2021 Endorsements

In 2021, Boston DSA endorsed City Council candidates across Boston, Cambridge, Somerville, and Medford.

Following our endorsements and thousands of door knocks by our members, 7 of our 12 endorsements were elected or re-elected to city council. Boston DSA also published a 2021 general election voter guide.

Our 2021 endorsements are listed below

Boston

The Boston City Council is composed of nine district councilors and four at-large councilors. Councilors. In 2021, Boston DSA endorsed City Council candidates in District 4 and 6.

Joel Richards

Joel Richards, is a (Boston Teachers Union) BTU activist, first generation Jamaican American, community organizer, and candidate for District 4. As an organizer, he advocated to reduce the (Boston Police Department) BPD budget and get police out of schools. He is running for city council to get more for District 4, more quality public schools, more affordable housing, and more resources for economic justice. Learn more about Joel here.

Joel did not win his election.

Kendra Hicks

Kendra Hicks is a proud socialist, artist, and a first-generation Black Dominican woman running for Boston City Council in District 6. As a lifelong community organizer, she has long fought to bring the margins to the center, a fight she is bringing to city hall. She is committed to defunding the BPD, pushing for rent control, closing the racial wealth gap, and increasing government transparency and accountability. Check out her (self designed) website here.

Kendra won her election.

Cambridge

The Cambridge City Council is composed of eleven at-large councilors. Councilors are elected every two years with a proportional representation electoral process. In 2021, Boston DSA endorsed two candidates for re-election.

Jivan Sobrinho-Wheeler

Jivan Sobrinho-Wheeler is a Boston DSA member and organizer who was endorsed by the chapter in his winning bid in 2019. As the one of the only renters on the City Council, Jivan is a champion for tenants’ rights and housing justice, a critical issue facing Cambridge in 2021. Jivan has also been a leader on equitable transit. In his first term, Jivan has been a consistent voice for a more democratic Cambridge city government and knows how to work with our movement to keep organizing for the change Cambridge desperately needs. You can learn more about Jivan here.

Jivan did not win re-election.

Quinton Zondervan

Quinton Zondervan is an Afro-Caribbean immigrant and community activist who won the election to Cambridge City Council with Boston DSA’s endorsement in 2017. Quinton chairs the Health & Environment and the Public Safety Committees. He has been active on climate justice, policing, and advocating for our houseless neighbors in Cambridge. This term, he introduced policy orders seeking to divert a $4.1 million budget increase for the Cambridge Police Department to other City departments and to demilitarize the CPD. You find out what other policies he supports here.

Quinton won his re-election

Medford

The Medford City Council is composed of seven at-large councilors. Councilors are elected every two years. In 2021, Boston DSA endorsed one candidate for re-election.

Zac Bears

DSA Boston is proud to endorse Zac Bears! A life-long resident of Medford with first-hand experience with the housing affordability crisis, Zac Bears is a DSA member who is running for reelection to continue the fight for the city budget Medford deserves. With an emphasis on using the budget to fund city services and public schools–a modern-day ‘Sewer Socialist’–Zac believes in moving funding away from the city police and toward emergency response services like mental health support professionals and civilian traffic enforcement. Get to know Zac here.

Zac won his re-election.

Somerville

The Somerville City Council is composed of seven ward councilors and four at-large councilors. Councilors are elected every two years. In 2021, Boston DSA endorsed two ward councilors for re-election and two ward councilors and three at-large councilors for election.

JT Scott

First elected in 2017, JT Scott is a testament to the power of having socialists in office and is running for re-election this year to continue the fight for affordable housing, transparency, as well as racial and economic justice. JT uses his position on city council and as chair of the finance committee to hold the city accountable for the promises they make, as well as fight tooth and nail to make Somerville a more equitable place to live. Help get JT to a third term here.

JT won his re-election.

Ben Ewen-Campen

An advocate for housing justice, Ben has worked to make housing more affordable, sustainable, and secure by establishing a Citywide Affordable Housing Overlay District, overhauling Somerville’s Zoning to improve affordability, environmental sustainability, and green and open space, as well as passing tenant protections like the Tenant Notification Act and the Tenant Right to Purchase. He has also passed a Facial Recognition Surveillance Ban, civilian oversight of police, and a ban on tear gas. Learn how Ben fights for his constituents here.

Ben won his re-election.

Tessa Bridge

As a racial justice organizer and committed socialist, Tessa is running to build a Somerville that is equitable, sustainable, and healthy for all. That means fighting for affordable housing, fully funded public schools, and social services, climate justice, and racial equity on all levels of society. Tessa and her family are deeply connected and committed to the labor struggle, her husband is the President of the Somerville Educators Union. Tessa is inspired by her children and her work as an organizer to fight for a livable and just future for Somerville. Learn more about Tessa here.

Tessa did not win her election.

Becca Miller

With a background fighting for food security and accessibility in our state, Becca is a democratic ecosocialist, a renter, and a climate justice organizer with Boston’s chapter and national DSA. Becca’s campaign is built around a Somerville Green New Deal, housing justice, defunding the police, and strengthening organized labor. She is running on her belief in collective struggle and community-based responses to the many crises we face. You can help support her fight for a green future here.

Becca did not win her election.

Charlotte Kelly

A fourth-generation Somerville resident, Charlotte is a queer socialist and Boston DSA member. Charlotte has extensive advocacy and organizing experience; as Executive Director of the MEJA, she secured more equitable and better-funded public schools. Charlotte will fight for union-built affordable housing, fare-free public transit, municipal voting rights for undocumented people, citywide broadband, and expanded green space. Learn more about her campaign here.

Charlotte won her election.

Eve Seitchik

A life-long MA resident, Eve has been an organizer in Somerville the past two years, serving as Boston DSA’s co-chair. Eve is fighting for a fare-free transit in Somerville as part of a Green New Deal, Housing for All through protecting tenant rights and unions, and re-distributing police funds to crisis workers, trauma support, and non-congregate shelter. Find out more about their campaign here.

Eve did not win their election.

Willie Burnley Jr.

As a queer community organizer, former union steward, cyclist, and renter, Willie knows there is much more that we can do to stop displacement and evictions and to live up to Somerville’s values. Fighting on the front lines of the most pressing social movements of the day, Willie has seen first-hand the need for urgency and transformative structural change and hopes to bring that much needed vision to City Hall. Find out more about the policies he would bring to Somerville here.