Nov 8 2023

Often in political dramas, after winning on election night, an aide will come up and tell the candidate “I didn’t write a concession speech” as the fanfare grows before the applause of the crowd. Well I didn’t write a concession speech…or a victory speech. In fact, I made so many calls yesterday that my phone battery died shortly after results started coming in so I wasn’t in a position to even share my thoughts. Now I can. Yesterday didn’t go as I would have hoped, but I’m proud of the election I ran and that I earned the support of 387 of my neighbors.


I knocked on 3,500 doors during this campaign, but there was one door I hadn’t knocked. I made my way over there tonight and congratulated Robert on his win and had a nice chat with him and Paula about the election, Waltham, and the future. So many of our elections go uncontested, I’m glad Robert and I could give Ward Nine a real choice last night. I made sure he knows, “you work for me now”, and I hope he is able to serve all of my Ward Nine neighbors to the best of his ability as our next Councillor.


A big thank you to everyone who helped me along the way. Everyone who knocked on doors, came to my events, donated their money, donated their precious time, advocated for me, and gave me their wisdom; it means the world to know that I’m surrounded by people who believe so deeply in me. I’ve been here on Gorham St for seven years and this was the first time I felt like I really met my neighbors. A few special Ward Nine neighbors I’ve gotten to know have been:


There were and certainly are lots of emotions going through my mind, but the only time I cried were tears of joy thinking about my girlfriend Monica and how much support she’s given me over the past nine months. Birthday plans interrupted, date nights rearranged, a stressed out boyfriend 24/7; it’s one thing to pursue your goals, it’s another to support someone else pursuing theirs. Thank you for all your patience and grace. I love you.


One day I was picking up trash in Chemistry Station Park. It often gets a bit of litter and needs some love now and again. Someone came up to me and asked, “Thank you for doing this, are you from the city?”. “Yes” I replied, “I am the city”. Waltham is not a place on map, not nine wards, we are a city of people, families, livelihoods, characters, stories, and homes. We (yes, me and you) are the city of Waltham and we get to be the city every day of the year, not just the first Tuesday in November. I started being Waltham twenty years ago when I was taking classes at the Rex Trailer Television Academy. I don’t remember much but the photos stuck around and to my surprise years later I not only recognized the building but lived 5 minutes from it. I’m going to keep being Waltham and I hope you will too.