Dear Voters of the Fourth District,

I am running for Congress to put people before politics, as I have been doing for three decades since I co-founded City Year and worked to build the AmeriCorps movement that has given more than one million Americans a job – and a passion for – public service.

As you know, we face a time like no other – with a pandemic that is threatening our lives and those we love every day, a deep recession that is crushing Main Street and putting so many of us at risk of not being able to provide for our families, and a racial justice crisis, sparked by the horrific killing of George Floyd and too many others.

But while we have seen the worst out of the Trump administration, as at other times of great challenge in our history, we are seeing the very best of the people of the 4th District and of the American people. From the perseverance of our truly essential workers to the commitment of those from all backgrounds peacefully protesting to demand racial justice in our country, I see great reason for hope. We must commit ourselves to emerge from this time with a District and country that is more fair, inclusive and just.

We are in a New Deal moment, one that will require bold 21st century ideas to address these interrelated crises. We need our government to act, and we need a plan to demand action on.

That’s why I worked with hundreds of people across our 4th District to build a legislative Action Plan for Every City and Town in the 4th District.

If given the opportunity to serve, my plan ensures I will be ready on Day One to move rapidly to introduce policies that move our 34 cities and towns – from Needham to Attleboro, from Newton to Taunton – forward.

I listened to the people of the District and learned what we need most.

I learned that this is a wonderfully diverse and historic district in which everyone takes pride in their hometown. From Taunton’s Green where the first Flag for Independence was raised against the British, to Fall River’s beautiful waterfront and historic Battleship Cove, to Brookline’s role as a stop on the Underground Railroad, to Franklin creating the first public library which educated Horace Mann and inspired him to invent public education, this district contains the very story of America.

I also learned that the people of the Fourth District want common-sense solutions that cut through our political gridlock. We need to fight the pandemic, help working families, stop gun violence, address racial injustice, end the opioid crisis, fight climate change, improve our public transportation system, fund our schools, invest in the arts, restore the American Dream and remember that at the end of the day, we are all in this together.

You can read the plan for your community below.

These plans are just the beginning. I will continue to listen, to learn and to work with you to put forward legislative action plans that move our communities forward.

Please reach out to me at [email protected] to share your ideas for how we can work together to meet pressing needs in your community and across the Fourth District.

It’s time to bring people like you and me into the governing process.

It’s time to put people before politics.

I would be honored to have your support and to roll up my sleeves and work with you to realize the promise of the 4th District, our state and our country.

Yours in service,