public education advocate, today endorsed Jesse Mermell for Congress.
“Jesse has been a fierce advocate for all the progressive policies we hold dear and will be a progressive champion for the entire Fourth District in Congress,” said Smizik, who served as the Brookline Representative for 18 years before retiring in January and formerly served on the Brookline School Committee and Brookline Housing Authority. “In particular, I’ve seen Jesse’s commitment to tackling climate change first hand and know that she will continue to fight for the future of our planet when she is in Washington.”
“Jesse’s career as a progressive leader has prepared her for this moment. I’ve watched her lead on the issues that matter to kids and to our public schools, from our years together on the board of Citizens for Public Schools to her time at the helm of FairTest, fighting against high stakes standardized testing in Massachusetts,” said Johnson, who served for twenty-nine years as a government relations specialist with the Massachusetts Teachers Association. “Jesse understands that strong public schools and strong unions are vital to the future of this district, from Brookline to Fall River.”
Mermell has worked with Smizik and Johnson for years, working to bring progressive change to both Brookline and Massachusetts residents.
Smizik, while in the Legislature, was a nationally-recognized champion of the environment, leading the charge for landmark legislation such as the Global Warming Solutions Act and the Green Communities Act. Smizik also led at the State House and in Brookline on issues ranging from civil rights and civil liberties, public education, labor and housing. Prior to his election to the House, Smizik was an attorney with the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute representing low income clients and focusing on affordable housing and tenants’ rights.
“Representative Smizik and Julie Johnson have dedicated their lives to work for the people of Brookline, Massachusetts and our nation,” said Mermell. “I am honored to have Frank and Julie as friends and as early backers of this campaign, and I can’t imagine a better couple to highlight the issues that matter most to the people of the Fourth District.”