Chris Markiewicz’ free ride onto the Newton City Council just hit a speed bump. According to this Facebook page, Allison Sharma will wage a write-in campaign for the seat presently held by veteran councilor Jay Harney, who surprised everyone (except perhaps Markiewicz?) when he announced that he would not seek another term after the deadline to launch a campaign had passed.
Write in campaigns are never easy but hopefully Sharma’s entry into the contest will motivate Markiewicz to step-up his visibility (and answer some still outstanding questions about his candidacy).
May the best candidate win. And thanks to Sharma for stepping up to give Ward 4 residents a choice.
I’m honored that Allison asked me to serve as her campaign chair, and I’ve enthusiastically accepted! Allison supports compact transit-oriented development, promoting thriving, vibrant village centers with diverse, affordable transportation and housing options. Her work organizing supply shipments to Syrian refugees shows her commitment to social justice, diversity and inclusion that reflects and deepens our shared values in Newton. Allison is going to be a terrific ward councilor and I urge you to follow her as she quickly ramps up a lean, scrappy write-in campaign.
I urge all Ward 4 voters to get to know Allison and her commitment to a better Newton / world. Write her in to office.
A vote for Allison is a good thing. I have known Allison for years, and am sure she would make a great elected official. She makes good decisions that are well thought out. She listens very well. Good luck Allison!
I’m curious why Allison did not take the traditional path to running for office. If she is as committed as people say, why didn’t she pull papers to run rather than react to the drama that Ward 4 has bubbled up in the last 2 weeks.
Wow. In three hours we already have had more comments on Village 14 from people who actually know Allison Sharma than we’ve had from people who know Chris Markiewicz over nearly three weeks. Chris, may be a great guy, but he and his supporters aren’t helping by being so evasive.
@TheWholeTruth – there is a big difference between deciding to challenge a long-time incumbent who is popular with his constituents and deciding to run for an open seat. If you aren’t particularly unhappy with the incumbent, why run against him? Once the seat opens up, however, there are a lot of reasons to decide to run, especially against someone who has yet to discuss his views or plans.
@Meredith, thanks for your clarification. However, I would have liked to hear from Allison herself rather than all of her supporters.
@TheWholeTruth – and she may reply. But we can’t assume that she’s a Village14 junkie like the rest of us. If she isn’t following threads about races she can’t vote in, or is just too busy campaigning to read blogs, she likely has no idea what you wrote.
@TheWholeTruth – yes, I have definitely taken a nontraditional path! Honestly, running for office is something that, while it had crossed my mind a few times, wasn’t necessarily part of a big master plan. I had been happy to engage in the community and make a difference in other ways.
However, when the Ward 4 race unfolded as it did a couple of week ago and folks started calling for a write-in candidate to join, I was moved to answer the call. The community wanted another worthy candidate to join the race, and I decided that it was my turn to step up.
And @Meredith… I’ve been a sporadic follower of Village 14 for the past few years. Now that I’m running, I’ll make every effort to follow more closely and respond when appropriate. Still not promising junkie status!
Correction to my post above. I meant to write “@TheWholeTruth – and she may reply. But we can’t assume that she’s a Village14 junkie like the rest of us. If she is just too busy campaigning to read blogs, she likely has no idea what you wrote.”
@Allison – Welcome to the election! I appreciate you stepping up to provide a contested race and wish I was able to vote for you (not a Ward 4 resident).
@Allison, thank you for your response. I applaud you for making the decision to run based on the events that unfolded regarding the open seat.
I am saddened that both my posts received numerous thumbs down! Apparently asking to hear directly from a candidate is frowned upon. I will continue to seek answers directly from the candidates and if that makes me unpopular, so be it.
Allison, where are you on the Charter revision, a yes or no? As you are probably aware, the seat you seek might potentially not be available come the following 2 year election cycle.
Political non-speak quote of the week: ‘Don’t do nothing’
Might you know who said it…