Somerville City Councilor At-Large Will Mbah running for 34th Middlesex seat

Will Mbah has been spending a lot of time at the State House lately, speaking to legislators about issues such as immigration, Safe Streets, affordable housing and education, among others.

“I’m a frequent flyer,” says the Somerville city councilor of his State House visits, with a laugh.

It’s a seemingly rare sunny afternoon and Mbah is sitting at Colleen’s Ice Cream & Sandwich Shop eating lunch on the run. He’s just come from a meet and greet with Medford residents and business owners.

“I’m psyched,” Mbah says, of his run for the 34^th Middlesex District seat being left open by Rep. Christine Barber. “The way things are going, I might even win Medford. This city has lovely people, very sweet people, and they’ve been open to me and welcomed me with open arms.”

Barber is running for the Senate seat being vacated by Pat Jehlen, who is retiring after 50 years of public service.

Mbah, who is serving his fourth term on the Somerville City Council as an at-large councilor, is the body’s current vice president. Although he remains a National Fellow with Elected Officials to Protect America, Mbah recently turned down a new job in order to campaign full time.

“I never considered myself to be the most ambitious guy,” he says, of why he decided to run for state office. “But you know, desperate times call for desperate measures. We are facing a lot of challenges and now we require leadership that understands both city hall and Beacon Hill. It’s about continuity, competence and community.”

Mbah says it was his neighbors in West Somerville who asked him to think about running for Barber’s seat.

“They said, ‘Will, consider running for this,’” Mbah says. “I had to consider my own motives, why I wanted to do it. Then I thought that I’m the person who will be ready to go on day one. I’m the only one who, over the years, has been able to translate policy into resolution and I want to bring that to the State House.”

A story to tell

Mbah’s story starts in Cameroon, where he grew up as an orphan. He loved math in high school and thought it would be a possible career.

But in college, he started looking towards the environment.

“I was inspired to go into environmental sciences,” he says. “I wanted to make a difference.”

With a Bachelor of Science in environmental science in hand, Mbah headed off to graduate school in Uppsala, Sweden for the next three years. There, he obtained a Master’s degree in soil science.

“I got in and literally, they asked me what kind of environmental science,” Mbah says. “They told me I could pick environmental science or soil science because I met the requirements for both degrees.”

He picked soil science.

So how did Mbah get to the United States from Sweden? In 2010, he won a green card lottery that allowed him to immigrate and he arrived shortly thereafter to live with his aunt in Taunton.

In 2015, he became a U.S. citizen. Two years later, he ran for office in Somerville.

“When I moved there, I didn’t know a single person,” Mbah says. “In less than no time, I was part of a community. This was a community that accepted me and gave me a chance to lead.”

Mbah threw himself into his new community, volunteering with Tufts University’s Community Assessment of Freeway Exposure and Health, collecting data along highways.

“It was the first time I saw vulnerable populations,” he recalls.

In the meantime, Mbah was working at the Harvard Kennedy School in public administration. He later worked as an environmental analyst with the state Department of Environmental Protection.

He says his life’s challenges have made him want to help other people.

“That’s why for me, I feel the sense of doing good for the future,” Mbah says. “I never thought people would trust me enough to lead, but this is a way for me to give back. I see Medford as an extension of my own neighborhood. I’ve never seen this as a fight between Medford and Somerville, but as an extension of two neighborhoods coming together.”

What’s on the agenda?

Midway through his interview, Mbah takes an urgent call from his uncle, a 70-year-old veteran who was recently taken into custody by ICE near his Maryland home. His uncle, Mbah explains, came to the U.S. legally and is currently being held at a detention center in Louisiana.

Mbah is desperately trying to find a way to get his uncle home.

“My life is so timely with the issues going on around me,” he says. “It’s always been that way. It’s why I understand so many people’s challenges.”

When asked what his top three issues are, Mbah is thoughtful. He says there are so many: housing affordability, transportation, environmental sustainability and economic justice.

“There are too many issues,” he says. “These are all serious issues for people who are living in our communities. That’s why we need statewide strategies.”

With two young children, Joel, 9, and Grace, 7, Mbah says he and his wife Christelle are also very interested in public education. And healthcare is also on his list.

“When I came to this country, MassHealth rejected me,” he says. “I was not 21 and I didn’t have a disability. Then, at the end of the year, I was penalized because I didn’t have healthcare. I’m a strong advocate for healthcare because it’s a human right. I lived in Sweden for three years and I never saw a bill. In this country, I believe we can do better.”

Mbah says there are universal issues facing both Medford and Somerville, but there are also individual issues facing these communities.

“On Beacon Hill, I will be an advocate for everyone’s needs,” he says. “But I understand one size does not fit all. For example, take rent control. In Somerville, I have been at the forefront of this issue. The city is about 70% renters and 30% ownership. In Medford, it’s the reverse. I believe that’s why we need a legislator who will allow each community to do what it needs.”

The campaign

Mbah was the top vote-getter in Somerville during the last election and that’s without sending out one single mailer. But, Mbah knows he has a lot of work to do since a lot of people in Medford might not know who he is.

It’s why he’s out hitting the pavement in Medford.

And yet, he says, his campaign is starting to see a lot of traction in the city.

“In Somerville, I know people support me,” Mbah says. “I’m feeling some of that love from Medford. People have been asking me for lawn signs and they’re making contributions. That’s just so humbling.”

And, he adds, he plans to make himself as accessible as possible in both communities.

“I will be accessible,” Mbah says. “That’s part of the reason I won in Somerville. I am accessible…with the understanding, of course, that we can agree to disagree with one another with respect.”

Mbah is eyeing the Sept. 1 primary, where he’s going head-to-head with fellow Somerville resident and political newcomer Chris Oates and Medford School Committee member Paul Ruseau.

He says he’s ready.

“When I win, I plan to resign my seat on the Somerville City Council,” Mbah says. “I will not be juggling the demands of both jobs. I will give my full attention to both of my communities.”

There’s a long pause, when asked what he wants Medford residents to know about him.

“I want them to know that I am deeply humbled and grateful to be a part of their community,” Mbah says. “I am here to serve and I want to be their next state representative. I will always work hard to be a partner.

“I want them to know that nothing has been handed to me,” he continues. “My whole life I have been surrounded by the issues of our time and I truly do understand. I am where I am today because the city of Somerville gave me a chance and all I ask the people of Medford is to give me the same opportunity. I will serve them with integrity. I will be honored to be the state representative for Medford.”

A few minutes later, Mbah is out on the sidewalk in the middle of Medford Square. He’s ready to go to his next meeting, but he leaves one final message for Medford residents, urging them to go to his website to check out more information about him.

And, of course, get in touch with questions or comments, to volunteer or to make a donation.

“Reach out to me,” he says. “I am always willing to learn and grow. I don’t know everything. They say your reputation proceeds you. I ask people to see what I’ve done so far in my capacity in Somerville. All I have is my record.”