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Greetings Maria,
There is important momentum for elected progressives in Worcester, and we all helped make it happen. Our 2021 Worcester recommended candidates Etel Haxhiaj and Thu Nguyen won, and have been progressive champions on the Council! We made a strong case that Worcester was a key battleground for progressives and communities of color to tip the scales of moderates seemingly far away on Beacon Hill. Sure enough, the momentum after Haxhiaj and Nguyen’s municipal wins continued, leading to progressive Robyn Kennedy to defeat longtime Worcester Mayor Joe Petty in a State Senate race. What that election taught us is that progressives have momentum on our side, and Mayor Joe Petty is more electorally vulnerable than once thought!
As a reminder, electorally Worcester largely mirrors the statewide dynamics of partisanship and ideology, although Worcester Democrats are slightly more supportive of progressive candidates. Let’s keep going! Momentum is really boosted for progressive communities of color by long term financial investment from donors and philanthropy.
The 2023 municipal elections could keep this momentum going. Please support our candidates!
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Khrystian King for Mayor of Worcester: Councilor King is a former social worker who has worked with children and families across Worcester for two decades. He has been on the council since 2016, and has focused on funding and programming for public schools. On the campaign trail, he has been vocal on his strategy to address the housing crisis. His priorities include stabilizing rents, and creating pathways to affordable homeownership. As Mayor, he will focus on making Worcester safe, sustainable, and affordable.
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Etel Haxhiaj for Worcester District 5: Councilor Haxhiaj was elected in 2021, and became the first Albanian immigrant elected to the Worcester City Council. During her first term, she has focused on constituent services and neighborhood safety such as lowering speed limits. Etel is also the public education & advocacy director at Central Massachusetts Housing Alliance. Her re-election is very competitive, and she has already been the victim of politically motivated vandalism.
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Thu Nguyen for Worcester At Large: Councilor Nguyen was elected in 2021, and became the first openly non-binary candidate elected to public office in Massachusetts history. In their first term, they have fought for more affordable housing, and transparency from the city government. They support policies intended to build more affordable housing and focus on parts of the city outside of downtown. As a former youth organizer, Councilor Nguyen has also prioritized the formation and funding of programming for Worcester’s kids.
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