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Marlene Silva of the Arlington Democratic Town Committee is one of eight delegates to the Democratic National Convention elected from our Fifth Congressional District at a caucus on April 27, 2024.

Democrats from all over the District gathered at Winchester High School to elect four male and four female delegates to the Convention, which will take place August 19-22 in Chicago. Minority Whip Katherine Clark, our Congresswoman, opened the caucus.

Delegates elected were Bob Colt, Winchester; Brian Corr, Cambridge; Juan Jaramillo, Revere; Jennifer Baker Jones, Woburn; Bob Peters, Lexington; Tina Poindexter, Watertown; Marlene Silva, Arlington; and Teresa Walsh, Medford. Russell Ashton of Wayland was elected alternate.

Teresa Walsh lived in Arlington for many years and was a member of the Arlington Democratic Town Committee. Bob Peters of Lexington is our elected Democratic State Committeeman.

Over 30 Democrats in Arlington held a caucus Saturday morning, February 24, to elect delegates to the 2024 Massachusetts Democratic Convention. The caucus was held in the Community Center on Maple Street.

Before the caucus began, State Senator Cindy Friedman welcomed attendees.

Elected as Arlington’s delegates were Carole Allen, Barbara Atkins, Angelique Bradford, Maureen Crewe, Catherine Farrell, Camilla Haase, Pearl Morrison, Mary T. Murphy, Paul Schlichtman, Amy L. Slutzky, Rieko Tanaka, Barbara Weniger, and Edward Witham Jr.

Chair Stephanie Swanson will serve as an ex officio delegate. Other Arlingtonians serving as ex officio delegates are Marlene Silva, who serves on the Democratic State Committee, as well as State Representative Sean Garballey and State Senator Cindy Friedman.

The 2024 Convention will take place in person on Saturday, June 1, at the DCU Center in Worcester, to cast a vote for their preferred Democratic candidates for U.S. Senate. Candidates must receive 15% of the vote to appear on the September primary ballot, and the candidate who receives a majority of the convention’s vote will receive the endorsement of the convention. (Sen. Elizabeth Warren is running for reelection.)

For information on the Convention, please contact the Massachusetts Democratic Party at 617-939-0800 or go to https://massdems.org/.

Arlington Democrats are invited to attend a caucus on Saturday, February 24, at 11 a.m. to elect 36 delegates and 6 alternates to the 2024 Massachusetts Democratic Convention. The location is the main meeting room of the Community Center at 27 Maple St. Registration in advance is not required, but participants are asked to register using this Google form.

Doors will open at 10:30 a.m., and we encourage attendees to arrive early. Everyone who arrives by 11:15 a.m. will be admitted.

At this year’s state convention, planned for Saturday, June 1 in person at the DCU Center in Worcester, thousands of Democrats from across the state will come together to cast a vote for their preferred Democratic candidates for U.S. Senate. Candidates must receive 15% of the vote to appear on the September primary ballot, and the candidate who receives a majority of the convention’s vote will receive the endorsement of the convention.

Democrats in Arlington who have registered or pre-registered to vote may vote and be elected as delegates or alternates during the caucus. Pre-registered Democrats must be 16 years old by February 15, 2024. Any person not shown on the party registration list must either provide proof of Democratic Party registration (or pre-registration) or register (or pre-register) prior to the close of the caucus registration period.

Youth (age 16 to 35), people with disabilities, people of color, and members of the LGBTQ+ community not elected as delegates or alternates are encouraged to apply to be add-on delegates at the caucus or by visiting massdems.org/massdems-convention.

Delegates and alternates will be divided equally between men and women, except that candidates whose gender identity is non-binary can run for delegate without needing to classify themselves as male or female. Candidates must be present at the caucus to be elected (except those serving in the Armed Forces, who must notify the chair of their candidacy before the caucus).

For more information on the caucus or the Arlington Democratic Town Committee, please contact Chair Stephanie Swanson at 716-435-4153, or visit our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/adtcma. For general information on the Convention or the Democratic Party, please call 617-939-0800 or email contact@massdems.org. Details on the caucus rules can be found at https://massdems.org/massdems-convention.

Nearly 60 Democrats in Arlington held a caucus Saturday morning, June 17, to elect delegates to the 2023 Massachusetts Democratic Convention. The caucus filled the function room of Donut Villa on Broadway. Before the caucus began, Governor Maura Healey spoke to the attendees, thanking Arlington for its support for her election last fall. Also speaking was Steve Kerrigan, newly elected chair of the Massachusetts Democratic Party, who encouraged Arlington Democrats to help elect Democrats in Massachusetts and across the country. State Senator Cindy Friedman introduced the speakers and welcomed attendees.

Elected as Arlington’s 13 delegates were Barbara Atkins, Robin Bergman, Lynn Bishop, Elinore Charlton, Maureen Crewe, William Gardiner, Guillermo Hamlin, Jennifer Litowski, Linda Magram, Pearl Morrison, Paul Schlichtman, Michael Watson, and Edward Witham Jr.

Chair Stephanie Swanson will serve as an ex officio delegate. Other Arlingtonians serving as ex officio delegates are Marlene Silva, who serves on the Democratic State Committee, as well as State Representative Sean Garballey and State Senator Cindy Friedman.

The 2023 Convention will take place in person on September 23 at the Tsongas Arena in Lowell, to discuss the critical issues facing the people of the Commonwealth and set an agenda for the party in the year ahead. (The convention is the same day as Arlington’s Town Day, one reason for the small number of delegates.)

For more information on the Arlington Democratic Town Committee, please contact Stephanie Swanson at 716-435-4153. For general information on the Convention, please contact the Massachusetts Democratic Party at 617-939-0800 or go to https://massdems.org/.

Arlington Democrats are invited to attend a caucus on Saturday, June 17, at 10 a.m. to elect 36 delegates and 6 alternates to the 2023 Massachusetts Democratic Convention. The location is the function room at the back of Donut Villa, 319 Broadway (formerly Common Ground). Registration in advance is not required, but we ask you to register using this Google form so that we know how many to expect.

We have a special guest: our Governor, Maura Healey, will kick off the caucus at 10, welcoming local Democrats.

Doors will open for check-in at 9:30 a.m., and we encourage attendees to arrive early. Everyone who arrives by 10:15 a.m. will be admitted.

At this year’s state convention, planned for Saturday, September 23 in person at the Tsongas Arena in Lowell, thousands of Democrats from across the state will come together to discuss the critical issues facing the people of the Commonwealth and set an agenda for the party in the year ahead. (Note that Arlington’s Town Day is also on Sept. 23.)

Democrats in Arlington who have registered or pre-registered to vote by May 23, 2023, may vote and be elected as delegates or alternates during the caucus. Pre-registered Democrats must be 16 years old by May 23, 2023.

Youth (age 16 to 35), people with disabilities, people of color, and members of the LGBTQ+ community not elected as delegates or alternates are encouraged to apply to be add-on delegates at the caucus or by visiting massdems.org/massdems-convention.

For more information on the caucus or the Arlington Democratic Town Committee, please contact Chair Stephanie Swanson at 716-435-4153. For general information on the Convention or the Democratic Party, please call 617-939-0800 or email contact@massdems.org. Details on the caucus rules can be found at https://massdems.org/massdems-convention.

This week, President Biden kicked off his “Invest in America” tour to highlight how his economic agenda is unleashing a manufacturing boom, strengthening U.S. supply chains, creating good-paying jobs, and expanding economic opportunity across America.

Since his presidency, President Biden has done a lot for Massachusetts. He is rebuilding our infrastructure, creating clean-energy jobs and combating the climate crisis, supporting our small businesses, lowering costs, and much more!

Meanwhile, MAGA Republicans are pushing plans that would be a disaster for Massachusetts residents, endangering public safety and worsen public health, raising costs for families and students, and harming seniors and veterans. The contrast is clear.

Thanks to President Biden, Massachusetts’s economy is now a more attractive place for companies around the world to invest, the unemployment rate has dropped to 3.7%, and Massachusetts residents are saving money on their health care premiums and prescription drugs.

Take some time to read the full fact sheet packed with data to share with your friends and networks.

In times this uncertain and frankly, heartbreaking, we need to reaffirm our values and let you know what we continue to work on day in and day out.

• Keeping our kids safe in the classroom and at home
• Keeping government out of women’s health care decisions
• Protecting Social Security and Medicare
• Defending the right to love who you love without government interference
• Reversing global warming to give our kids the planet they deserve
• Respecting our public servants

If you believe in these values, you have a home working with us to make sure these values are lived. Come to our next meeting, get involved in a campaign at any level, and help us make this country better.

At the Arlington Democratic Town Committee’s April 11 virtual meeting, Aimee Coolidge stepped down from her role as Co-Chair after 18 years at the helm of the committee. Once the election of officers was complete, she was then unanimously designated as the committee’s first ever Chair Emerita, in honor of her many years of service as Chair.

Beginning as Chair in 2004, Aimee has given countless hours of her time in service to the Arlington Democratic Town Committee. She has worked to create an inclusive, positive, and active Democratic Party in town, helping to make Arlington a progressive powerhouse and a stronghold of Democratic votes. Aimee organized many coordinated Democratic campaigns over the years, increased committee membership, and connected the Arlington Democratic Town Committee to many other like-minded organizations across the Commonwealth.

The Arlington Democratic Town Committee would like to thank Aimee for her years of service and looks forward to continuing to work together in the years ahead!

At last! After 233 years, a black woman, Ketanji Brown Jackson, has been confirmed as a justice of the Supreme Court. She will be sworn in at the end of the term in June.

Judge Jackson brings to the Court deep experience with American life as it is really lived, joining predecessors like Louis Brandeis, Thurgood Marshall, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Sonia Sotomayor. Add to that experience her unquestionable brilliance, judgment, and dignity, and you have a justice with the stature to lead the Court out of the extremist wilderness.

Just imagine a having a Supreme Court that once again stands up for human rights, supports the weak and oppressed, and protects our democracy. It will happen someday, and Judge – soon to be Justice – Jackson will lead the way.

What can we do? First, rejoice! And then remember that Judge Jackson will need help, and only a Democratic president and Senate can provide it. It is an election year. We have to dedicate ourselves to the struggle too.

We’re glad Katherine Clark is our Congresswoman: Assistant Speaker Katherine Clark has secured $750,000 for a coastal resiliency project that will reduce the risk of flooding to Arlington and other communities in the Mystic River Basin.

“Climate change is here,” the Assistant Speaker said in a March 22 release, “we need to make investments now to prevent disasters later.”

The risk of disaster is not far off. Due to rising sea levels, the dams that currently protect our community from coastal flooding will only be able to provide sufficient protection for 10 or 20 more years. When protection fails, the most vulnerable among us will suffer the consequences. In the end, though, no one is safe from profound environmental collapse.

Assistant Speaker Clark, and the Biden Administration, in our community and throughout the country, are investing in a safe and resilient future for everyone. They understand that we need to be ready to fight back when the inevitable threats occur. We won’t be unless we invest in our future now.

What you can do: Help the Mystic River Watershed Association to preserve the river and protect our communities, as a volunteer or donor.