Reproductive Equity Now Announces First Slate of Endorsed Candidates for State Legislature in Massachusetts
Two years post-Dobbs, Repro Equity Now doubles down on sending reproductive equity champions to Beacon Hill
BOSTON (July 30, 2024) – Two years since the Dobbs decision decimated the national right to abortion access, and on the precipice of one of the most important election cycles in history, Reproductive Equity Now has announced its first slate of endorsed candidates for the Massachusetts legislature. These candidates will continue the groundbreaking progress that the Massachusetts legislature has made to meet the post-Dobbs crisis and work to advance a reproductive equity agenda for all Bay Staters.
“The stakes have never been higher for abortion access and reproductive equity, and these candidates are prepared to meet the post-Dobbs moment,” said Rebecca Hart Holder, President of Reproductive Equity Now. “The right to abortion, contraception, IVF, and all forms of reproductive health care are facing existential threats on the national stage. State legislatures have the opportunity to act as a firewall, protecting the reproductive freedom of their constituents through comprehensive, proactive legislation and budgeting. Not only can our leaders on Beacon Hill ensure that Bay Staters retain their right to reproductive health care, but what our leaders do in Massachusetts has a ripple effect on the abortion landscape nationwide. Reproductive Equity Now is proud to endorse this impressive slate of candidates who are ready to fight for reproductive equity and ensure that Massachusetts remains a beacon for abortion access in our post-Roe world.”
SENATE ENDORSEMENTS:
Michael Rodrigues, 1st Bristol and Plymouth
Mark Montigny, 2nd Bristol and Plymouth
Pavel Payano, 1st Essex
Joan Lovely, 2nd Essex
Brendan Crighton, 3rd Essex
Barry Finegold, 2nd Essex and Middlesex
Ed Kennedy, 1st Middlesex
Patricia Jehlen, 2nd Middlesex
Michael Barrett, 3rd Middlesex
Cindy Friedman, 4th Middlesex
Jason Lewis, 5th Middlesex
Liz Miranda, 2nd Suffolk
Lydia Edwards, 3rd Suffolk
Robyn Kennedy, 1st Worcester
Michael Moore, 2nd Worcester
Paul Mark, Berkshire, Hampden, Franklin and Hampshire
Paul Feeney, Bristol and Norfolk
Julian Cyr, Cape and Islands
Adam Gomez, Hampden
Jacob Oliveira, Hampden, Hampshire and Worcester
Joanne Comerford, Hampshire, Franklin and Worcester
James Eldridge, Middlesex and Worcester
Cynthia Creem, Norfolk and Middlesex
Karen Spilka, Middlesex and Norfolk
John Keenan, Norfolk and Plymouth
Bill Driscoll, Norfolk, Plymouth, and Bristol
Rebecca Rausch, Norfolk, Worcester and Middlesex
Dylan Fernandes, Plymouth and Barnstable
Michael Brady, Plymouth and Norfolk
William Brownsberger, Suffolk and Middlesex
Sal DiDomenico, Middlesex and Suffolk
John Cronin, Worcester and Middlesex
HOUSE ENDORSEMENTS:
Christopher Flanagan, 1st Barnstable
Kipp Diggs, 2nd Barnstable
Hadley Luddy, 4th Barnstable
Owen Fletcher, 5th Barnstable
Arielle Faria, Barnstable, Dukes, and Nantucket
John Barrett, 1st Berkshire
Tricia Farley-Bouvier, 2nd Berkshire
James Hawkins, 2nd Bristol
Carol Doherty, 3rd Bristol
Pat Haddad, 5th Bristol
Christopher Hendricks, 11th Bristol
Antonio Cabral, 13th Bristol
Adam Scanlon, 14th Bristol
Dawne Shand, 1st Essex
Kristin Kassner, 2nd Essex
Andy Vargas, 3rd Essex
Estela Reyes, 4th Essex
Ann-Margaret Ferrante, 5th Essex
Jerald Parisella, 6th Essex
Manny Cruz, 7th Essex
Jennifer Armini, 8th Essex
Daniel Cahill, 10th Essex
Thomas Walsh, 12th Essex
Sally Kerans, 13th Essex
Adrianne Ramos, 14th Essex
Frank Moran, 17th Essex
Tram Nguyen, 18th Essex
Natalie Blais, 1st Franklin
Susannah Whipps, 2nd Franklin
Patricia Duffy, 5th Hampden
Aaron Saunders, 7th Hampden
Shirley Arriaga, 8th Hampden
Orlando Ramos, 9th Hampden
Carlos González, 10th Hampden
Johnnie McKnight, 11th Hampden
Lindsay Sabadosa, 1st Hampshire
Homar Gomez, 2nd Hampshire
Mindy Domb, 3rd Hampshire
Margaret Scarsdale, 1st Middlesex
James Arciero, 2nd Middlesex
Kate Hogan, 3rd Middlesex
Danielle Gregoire, 4th Middlesex
David Linsky, 5th Middlesex
Priscila Sousa, 6th Middlesex
Jack Lewis, 7th Middlesex
James Arena-DeRosa, 8th Middlesex
Tom Stanley, 9th Middlesex
John Lawn, 10th Middlesex
Bill Humphrey, 12th Middlesex
Carmine Gentile, 13th Middlesex
Simon Cataldo, 14th Middlesex
Michelle Ciccolo, 15th Middlesex
Rodney Elliott, 16th Middlesex
Vanna Howard, 17th Middlesex
Rady Mom, 18th Middlesex
Kenneth Gordon, 21st Middlesex
Sean Garballey, 23rd Middlesex
David Rogers, 24th Middlesex
Marjorie Decker, 25th Middlesex
Mike Connolly, 26th Middlesex
Erika Uyterhoeven, 27th Middlesex
Steven Owens, 29th Middlesex
Richard Haggerty, 30th Middlesex
Michael Day, 31st Middlesex
Kate Lipper-Garabedian, 32nd Middlesex
Steven Ultrino, 33rd Middlesex
Christine Barber, 34th Middlesex
Danillo Sena, 37th Middlesex
Bruce Ayers, 1st Norfolk
Tackey Chan, 2nd Norfolk
Ronald Mariano, 3rd Norfolk
James Murphy, 4th Norfolk
Mark Cusack, 5th Norfolk
William Galvin, 6th Norfolk
Edward Philips, 8th Norfolk
Jeff Roy, 10th Norfolk
Alice Peisch, 14th Norfolk
Tommy Vitolo, 15th Norfolk
Joan Meschino, 3rd Plymouth
Patrick Kearney, 4th Plymouth
Becky Coletta, 6th Plymouth
Michelle DuBois, 10th Plymouth
Kathleen LaNatra, 12th Plymouth
Adrian Madaro, 1st Suffolk
Dan Ryan, 2nd Suffolk
Aaron Michlewitz, 3rd Suffolk
David Biele, 4th Suffolk
Christopher Worrell, 5th Suffolk
Chynah Tyler, 7th Suffolk
Jay Livingstone, 8th Suffolk
John Moran, 9th Suffolk
William MacGregor, 10th Suffolk
Judith Garcia, 11th Suffolk
Brandy Fluker Oakley, 12th Suffolk
Dan Hunt, 13th Suffolk
Rob Consalvo, 14th Suffolk
Sam Montaño, 15th Suffolk
Jessica Giannino, 16th Suffolk
Kevin Honan, 17th Suffolk
Michael Moran, 18th Suffolk
Jonathan Zlotnik, 2nd Worcester
Michael Kushmerek, 3rd Worcester
Natalie Higgins, 4th Worcester
Jeanne Costello, 6th Worcester
Brian Murray, 10th Worcester
Meghan Kilcoyne, 12th Worcester
John Mahoney, 13th Worcester
Jim O'Day, 14th Worcester
Mary Keefe, 15th Worcester
Dan Donahue, 16th Worcester
David LeBoeuf, 17th Worcester
Kate Donaghue, 19th Worcester
Since the 2022 decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization overturned the federal right to abortion, the Massachusetts legislature has made bold strides to protect abortion access and advance reproductive equity. In the immediate aftermath of Dobbs, the legislature passed a best-in-the-nation shield law for Massachusetts-based abortion providers, allowing providers in the Bay State to provide telemedicine abortion care to patients nationwide. Because of this law, thousands of patients in banned or restricted states have been able to access abortion pills every month.
The legislature has also invested nearly $20 million in abortion access, infrastructure, and abortion funds since the fall of Roe v. Wade, including $1 million for a first-in-the-nation public education campaign on the danger of anti-abortion centers. The state has also passed an insurance mandate for abortion care and expanded state statute to create additional exceptions for abortion later in pregnancy.
Reproductive Equity Now is a non-partisan organization and invited all Democratic, Republican, third party, and unenrolled candidates to participate in the endorsement process.
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