Hello and welcome to my campaign newsletter! I hope to make this the first of many updates on my campaign for Cambridge City Council. This is my first time running for office–but make no mistake, I’m running to win this thing and join the Council in 2026.
If you’re new to my campaign, I’m running on three main principles:
Make Cambridge more affordable to live in by building more housing of all types–market, social, affordable–and especially in corridors, squares and near transit.
Make our streets safe for walkers, bike riders, and people in wheelchairs by vastly expanding safety infrastructure like separated bike lanes, daylighting intersections, and slowing down car and truck drivers. Plus, greatly expanding the reliability and frequency of public transit.
“Trump-proof” our city by doubling down on protections for immigrants, standing with our institutions, finding new revenue sources as the federal money is taken away, and securing and growing the industries that form our economic base.
Here's what we've accomplished so far:
Formed a team of 5 core campaign members. We meet every Sunday night at 830pm over Zoom, communicate every day in our group chat, and meet in person at events and to knock doors
Raised over $11,000 since announcing in April, more than several of the incumbents and the vast majority of challengers, from 50 different donors
Created a campaign plan to not only reach and talk to as many voters as possible, but also target voters we believe will be receptive and enthusiastic about our message and strongly consider me for their #1 vote
Collected and succesfully submitted over 80 signatures (you need 50 signatures from registered Cambridge voters to get on the ballot)
Honed our messaging and focused on my “big 3” of affordability, safe streets, and Trump-proofing Cambridge, while crafting a more personal pitch that focused on my background as a public defender, Social Security Disability lawyer, and housing advocate
Created a Reddit “Ask Me Anything” post that generated 150 user comments and questions
Held a well-attended kickoff event at my building’s shared patio, featuring endorsement speeches from Cambridge Councilor Burhan Azeem and former Councilor David Sullivan (plus some live folk music from my neighbor Cooper and friend Mike!)
Recruited 10 volunteers to knock doors in Cambridge and spread the word about my campaign
Led a “living room” town hall at a supporter's house in Huron Village, and planning more
Hired a student campaign intern from Boston University–shout out Saanvi for you great work so far!
Designed and bought 5,000 palm cards from a local union print shop (lawn/window signs are on their way as well!)
Engaged in the endorsement process with local civic groups and unions
Knock thousands of doors. This is what it's all about, getting in front of voters, making my pitch, and listening to their issues and priorities
Recruit more volunteers and get quality endorsements from organizations I align with
FUNDRAISE! This is where you come in. Campaigns cost money, and while I've already raised a lot of money, I need more to remain competitive.
So please consider donating $25 to my campaign! It goes a long way and will help secure a progressive, pro-housing, pro-bike majority on the city council.
Picking Up the Pace That pedal power bike was going nowhere fast, but you can't say the same for me. We're less than a month from Election Day, and I'm still knocking hundreds of doors every week, sometimes with help from special volunteers: I've been to living room meet-and-greets, park potlucks, and meet-your-neighbor events. Ken invited me after I met him at a Streetwise talk. Cindy responded to a cold email I sent her back in early July(!) to ask about urban tree canopy. A knocked door...
Big Endorsement: Honored to be one of two challengers on this eight-candidate slate. In February, Cambridge City Council passed maybe the most significant local zoning changes in the country when it ended Exclusionary Zoning and allowed by-right construction of multi-family housing. That big step followed a decade of advocacy from A Better Cambridge, a nonprofit dedicated to housing affordability. Cambridge has the most expensive rent in Massachusetts. IYRYK--If You Rent, You Know. The...
Bike Champion Endorsement Thank you Cambridge Bicycle Safety for your endorsement! The Cycling Safety Ordinance was passed in 2019-2020 with the vision to create a comprehensive system of protected bicycling infrastructure. It was brave and bold. The effects of connecting these networks takes time, and we are definitely seeing the results. Walk into any bicycle store in Cambridge--they're slammed. Look at the open data portal--up and to the right. Bikes counted in annual survey But timelines...
