Moving Worcester Forward Together
We are Proud to endorse the following candidates for the 2023 municipal election. Endorsements process is ongoing and interested candidates can fill out the survey on our website.
Tracy O’Connell Novick
School Committee At Large
Tracy O’Connell Novick is one of the most knowledgeable education policymakers in Massachusetts. In addition to making it clear that the right to withhold labor is a human right, Tracy’s ongoing advocacy for racial and gender equity, and policies that support LGBTQIA youth and educators is crucial to our endorsement.
Sue Mailman
School Committee At Large
Sue Mailman is a straightforward and passionate advocate for working families and for a more equitable community. With decades of service to vocational education, Sue’s eagerness to listen and learn, incorporate diverse perspectives, and fight for our community makes us proud to endorse her for her first reelection.
Nelly Medina
School Committee District E
Nelly Media is a passionate and effective community advocate. As a mother, she has fought not only for her own child, but for all in our community. As a staff member at the MTA and a community member, she’s been on the front lines of labor equity in Worcester. She’s committed to ensuring that our educators and families have what they need to thrive.
Jermoh Kamara
School Committee District C
Jermoh Kamara is a first time incumbent that has brought a critical fresh lens to the Worcester School Committee. As a young alum and a public health professional, her perspective and passion has been a strong addition to the Committee, and her expertise informs more equitable decision making. We’re proud to endorse Jermoh for a second term!
Jenny Pacillo
City Council District 1
Jenny is a newcomer to running for office, but has worked on a number of campaigns in the city, and has worked to bring more community members to boards and commissions. She serves on the Citizens Advisory Council and is a member of the League of Women Voters and shows an ability to build coalitions that can get things done with the right colleagues on Council.
Robert Bilotta
City Council District 2
Robert Bilotta is a lifelong Worcester resident and a longtime advocate for equitable and accessible communities. After serving on the Access Advisory Committee, he now serves on the Human Rights Commission. He also fought for a strong inclusionary zoning ordinance as a member of the Worcester Together Affordable Housing Coalition.
Etel Haxhiaj
City Council District 5
Etel is a tireless and caring advocate for her constituents. With a solution oriented and collaborative approach, Etel refuses to let politics as usual get in the way of getting things done for residents. As a longtime youth and community worker, as well as a mother herself, Etel has seen first hand the need for the kind of community-centered policymaking she has led.
Khrystian King
City Council At Large
Khrystian has been a consistent voice for common sense, community, and change on the City Council. Taking leadership to put more money into the school budget, calling for a national search for our chief executive, and speaking out when so many other longtime incumbents have stayed silent, we know Khrystian has the courage to do what’s right, even when it’s hard.
Thu Nguyen
City Council At Large
Thu has been a vocal leader in their first term on Council, bringing a critical community perspective to a Council made up almost entirely of home owners in a city where over 50% of residents rent their homes. Their grounding in community and understanding of national issues makes them a critical team player as more and more nationalized politics come to our city.
Domenica Perrone
City Council At Large
Domenica brings a thoughtful, community engaged approach to her first run for City Council. Her experience as a community engagement director, as well as her time working directly in city hall influences her nuanced perspective on issues facing Worcester residents. She is a collaborative leader, bringing people together across issues and experiences to build lasting solutions.
Maydeé Morales
City Council At Large
Maydeé’s compelling vision for a community rooted in equity, justice and compassion is fueled by her incredible work leading with those values. Working directly with the city and social service agencies to coordinate an incredibly successful pilot winter shelter at Blessed Sacrament Church this past winter, we are excited to see how she brings this experience to the other big problems facing our community!
Guillermo Creamer
City Council At Large
Guillermo is making a second run this year for At Large City Council, making an impressive showing two years ago. His passion for bringing younger and more diverse voices to the halls of power resonates for many in our community, and his grasp on the issues will be a big asset to the City Council in the coming term. His approach to actively advocating for state and federal collaboration will also bring needed change.
Johanna Hampton-Dance
City Council At Large
Johanna ran two years ago in District 2, but this is her first run At Large. As a longtime community activist, Johanna brings deep community connections and a commitment to solving the problems facing people on a day to day basis. She is willing to speak the truth and do the right thing, even when it is hard!
We have an incredible opportunity this year to build on the progress of the last election. We can’t afford to elect hangers on that want to relitigate previous decisions and drag us back into drama of the past.
Cara Berg Powers, President
ANTI-ENDORSEMENTS
Maureen Binienda
We can’t afford to go backwards. it is clear from her “first public appearance” as a school committee candidate that former superintendent Maureen binienda is more interested in fighting the accusations that lost her the superintendent job than working with the current leadership to move the city forward. uninformed claims about buses that have actually saved the district millions and increased staffing are just the tip of the iceberg for her candidacy, which has no rationale but wanting to undermine the progress being made.
Under her leadership, students protested for more equitable practices and were met with stonewalling and excuses, as well as racist microaggressions. Her public statements about the role and her commitment to be the Interim Superintendent in another town over an hour away makes it clear that she is not serious about this office and does not understand the role.
Dianna Biancheria
dianna biancheria does not have the background or expertise to serve on the school committee. her lack of courage to do the right thing on a wide range of issues while on the school committee makes it unconscionable to return her there. Additionally, her public statements make it clear that she is not prepared to lead in the time we are in.
Candy carlson
Candy carlson didn’t even bother to attend the Community Labor Council forum for district councilors. Carlson voted against or spoken out against a number of measures that could (and some that will despite her efforts) greatly improve the lives of worcester families. She voted against the community-endorsed inclusionary zoning ordinance, against giving voters the right to vote for the community preservation act, and even voted against a symbolic affirmation of the right to access reproductive healthcare following the dobbs decision in 2022.
Jose Rivera
since failing to get enough signatures to run for at large, rivera has run a flailing campaign focused on thinly veiled attacks against the incumbent in district 5. his divisive and often childish online posts have gathered some of the most vicious and hateful commenters in the city in needlessly mean and deeply unhelpful insult lobbing. his regular drops of meaningless press releases for half-baked policy ideas show how uninformed he is about the role of city councilor and the work already happening in the district he seeks to represent.
Kathy Roy
A Longtime far right activist in the city, roy has a long digital trail of hate speech, conspiracy theories, and attacks on the people she is trying to serve alongside. A vocal trump supporter, she has publicly ascribed to the worst elements of the far right fringe. In addition to working against comprehensive health education, she has spread conspiracy theories about LGBTQ members of our community, subscribes to far right racist ideas about book bans and anti-racist education.
Moe Bergman
Not only does Councilor moe bergman have absolutely abhorrent takes week after week on any range of issues from the role of policing in the city to reproductive equity, he is absolutely furious that anyone might actually disagree. In fact, he pretty heavily insinuates that he knows better than everyone else because of his time as a lawyer. His snarky, regressive attitude on council is beyond parody. Most recently, he has claimed there was a witch hunt against anti-choice fake clinic “Problem Pregnancy” and voted to kill ordinances that would regulate the operation.
Donna Colorio
Longtime Republican City Committee member and sometimes chair, Colorio has historically aligned herself with the fringe right wing elements of the city, but has built more alliances on council as councilors like Carlson and Toomey have more broadly embraced right wing positions. She’s a consistent vote against any progress on the council, even though she rarely says anything publicly that people will actually find objectionable. Consistently on the wrong side of history, and too radical to risk keeping on council.
Kate Toomey
as longtime chair of the public safety committee, toomey has consistently been an unquestioning supporter of policing, even when questioning is her literal job and our department is being investigated by the department of justice. Also under her purview in this role is the fire department, who have gotten little action from the city in addressing their concerns about forever chemicals in their gear. Also a reliable vote backwards on the council, she doesn’t like to upset anyone but mostly is wondering why you’re upset at her for not doing her job. Why can’t you be nicer?
Joe Petty
In addition to consistently putting conflict of interest laden toomey back in the public safety chair, he blocked all efforts to have a national search for the incredibly important chief executive role in the city and most recently voted to kill an ordinance that would regulate fake clinics from going to committee for discussion, after over an hour of public testimony in support. Privileging everyone getting along over getting anything done has stymied too much progress to let it continue. there was a time for Petty’s leadership, but it has passed. It’s time to say thank you, next, and move forward with some new energy.