Here are the responses to our questionnaire that we sent to candidates for State Representative, State Senate, and for the MA-9 Congressional seat. We will voting on endorsements at our upcoming Endorsement Meeting.

• Mac D'Alessandro, candidate for US Congress [responses] [website]
• Pat Jehlen, incumbent candidate for State Senate [responses] [website]
• Denise Provost, incumbent candidate for State Representative [responses] [website]
• Carl Sciortino, incumbent candidate for State Representative [responses] [website]
• Tim Toomey, incumbent candidate for State Representative [responses] [website]

Getting involved and making a difference in political campaigns is something PDS does well!

So we will be meeting on Thursday, Sept. 2nd from 6:30 to 8:00 at the Precinct Bar in Union Square (70 Union Square) to consider making an important endorsement.

We will consider an endorsement in the 9th Congressional District Democratic Primary between Mac D'Allessandro and Stephen Lynch.. This is an important race that is drawing national attention! In addition, we will hear from some members of our own state delegation as they work for reelection this year and consider endoring them as well:

Sen. Jehlen and Reps. Provost, Toomey and Sciortino.

This is an important meeting and one that is sure to help energize PDS moving into the fall! Hope to see you there!

For more information, please contact Marty Martinez, PDS Chair at chair at pdsomerville dot org.

Join us for our Annual Meeting this Thursday, June 17th!

After a year of many successes and some direction setting work, we are excited to end one year and begin another!

Come out for an evening of good food, good people and good politics.

We will briefy review the last year, hear from a few PDSers and their important efforts, elect new officers and get ready for an upcoming year of important work to continue to make Somerville an even better place to live, work and play!

Remember, Democracy Demands Participation!

Thanks,
Marty Martinez
PDS Chairperson

After months of planning and visioning, the steering committee is ready to present a plan for moving forward and some concrete stratgies for PDS over the next several years. We will vote on adoption of this plan. I hope you will join us for this important meeting.

Tuesday, May 25th at 6:30
East Somerville Stop and Shop Community Room

Come out and see what exciting things are happening with PDS. Learn some updates on other things PDS is involved in, discuss the future direction of PDS and the upcoming annual meeting and elections. Remember, Democracy Demands Participation!

Marty Martinez
PDS Chairperson

The Democratic Primary to fill the seat left vacant by the resignation of Anthony Galluccio will be held on April 13. The following four candidates sought the endorsement of the Progressive Democrats of Somerville, responding to our questionnaire. At our endorsement meeting, no candidate received more than 2/3 of the vote, the threshold needed to win our endorsement.

• Michael Albano: [responses] [website]
• Tim Flaherty: [responses] [website]
• Dan Hill: [responses] [website]
• Denise Simmons: [responses] [website]

At this meeting we have three things on our agenda:

• Endorsement for the Middlesex, Suffolk & Essex State Senate Seat (candidates interested will have responded to our written questions and responses will be shared that evening)
• A discussion about Somerville trash removal company, Russell Disposal, and its violation of state law as cited by the Attorney General
• A vote on moving the Annual Meeting from April to June so that the PDS Steering Committee and Membership body can finish its visioning process

This should be a great meeting and one that we hope you will not miss!

You are invited!

The Progressive Democrats of Somerville (PDS) have joined with Cambridge and Somerville for Change and the Cambridge Democratic City Committee to host a candidates forum for the Middlesex, Suffolk & Essex State Senate race. This is the race to fill the seat that was left vacant by Senator Galluccio's resignation. As progressives in Somerville, it will be a great chance for us to hear about what these candidates propose to do to address the important issues that face our community.

Please join us....

The forum will be moderated by former Cambridge City Councilor and State Representative Saundra Graham. All six of the announced Democratic candidates will attend. The forum will also be filmed by Cambridge Community Television for broadcast on CCTV. For more information please contact PDS Endorsement Chair Ade Baptista (adepds@gmail.com)

PLEASE NOTE: PDS will make an organizational endorsement in this race at our regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, March 23rd. More details to follow.

The Steering Committee has decided to move our monthly meeting and join efforts with the City Committee and co-sponsor a Debate Watch Party! Check below for the detials. We hope to see you there!

Somerville Democratic City Committee and the Progressive Democrats of Somerville invite you to a:

Debate Watch Party
Tuesday December 1st

What: Candidates for US Senate televised debate
Where: Precinct Bar, Union Square
When: 6:30pm, December 1st

Come out for some good food and good politics with some good people!

For more information, please contact PDS Chair, Marty Martinez at chair@pdsomerville.org

Hey PDSers...As we approach the late afternoon of this city election, we need to get out there and help one of our endorsed candidates!

Christine Rafal, our ward 4 school committee endorsed candidate, has the votes needed to win this race but she needs more help to get her voters to the polls. The race is going to be a close one and the momentum is on her side in the final hours of this race!

Any time you have...from one hour to four hours...is needed to turn out her supporters in this important race!

Please call her campaign office at 617-335-6343 or shoot us an email if you can come out and help. This is it, any final help will make the difference needed to win!