Former State Rep. Sciortino endorses Ruseau in 34th Middlesex

The following was submitted by Paul Ruseau:

Former State Representative Carl Sciortino is the latest addition to the individuals and organizations supporting Medford School Committee Member Paul Ruseau’s candidacy for state representative.

“I’ve known Paul for twenty-five years, and I’m proud to support his campaign. Paul isn’t running because he read about poverty in a book – he’s lived the gap between what failing systems deliver and what’s actually needed to get ahead. I’ve watched him deliver results on the School Committee, and he’s the kind of person you want on Beacon Hill. He’s spent his life fighting for progress, and he does it with a level of honesty, urgency, and skill that’s rare in politics. As former state representative for this seat, I’m confident the families of Medford and Somerville will have a strong representative in Paul Ruseau.” – Carl Sciortino, former state representative, 34th Middlesex District

Sciortino was first elected in 2004, unseating incumbent Vincent Ciampa. Despite a write-in campaign mounted by Ciampa ahead of the November general election, Sciortino went on to serve as representative until 2014. Sciortino’s election is widely regarded as a turning point in the fight to legalize same-sex marriage in Massachusetts.

“I worked on Carl Sciortino's first campaign for state representative — the same seat I'm running for today,” says Ruseau. “Carl was a 26-year-old, openly gay challenger taking on a 16-year incumbent who had voted to put a marriage ban into the Massachusetts Constitution. Carl won by 93 votes. That race, in Medford and Somerville, was part of stopping the amendment from ever reaching the ballot. I learned then that marriage equality in Massachusetts wasn't held by court decisions alone — it was held seat-by-seat, in places like ours.”

Ruseau is endorsed by the Massachusetts Teachers Association and current and former elected officials across Medford and Somerville. Endorsements include Medford City Council President Zac Bears, Vice Chair of the Medford School Committee Jenny Graham, Somerville Ward 4 School Committee Member and former School Committee President Andre Green, Medford City Council Vice President Emily Lazzaro, Medford City Councillor Justin Tseng, Medford City Councillor Matt Leming, Medford City Councillor Anna Callahan, Medford School Committee Member Jessica Parks, former Medford City Council President Nicole Morell, former Medford City Council Vice President Kit Collins and former Medford School Committee member Mea Mustone.