Welcome to the Boston Ward 4 Democratic Committee!

“…we show up every election because of our commitment to democracy. We need to know that we and the voters will be safe,” write Ward 4 Democratic Committee members Andrea Olmstead, Ruth Rothstein, Ben Siegel, Jane Siegel and Grant Young. In an op-ed published in the June 10th issue of The Boston Sun, the writers point to several “glaring omissions” in the election reform legislation recently passed by the Massachusetts House.

Kudos to all for a powerful piece.

bit.ly/37ksVqZ

In his latest editorial for The Boston Sun, Ward 4 Chair Jonathan Cohn makes the case for Election Day Registration. This is an opportune moment for reform, given that current election laws are actually designed to prevent transient students and renter populations from voting. Cohn writes that “we have an arbitrary and unnecessary 20-day voter registration cutoff. If you wanted to vote in the primary, you had to have registered by February 12. But those final twenty days before an election are, indeed, when campaigning and media coverage are at their height—and when people are most likely to know an election is even happening.”

thebostonsun.com/2020/03/26/guest-op-ed-turnout-was-up-but-it-can-and-should-be-higher/

Ward 4 Chair Jonathan Cohn sat down with What’s Up Eastie‘s Kannan Thiruvengadam to take a deep dive into the workings of “clearly the most active ward in Boston.” Here’s a primer on grassroots activism and citizen engagement from a master organizer.

What’s Up Eastie is a Zumix Radio show about East Boston topics. It airs on Zumix Radio on Wednesdays from noon to 1pm. Listen to Zumix Radio on 94.9FM or online at http://zumix.org/listenlive.html

Ward 4 Chair Jonathan Cohn challenges state officials to get it done. “There are steps Massachusetts can take right now…[to] chart a progressive path forward.” Here’s Jon’s latest piece in the January 10th issue of the Boston Sun.

bit.ly/3atzKaC

We were delighted to welcome back Herb Hershfang, long-time South End neighborhood organizer, at our September 17th meeting. With letters and newsletters that date back to the late 1960s and the original establishment of Ward 4, Herb provided a historical tour of our Committee’s steadfast commitment to urban equity. In fact, Herb filed suit in the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court to make Ward 4 a single-representative district with a voice in the State House. Under his leadership, the Committee successfully helped to defeat the South End Bypass, create affordable housing, and enforce local hiring commitments.

The attached flyer for Ward 4’s endorsed candidate in 1968 reads like a Who’s Who of Boston activist legends. Note the tagline: HOUSING, NOT ROADS!

We salute you, Herb!

Ward 4 Dems teamed up with our friends from SEIU 32BJ and SEIU 1199 on Saturday, September 7 to support Kenzie Bok for District 8 – Boston City Council and City Councilor Kim Janey—and remind everyone to VOTE!

Labor Day Weekend (also known as Move-In Weekend) in Boston is a great opportunity to stage Ward 4’s annual voter registration drive. Thanks to organizer Andrea Olmstead and our awesome volunteers, we collected more than 100 completed voter registration forms (and handed out plenty more) over the three days. With preliminary elections just a few weeks away, the timing couldn’t have been better!

Thanks to The Boston Sun for front-page coverage and photographer Mike Mejia for so many terrific pix. Most of all, thanks to all who attended our signature end-of-summer community event—especially our partner, City Councilor Michelle Wu!

Kudos to Michelle Wu, Kim Janey, Ed Flynn, Kenzie Bok, and Alejandra St. Guillen. We support your campaigns and tireless efforts on behalf of Boston’s neighborhoods.