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Arlington Democrats are invited to attend a virtual caucus on Wednesday, June 30, at 7 p.m. to elect 37 delegates and 6 alternates to the 2021 Massachusetts Democratic Convention.

At this year’s state convention, to be held Saturday, September 25 at the Tsongas Center in Lowell, thousands of Democrats from across the state will come together to adopt a party platform.

The caucus is open to all registered and pre-registered Democrats in Arlington. Pre-registered Democrats who will be 16 by June 15, 2021, will be welcome to participate and run as a delegate or alternate.

To participate in the virtual caucus, please use this Zoom registration form. You will receive a personalized link and passcode to the Zoom caucus in an email, which you’ll need to keep.

Youth, minorities, people with disabilities, and LGBTQ individuals who are not elected as a delegate or alternate may apply to be an add-on delegate at the caucus or at www.massdems.org.

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 Co-Chair Stephanie Swanson at 716-435-4153 or Co-Chair Aimee Coolidge at 781-775-5343. 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/.

The Arlington Democratic Town Committee is appalled at the leadership role President Trump played in the violent attack on the Capitol and Congress on January 6. We strongly condemn President Donald Trump for inciting his supporters to “fight like hell” in support of the lie that the November election results were invalid.

Equally we condemn the 139 Republican Congresspersons and 8 Republican Senators who supported this lie and voted to invalidate the election results from two states. We condemn the actions of these individuals, which have resulted in lives lost and threaten our democratic institutions.

We condemn the racist assumption behind this lie and these actions: that votes from majority-Black and majority-Latinx cities such as Detroit, Philadelphia, Atlanta, and Phoenix should not be counted.

We are thankful for the safety of our Representative Katherine Clark and our Senators Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren and support their efforts to impeach and convict President Trump for his egregious attack on the democratic process. Truth and justice are the only road to healing.

Register by Saturday, October 24

Vote absentee, by mail or drop box

OR Vote early in person Oct. 17-31

OR Vote on Election Day, November 3

Details here:

Here’s a running list of Black-owned businesses to support in Greater
Boston:

https://www.boston.com/culture/business/2020/06/08/black-owned-businesses-to-support-in-greater-boston

A list of 50+ Black-owned Boston restaurants to support:

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/06/01/lifestyle/support-bostons-black-owned-restaurants/

18 Black-Owned Restaurants in Boston Open for Takeout or Delivery:

https://www.bostonmagazine.com/restaurants/black-owned-restaurants-boston/

How to Support Boston’s Black-Owned Restaurants (with a crowdsourced
spreadsheet with details on over 150 Boston-area black-owned restaurants,
as well as other resources):

https://boston.eater.com/2020/6/8/21284086/boston-black-owned-restaurants-support-resources

List of Black-owned companies in the Boston area:

https://blackboston.com/list-of-black-owned-companies-in-the-boston-area-who-requested-referrals-from-aboutblackboston-online-buyblack/

The Arlington Democratic Town Committee strongly condemns all racist acts of police violence and extends our deepest condolences to the families and friends of George Floyd and the other victims of racially-based police violence. We condemn racist acts of oppression in all forms, including institutionalized racism and the violence of denial inherent to an unjust society. This oppression has targeted the Black American community, in particular, for far too long.

We are committed to justice and to the representation of our entire community. We are committed to working with our members and our partners in the broader community to make a better world. However, despite our good intentions, we know that we need to do better and strive to do so.

We also wish to refer you to a local community event where you can join us in taking a stand:

• Stand in Solidarity with George Floyd is a nightly demonstration along Mass Ave from 6-7 pm

All registered voters in Arlington should by now (5/21) have received a postcard to request a mail-in ballot for the June 6 Town Election. Normally you have to provide an excuse, but that requirement has been waived until June 30 by a new state law.

Fill in the postcard, be sure to sign it, and then return it to the Clerk’s office promptly. You’ll be sent an absentee ballot, which you can mail in or place in any of several secure drop boxes around town. The absentee ballot must be received by 8 p.m. June 6.

The deadline for returning the postcard is legally required to be June 5, but of course that only really applies when you can vote in person at the Town Clerk’s office. Send it in as soon as you can to make sure that you’ll have time to receive the ballot, complete it, and return it.

Voters must be registered by May 27 in order to vote in this election.

Watch this space for further updates on voting procedures.

In the Presidential primary March 3, Democratis in Arlington elected a new Town Committee. Its members are Adam Badik, Laurene Bergin, Robin Bergman, Lynn Bishop, Shane Blundell, Maureen Crewe, Mary Cummings, James DiTullio, Catherine Farrell, John Galligan, William Gardiner, Sharon Grossman, Patrick Hanlon, Christa Kelleher, Sonya Khan, Colleen Kirby, Adele Kraus, David Levy, Jennifer Litowski, William Logan, Adam MacNeill, Linda Magram, Richard McElroy, Pearl Morrison, Lisa Pedulla, Carroll Edward Schwartz, Paulette Schwartz, Marlene Silva, Hannah Simon, David Swanson, Stephanie Swanson, Rieko Tanaka, Alice Trexler, Michael Watson, Jordan Weinstein.

State Senator Cindy Friedman and State Representative Sean Garballey will serve as ex officio members. The following have become 20-year members, so they were not on the ballot: Aimee Coolidge, Camilla Haase, Gwenyth Hooper, and Paul Schlichtman.

About 240 Democrats filled Town Hall Auditorium on the morning of Saturday, February 29 to elect delegates to the Democratic State Convention. Many were newcomers to local Democratic politics, and 28 voters changed their registration to Democratic to participate in the caucus. Aimee Coolidge, chair of the Arlington Democratic Town Committee, welcomed all the newcomers and encouraged them to continue participating.

Among the attendees were an enthusiastic group of Arlington High School students and alumni. Those who were 16 or 17 and were pre-registered voted along with everyone else and were eligible to run for delegate.

Supporters of incumbent Senator Edward Markey prevailed over supporters of Congressman Joseph Kennedy, electing all 37 delegates and 6 alternates to the Convention. Delegates elected were Adam Badik, Kristen Bauer, Robin Bergman, Peter Braun, Michael J. Brown, Downing Cless, Sonya Coleman, Maureen Crewe, Joseph Curro, Susan Doctrow, Catherine Farrell, William Gardiner, Pauline Gardiner, Amy Goldstein, Barbara Goodman, Camilla Haase, Tung Huynh, Lori Kenschaft, Colleen Kirby, Ann LeRoyer, Alan Linov, William Logan, Adam MacNeill, Richard McElroy, John Page, Judson Pierce, Jennifer Roderick, Joel Rothstein, Paul Schlichtman, Carroll Edward Schwartz, Paulette Schwartz, Susan Stamps, Rieko Tanaka, Robert Tosi Jr., Alice Trexler, Steven Wofsy, and Mona Zeftel. Alternates elected were Edith Barrett, John Burt, Lynette Culverhouse, Gary Goldsmith, Catherine Pedersen, and Edward Witham.

Additional delegates will serve because of the offices they hold: State Senator Cindy Friedman and State Representatives Sean Garballey and Dave Rogers, Arlington Democratic Town Committee Chair Aimee Coolidge, and State Committee members James DiTullio and Marlene Silva.

Eligible to apply to be add-on delegates are members of groups in the following categories: youth aged 16-34 (including our AHS caucus attendees), minorities, disabled, and LGBTQ+.

At the Convention, to be held in the Tsongas Center in Lowell on Saturday, May 30, the winner of the majority of delegates will receive the state Democratic Party’s endorsement. Any candidate who receives over 15% of the vote will appear on the ballot for the state Primary Election, to be held on Tuesday, September 1.

Senator Markey’s long service as Arlington’s Congressman probably helped his supporters outnumber those for Congressman Kennedy. Both Senator Markey and our current Congresswoman, Katherine Clark, came to greet caucus attendees while they were standing in line to check in. Also present were Arlington’s State House delegation, Sen. Friedman and Reps. Garballey and Rogers. Governor’s Councilor Marilyn Petitto Devaney was also there.

For more information on the Arlington Democratic Town Committee or any of our meetings, please contact Ms. Coolidge at 781-646-5339, visit our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/adtcma. For general information on the Convention, please contact the Democratic State Committee at 617-939-0800 or visit massdems.org.

Arlington Democrats are invited to attend a caucus on Saturday, February 29, at 10 a.m. in the Town Hall Auditorium, 730 Massachusetts Ave., to elect 37 delegates and 6 alternates to the 2020 Massachusetts Democratic Convention.

At this year’s state convention, to be held Saturday, May 30 at the Tsongas Center in Lowell, thousands of Democrats from across the state will come together to cast a vote for their preferred Democratic candidates for U.S. Senate. This is an important event, because 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.

Checkin for the caucus will begin at 9:30 a.m. All registrants who are in line by 10:15 a.m. will be accepted. The Auditorium is accessible to the disabled.

The caucus is open to all registered and pre-registered Democrats in Arlington. Pre-registered Democrats who will be 16 by February 15, 2020, will be welcome to participate and run as a delegate or alternate.

Youth, minorities, people with disabilities, and LGBTQ individuals who are not elected as a delegate or alternate may apply to be an add-on delegate at the caucus or at www.massdems.org.

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).

In case of a snow emergency on February 29, the caucus will be postponed to the evening of Wednesday, March 11, also in Town Hall.

For more information on the caucus or the Arlington Democratic Town Committee, please contact Chair Aimee Coolidge at 781-646-5339. 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 www.massdems.org.

You can now view the forum “Taking Legislative Action: Our Environment, Our State House” by going to https://acmi.tv/videos/climate-change-legislative-forum-february-16-2020/.

This forum, which was sponsored by the Arlington Democratic Town Committee, was held on January 14 at the Robbins Library in Arlington, Massachusetts.

Representative Dave Rogers of the 24th Middlesex District, Representative Sean Garballey of the 23rd Middlesex District , and Ms. Cabell Eames, Legislative Manager and Political Director for 350 Mass, discussed bills addressing climate change that are currently before the Massachusetts legislature:

• H.2836/S.1958: An Act Re-Powering Massachusetts with 100% Renewable Energy, sponsored by Rep. Garballey, Rep Marjorie Decker, and Sen. Jamie Eldridge

• H.2810: An Act to Promote Green Infrastructure and Reduce Carbon Emissions, sponsored by Representative Jennifer Benson

• H. 3008/S.2106: An Act to Advance Modern and Sustainable Solutions for Transportation, sponsored by Representative Lori Ehrlich and Senator Eric Lesser

• H. 826/S.453 An Act Relative to Environmental Justice in the Commonwealth, sponsored by Representative Adrian Maduro and Senator Sal DiDomenico

• H.761/S.464: An Act Relative to Environmental Justice and Toxics Reduction in the Commonwealth

All of these bills are supported by Mass Power Forward, a consortium of grassroots organizations from across the state addressing climate change issues.