Michael Bowler

I am running for my third term on steering because I believe that Our Revolution Somerville plays a crucial role in local movements here in Somerville- intersecting the worlds of grassroots organizing and electoral politics effectively. But there is more work that needs to be done to grow membership and get involved in new, important causes. I have been involved with Our Revolution Somerville since its creation 3 years ago as a member of the steering committee, and I care deeply about its ability to restore power to the people of the community. We don’t have to look beyond our own city to see that unions, immigrants and working class people are under attack. I think it’s important that we continue to bring a spotlight to these issues and organize campaigns around the issues that fit with our values. When we fight, we win.

As a parent of 2nd grader in Somerville public schools, there are a couple of causes that I am interested in taking on if elected to another term on steering. The first is organizing around the Paraeducators of Somerville’s public schools as they fight for a new contract. They currently make roughly 21,000 dollars a year and can’t live a dignified life on that salary. We need to leverage our people power to support their cause. The second is helping to get involved in education causes more generally and start a meaningful relationship with the teachers union- STA- here in Somerville so that we can be on the forefront of supporting workers that matter so much to our community and to our children. Nationally it has been the wave of amazing/powerful teacher strikes across the country that has brought some momentum back to the workers movement in our country. I am hopeful that in my term I can help organize and communicate to empower the causes of our educators here in Somerville. I hope to have your support. Thank you.

Chris Lay

I moved to Somerville in 2005 for cheap rent and access to transit; 14 years later, the access is better than ever, but the transit is falling apart and the rent is too damn high. I joined ORS after the 2016 election because doing nothing politically was no longer an option for me, local politics seemed like the best way to do something, and ORS seemed like the most effective organization working for local change. Since then I have served on the Interim SC, and on the first elected SC in 2018; I've been an active participant in the Affordable Housing Working Group; I've been ORS's Treasurer since January 2019; and I've knocked a lot of doors.

I think ORS should have two priorities in 2020:

First: We need to help elect as many left State Representatives as we can. Some of the most important tools to fight displacement and gentrification in Somerville depend on action at the Statehouse, including Rent Control, the Real Estate Transfer Fee, and the Tenant Right of First Refusal. To get what Somerville needs from Beacon Hill, we will need to send as many volunteers as we can to the campaigns of left challengers beyond our own districts, to make real, visible contributions to each of those campaigns, and to work with local organizations in those districts to keep those new Reps focused on what we all need, not what Leadership wants.

Second: We need to start and nurture Neighborhood Associations in every Square and every 'Transformative'-zoned block in Somerville to replicate across the City the success of the Union Square NA's Community Benefits Agreement negotiation with US2.

When we fight, we win. Let's fight.

Larry Rich

I’M UPSET that many of our leaders LIE, that they bow to corporate interests, that they hide the sources of their support and act in the interests of the wealthy, that they deny climate change, that they demonize immigrants, Muslims and other minorities, that they suppress the vote, that they confirm judges who deny women’s rights, accept torture and refuse to curb the Executive Branch, that they don’t believe in science, that they don’t believe in the human rights to health care, a living wage and affordable housing… etc. etc.

I AM FOR BERNIE Sanders’ vision of progressive values in our politics from members of the local school committee to the Congress to the President of the United States. As Bernie says, change occurs from the bottom up and I am working to change things beginning at the bottom in Somerville.

I AM RUNNING for reelection. I was a member of the first ORS steering committee and have attended steering committee meetings even when I wasn’t a member in the second year. I am not only on the committee now but I am also the liaison for ORS to Our Revolution Massachusetts (ORMA) on the Representative Council. I have represented ORS at the Climate Coalition of Somerville; I frequently attend the Somerville Sanctuary City Steering Committee meetings; I am a member of the Social Action Committee at Temple B’nai Brith and participate in the Greater Boston Interfaith Organization (GBIO); I am on the steering committee of the Massachusetts Coalition to Save Darfur; I am a member of the New Hampshire Rebellion (to get money out of politics); and I am a member of Voter Choice (for ranked choice voting).

My wife and I have lived in Somerville for 36 years and raised our children here.

Rachel Distler

In the past year as a member of the 2019 steering committee, CO-chair of the Labor Working Group, and member of the ORS membership committee, it has been an honor to be part of the hard work that keeps Our Revolution Somerville growing.

I am choosing to run for re-election because I believe deeply in the work Our Revolution Somerville is doing. I wish to continue the momentum that ORS has built in the past three years, and to continue increasing the engagement of our community in our legislative process.

Colleen Fitzpatrick

My name is Colleen Fitzpatrick and I have been a resident and renter in Somerville for seven years, and a member of the ORS Steering Committee for the past two years. I have found my involvement with ORS to be incredibly meaningful and it is clear our collective efforts have had a serious impact on the local political scene.

I believe that an informed and engaged community is crucial to deepening democracy in our city and achieving change at the local level. The ways that we navigate the nuances of our organizational structure, relationship with city and government officials, and positions on issues related to our mission are paramount to our political success. That is why it is so crucial to have a diversity of perspectives and a depth of knowledge in our governing bodies, and I feel I will continue to bring both to my role on the steering committee. I also have extensive professional experience in organizing for both affordable housing and labor and am proud of my track record and history of bringing people of all types and walks of life together for a common purpose.

If re-elected to the ORS steering committee, I pledge to prioritize recruitment and the continued growth of our organization. I understand the challenges that this presents and the necessity of persistence and genuine relationship building. My work in community development and labor has given me a thorough understanding of recruitment strategies and tactics, and I am aware of what it takes to harness people power and affect change for working people.

Melinda Green

All real estate development causes a ricochet effect in our community, one that plays a direct role in determining who can call Somerville home. Every issue is intersectional. How can Somerville boast of being a Sanctuary City when many of our immigrants—and long-time residents—can no longer afford to live here because housing is unattainable and employers find ways around paying livable wages? We need to have these conversations with our neighbors as much as we do our elected officials. If re-elected to the ORS Steering Committee, I can continue to help shape our organizational strategy around these critical issues in 2020 — and help ensure municipal politics do not take a backseat to the upcoming presidential election.

I have been an active member of ORS since June 2017. In addition to serving on the Steering Committee and serving as one of its 3 co-chairs in 2019, I also serve on the organization's Communications team. Additional civic experience includes working on local and state-level political campaigns, completing MassAlliance's Grassroots Campaign Training and serving as the current Secretary of the Ward 2 Democrats.

Nathanael Clauser

I joined Our Revolution Somerville shortly after its creation in 2017 and have been an active member ever since. I participated in our effort at the 2017 Mass Dems Platform Convention that won progressive changes to the state party platform, and I knocked hundreds of doors for the ORS slate in the 2017 municipal election. In 2018, I worked on OR candidate forums for the elections in the 7th Congressional District and for Somerville’s State Senatorial and House districts. In 2019, as a co-chair of the Electoral Working Group, I worked on our endorsement process and our canvassing efforts. I also worked in 2019, along with other members of the Labor Working Group, on a rewrite of Somerville's Wage Theft Ordinance that was passed by the City Council last month.

There is much more necessary work for us to do at the municipal level, but so many of the policy changes we want to make in Somerville require approval by the state legislature, approval which has not been forthcoming on a number of the home rule petitions the city sent to the State House in the last two years. For this reason, if elected to the 2020 Steering Committee, I intend to push ORS to devote some effort to State legislative races this year, including races outside of Somerville. Somerville needs the State House to stop holding us back, so we need to help build a better State House by supporting socialist and progressive challengers running against more conservative incumbents.

I've served on the Steering Committee for the past year, and I have a clear understanding of the considerable time and effort it takes to serve the organization in this capacity. I commit to keep showing up and working with you to build a Somerville for the many, not the few. I ask for your vote.

Donald "DJ" Cronin

My name is Donald “DJ” Cronin and I am declaring my intention to run for re-election to the Steering Committee of Our Revolution Somerville. I have been active in ORS since 2017 and am currently finishing my second term on the Steering Committee. I am proud of the work we have been doing in the Labor Working Group especially over the last year that culminated in the City Council passing an updated Wage Theft Ordinance that is one of the strongest in the country. I am also proud of the work we did on the Somerville municipal elections where all of our endorsed City Council and School Committee candidates won. We still have a lot of work to do including helping to build a Somerville Workers Center, updating ordinances on “living (livable) wages” and workplace health and safety as well as campaigning hard to help get Bernie Sanders elected President of the United States! Thank you for your consideration.

Pennie Taylor

Hi, I’m Pennie, a tenant in Ward 2 grateful for your consideration. I’m an exhibit manager, art and ecology educator, and community organizer. I got involved with ORS organizing for municipal elections in 2017. Now I'm in the Labor Working Group; we just successfully wrangled an updated wage theft ordinance. That campaign continues as we develop a Somerville worker center. Meanwhile, it's exciting to be on the phones and doors with ORS folks sharing Bernie’s plans for a Green New Deal... and does anyone else smell that rent control in the air? My local leadership experience includes serving two terms on the Board of the Union Square Neighborhood Council, fighting for people over profits (i.e. with a Community Benefits Agreement). I’d be honored to serve on the ORS Steering Committee. ORS has showed me that when we fight, we win!

Jon Leonard

I have been a member of the Steering Committee since its inception in 2017 and have served as a member of the Communications Team and as a co-chair of the Electoral Working Group. I'm very proud of the work we have done so far in pushing for a fairer, more just Somerville. I believe if we're going to build on those successes, we need to bring in new members. If re-elected, I intend to work to get new people involved and engaged with local politics.

Harriotte Hurie Ranvig

My name is Harriotte Hurie Ranvig and I've lived in the Davis Square neighborhood of Somerville since 1983.

I bring a unique perspective as I've been totally blind since my teenage years. My lifelong professional and volunteer advocacy for people with disabilities has given me background to understand the gross inequities many people struggle with on a day to day basis. Over more than three decades I have lived, worked, and raised my children here in Somerville. Hindi and German fluency as well as basic conversational Spanish and a general love of languages has served me in connecting cross-culturally with many individuals throughout the diverse populations of Somerville and the surrounding Greater Boston area.

During the two years I have already served on the ORS Steering Committee, I have had the privilege of witnessing and participating in the complex functions of our city government. I have experienced more and more the importance of ensuring each person's voice and views are heard in the public sphere. I am here to listen to Somerville residents and in supporting each person to have opportunities to get their needs met fairly.

Thank you for considering me for the 2020 Our Revolution Steering Committee.