MassEquality email: Pat Jehlen in the lead

[cos]

MassEquality sent out this email yesterday to all their email subscribers in Somerville, Medford, Winchester (and the relevant bit of Woburn), I believe. They quote recent poll showing Pat Jehlen about 16% ahead of the other three candidates for the state senate election this Tuesday. If that actually shows at the polls, I think that's wonderful news, because it's enough of a margin that Pat will be able to serve out the remainder of this term unmolested by someone running against her right away (since this is a special election, the winner will need to run for re-election in 2006, and if the winner doesn't win solidly, chances are someone will start challenging them within months). But of course this will only happen if all the people who say they support Pat, actually go vote, instead of thinking, "oh, she's in the lead, my vote isn't necessary" - if people start thinking that, she may not even win at all.

Davis Square and the neighborhoods near it, is the most Jehlen-supporting area of the district. It's also an area full of new residents and new voters, who aren't necessarily in the habit of voting in special elections, or know where their polling place is, etc. I think whether or not Pat gets a good solid win on Tuesday will be determined by how high a turnout there is around Davis Square, at least in part.

Polls open at 7am on Tuesday, and the weather forecast calls for rain, so vote early just in case the weather gets worse later! It also really helps the campaign allocate their resources better, if you vote in the morning. If you don't know where your polling place is, check WhereDoIVoteMA.com.

Here's the email from MassEquality:

---

From: Marty Rouse, Campaign Director
Sent: Friday, August 26, 2005 12:10 PM
Subject: Good News for Pat Jehlen, but still lots of work to do

Mass Equality <http://www.massequality.org/images/mass_equality.gif>

Please Read, Take Action and Forward

With the special election for State Senate this coming Tuesday, we have some great news.

Polling of likely voters across the district this week shows Pat Jehlen with a 16% lead in the race, with the other three candidates in a virtual tie for second. To all who have been helping campaign for Pat, thank you! You're doing a great job!

But the campaign is far from over -- it's all about turnout and that's why your vote on Tuesday for Pat and your help on Election Day are critical. Please sign up to volunteer.

It is also the case that Paul Casey, who voted against marriage equality, has sent out mail in an attempt to lock up the anti-gay vote. He is campaigning aggressively, has cable TV commercials, and we know that he is gaining ground fast with conservative voters.

We must unify behind Pat Jehlen and ensure the district remains pro-equality. In addition to helping elect one of our best legislative leaders on this issue, it will send a powerful message to the rest of the legislators who will be voting again on equal marriage rights just two weeks after the primary election. Again, your vote and your involvement are critical.

Please make a commitment today to help in these last few days of the campaign. Visit http://www.massequality.org/volunteer.php to sign up for phonebanking shifts with other MassEquality volunteers. Of course, you can also contact Pat Jehlen's campaign directly by calling 617-628-1990 or visiting http://www.patjehlen.org/

Thank you,

Marty Rouse
Campaign Director

P.S. I will never forget Pat Jehlen's midnight speech after we lost the ConCon vote last year. Speaking inside the State House to hundreds of dismayed equal marriage advocates, with a quiver in her voice and tears welling up in her eyes, she said, "You have been saying that gay marriage doesn't affect anyone else's marriage. Well, you are wrong. This struggle for equal marriage rights has made me realize that I've taken my marriage of 34 years for granted." Let's work hard to say thank-you to Pat Jehlen for being there for us. Let's be there for her on Tuesday.

Comments

[two-stabs.livejournal.com]

The only thing I've learned about Jehlen here is that she's 'pro-equality'. Why should I and my constituents vote for her?

Why vote for Pat

[cos]

You can learn a lot more about her at her web site (which I linked above), and more in depth about some of her positions in the PDS questionnaire she filled out.

She's good at building coalitions with groups outside the legislature to get things done, because other legislators are sensitive to groups that have voters in their districts. They see community interest in something and sometimes they'll do it even if they weren't otherwise inclined... or Finneran opposed it. Pat co-founded the Progressive Legislators caucus and the Working Families Agenda, and they were able to do things like raise the minimum wage over Finneran's opposition.

Pat is also very open, honest, and straightforward. She's known for being respectful to people with different views, and answering letters intelligently. She knows lots of issues being considered in the legislature today very well, and she's really smart.

She's done great work on a very wide variety of issues, including budget and local aid, reproductive rights, health care, care for the elderly (she was named "legislator of the year" recently by the Mass. Senior Action Council), civil rights, schools, election reform (she's currently co-sponsoring bills for instant runoff voting and non-partisan redistricting), I could go on and on.

Very simply, if Pat wins it'll be seen as support for the issues she stands for. It will show legislators that supporting those issues and really working for them, even under opposition (such as during the Finneran time), gets rewarded at the ballot box. A vote for Pat is a vote for universal health care, gay rights, school funding and local aid, civil liberties, and honest, open, non-cliquey government.