Top: 11th Middlesex candidates Alex Jablon, Amy Sangiolo, and Vlad Yanovsky. Bottom: 12th Middlesex candidates Bill Humphrey, Rick Lipof, and Greg Schwartz (photos: Alan Spatrick)
With both longtime State Representatives retiring, organizations representing specific constituencies are inviting candidates to speak to members and respond to relevant questions. The Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) of Greater Boston hosted two forums on Wednesday, August 7, with the six candidates — three running for Kay Khan seat in the 11th Middlesex District, and three running for Ruth Balser’s seat in the 12th Middlesex District (including four Brookline precincts). Both Rep. Khan and Rep. Balser are Jewish and have worked with the JCRC and its partner organizations. The evening’s emcee, FayeRuth Fisher, JCRC’s Chief of Public Affairs and Community Relations, emphasized that the program was meant to serve as “a robust conversation” giving the audience “a better understanding of who [the candidates] are.”
For the JCRC and its partner organizations, priorities include: support for Israel; combating antisemitism; advocating for increased Commonwealth resources to serve immigrants, seniors, and people with disabilities; advocating for a wide array of supports for immigrants; and protecting abortion access. Ms. Fisher explained that the coalition shares these values but represents a diversity of ideas and legislative priorities. She noted that even before Hamas’s October 7th attack on Israel, Massachusetts was sixth in the nation in number of antisemitic incidents, with a significant increase following the attack, thereby heightening focus on this community and the legislature.
Fisher said questions for the candidates would relate to matters that were specifically within the purview of the state legislature. She highlighted that the forums were not debates, and the candidates should address their own positions and not those of the other…