The Ward 5 Democratic Committee is responsible for the affairs of the Democratic Party in Ward 5. In this capacity, we endorse candidates, participate in campaigns, present public forums, and perform many other interesting functions.
If you'd like to learn more, please gro.smed5drawnotsob|riahc#hcuot ni teg or join us at our next Committee Meeting.
Ward 5 Voter Guide to the Special Elections for the U.S. Senate and 8th Suffolk House Seats
In the next few months, two Special Elections will be held in Massachusetts to fill seats that have been vacated. The Committee is pleased to present this guide to acquaint you with the candidates and ensure that you get to your Polling Location to cast your vote.
Tuesday May 21, 2013, 7:00pm 8th Suffolk Representative Special Primary Forum
At its regular monthly meeting, one week to the day before the 8th Suffolk special primary on May 28, the committee will host a panel of current and former state representatives. The 8th Suffolk seat, once held by Barney Frank, is a position with a long and significant history. The forum will highlight the importance of the state representative's office and that of the 8th Suffolk representative in particular.
Paul Demakis, who held the 8th Suffolk State Representative seat until 2005, will join current State Representatives Aaron Michlewitz [3rd Suffolk District] and Byron Rushing [9th Suffolk District] in the discussion.
The meeting will be held at the Community Church of Boston, above The Globe at 565 Boylston Street in the Back Bay. The media are welcome.
Tuesday May 7, 2013, 6:30pm Neighborhood Associations Co-Sponsor 8th Suffolk Rep Candidates Forum
Tuesday April 23, 2013 Special 8th Suffolk Representative Race Candidate Endorsement
At its regular meeting, after a debate between the candidates and discussion by members, the Boston Ward 5 Democratic Committee endorsed Jay Livingstone in the 8th Suffolk State Representative race.
Special thanks to Karen Cord Taylor, who moderated a debate of the Democratic candidates in the race.
Tuesday April 23, 2013 Special 8th Suffolk Representative Race Debate — New Location!!! — First Church
A debate of Democratic candidates running in the Special 8th Suffolk Representative Race to fill the State House seat vacated by former Rep. Marty Walz will be held on Tuesday, April 23 at 7 p.m. at the First Church in Boston, 66 Marlborough Street (at Berkeley) in the Back Bay. Sponsored by the Boston Ward 3 and Ward 5 Democratic Committees, the debate is an excellent opportunity for residents to hear from the candidates. Well-known Beacon Hill writer Karen Cord Taylor will moderate the debate.
Tuesday March 19, 2013 U.S. Senate Discussion etc.
The meeting will be held at the Community Church of Boston, above The Globe at 565 Boylston Street in the Back Bay, beginning at 7 p.m.
Representatives from the campaigns for Ed Markey and Steven Lynch for the upcoming special U.S. Senate election to be held on April 30th will appear at the meeting of the Committee. They will each be given 15 minutes to address the crowd with 5 minutes for questions. The Committee will discuss the campaign and consider endorsements as well. If you have a question about your eligibility to vote on the endorsement, gro.smed5drawnotsob|yraterces#tcatnoc the secretary.
In addition, we will be setting dues, which the executive committee has approved at $50. The payment of dues will not be required for endorsement votes at the meeting, but will be for votes taken at future meetings. We will also consider new member appointments and welcome another special guest, Chris Joyce, deputy director of the Mass Democratic Party, who will speak about the Governor's revenue plan.
Saturday 2/23/2013 Ward 5 Democrats Caucus
At the Community Church of Boston, above The Globe at 565 Boylston Street in the Back Bay. The purpose of the caucus is to select delegates to represent the Ward at the Mass State Democratic Platform Convention in Lowell. Any person registered as a Democrat before December 31, 2012 can attend the caucus and is eligible to serve as a delegate to the convention.
New date! Wednesday 12/12/12 Wards 4 & 5 Holiday Party - Come Celebrate!
With the election season behind us, it's time to celebrate.
The Boston Ward 4 and Boston Ward 5 Democratic Committees are jointly hosting a holiday party on Wednesday, December 12 from 7p-9p at the Ames-Webster Mansion, 306 Dartmouth Street in Back Bay.
Please join us as we reflect on 2012 and look forward to 2013.
Ward 4/Ward 5 Holiday Party New date!
Wednesday, December 12, 7p-9p
Ames-Webster Mansion
306 Dartmouth Street [at Commonwealth Ave]
11/6/12 Team D comes up huge!
Congratulations all around for a big night across the country, and especially to all of the hard working Ward 5 volunteers that sent Elizabeth Warren to DC and kept President Obama there for four more years!
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| Shutting down The Globe at the end of a great day. |
10/16/12 Meeting and Presidential Debate Watch Party
The Committee heard from proponents and opponents of the active ballot questions. Following the discussion, the Committee endorsed the YES position for both Medical Marijuana and Death With Dignity.
Congratulations and welcome to John Reidy, who was elected to be an Associate Member.
After the meeting, many of the Members and guests of the Committee went to The Globe to watch the debate. The folks at The Globe were great hosts, as always, and President Obama turned in a great performance: forceful, knowledgeable, and respectful.
10/13/12 Obama Express Rides Again
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Kathy Judge and Rob Whitney did a great job organizing a Ward 5 canvass in Manchester, NH.
9/18/12 Committee Meeting
The September meeting featured a visit from US Rep. Mike Capuano. Sen. Petruccelli, Rep. Walz, and Sen. Brownsberger also spoke with us about their re-election campaigns, recent activities, and important issues. The Committee received updates from the Obama and Warren campaigns and voted to endorse the entire Democratic slate for the November election.
6/19/12 Endorsement Meeting
The June meeting featured a lively candidates forum followed by an endorsement vote. The following candidates received the Committee's endorsement:
- Terry Kennedy for District Six Governor's Council for re-election
- Mike Dash for Clerk of Court, Civil Bus.
- Sal LaMattina for Registrar of Probate
- State Rep. Gloria Fox for re-election
Our thanks go out to all the candidates and neighbors who were able to attend.
5/15/12 Thanks to Sheriff Cabral for Visiting on Behalf of Elizabeth Warren
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Sheriff Andrea Cabral gave an impassioned speech in support of Elizabeth Warren, Ward 5 endorsee for US Senate. Thanks go out to the Warren campaign's Michelle Wu for organizing the Sheriff's visit. The Sheriff is pictured above with Committee Vice Chair Fran Burke, who did a great job running the meeting.
Former Newton Alderman Charlie Shapiro also stopped by to discuss his candidacy for Governor's Council, District 3.
4/10/12 Congratulations to Newly Elected and Re-elected Leaders of the Committee
As voted by the Committee at the April re-organization meeting, the following Members will serve for the next two years:
Chair: Joshua Dawson
First Vice Chair: Fran Burke
Second Vice Chair: James Livingstone
Secretary: Ross Levanto
Treasurer: Gregory Timilty
Executive Board (in addition to the above): George Alex, Pat Amend, David Greenwold, Toby Rodman, Rep. Marty Walz (ex officio), Sen. John Kerry (ex officio)
Presidential Primary Results
Congratulations to President Barack Obama and all of the newly elected and re-elected members of the Ward 5 Democratic Committee. Full results can be found here.
New Committee Endorsements
At the February meeting, the Committee endorsed:
- President Barack Obama for re-election as President of the United States
- Josh Dawson for State Committee, 2nd Suffolk and Middlesex distrcit
- Winthrop Roosevelt for State Committee, 1st Suffolk and Middlesex district
2012 Caucus Results
The Committee would like to congratulate the following people for their election at the February 18 Caucus:
Delegates
- George Alex
- Patricia Amend
- Eda Carroll
- Mary Clayton-Crozier
- Suzanne Comtois
- Kate Cook
- Mike Dash
- Michael George
- Kristine Glynn
- David Greenwold
- Kathy Judge
- Ross Levanto
- James Livingstone
- Patrick McDonough
- Rajan Nanda
- Hilary Nanda
- Yashira Pepin
- Winthrop Roosevelt
- Gregory Timilty
- Herbert Weiss
- Sarah Wenig
- Rob Whitney
- Jane Willis
Alternates
- David Crossman
- Miriam Flores
- Amanda Harring-Abbott
- Amit Shah
Caucus coming up on February 18
Boston Ward 5 Democratic Committee Sets Date and Agenda for Gathering to Select Delegates to State Convention
BOSTON—January 2, 2012—The Boston Ward 5 Democratic Committee today announced the date for the 2012 ward caucus, which will be held on Saturday, February 18, 2012 at 10 a.m. at the First Church in Boston, located at 66 Marlborough Street in the Back Bay neighborhood of Boston. All registered democrats who live in Boston’s Ward 5, which includes portions of the neighborhoods of Back Bay, Beacon Hill, Fenway, South End, Bay Village and Chinatown, are invited to attend the caucus.
The caucus will select delegates that will represent the ward in the 2012 Massachusetts State Democratic Convention, which will be held on June 2, 2012 in Springfield. The City of Boston is divided into wards, and each ward selects delegates to attend the convention. Residents can determine their ward by visiting the City of Boston voter registration search site at: http://www.cityofboston.gov/elections/voter/.
“With a U.S. Senate election, a Presidential election, and a host of other activities, 2012 will be a very busy year for democrats throughout Massachusetts, and Boston’s Ward 5 will continue to stand out as being comprised of a very active group of democrats,” said Josh Dawson, chairman of the Boston Ward 5 Democratic Committee. “At the same time, we are a very open and inviting group, and the caucus is an excellent opportunity to become involved in the process.”
Ward 5 Dems Endorse Elizabeth Warren for US Senate
Congratulations to Elizabeth Warren for receiving the Committee's endorsement at the January meeting. The Committee would like to thank Senate candidate Jim King and Elizabeth's Statewide Field Coordinator Matt Patton for coming to speak with us.
Election Results
State Rep. Will Brownsberger won the primary to be the Democratic nominee in the upcoming Special Election to the State Senate. The Ward 5 Democratic Committee did not make an endorsement in this primary.
The general election will take place on January 10. Brownsberger will be running unopposed.
State Senate Forum plus US Senate Candidate at 11/15 Meeting
The Boston Ward 5 Democratic Committee welcomes U.S. Senate candidate Marisa DeFranco as well as the five candidates running in the State Senate special election primary for the 2nd Suffolk and Middlesex district. All will appear at the next meeting of the committee, which is scheduled for this Tuesday, November 15, at 7 p.m. at the First Church in Boston, at the corner of Marlborough and Berkeley Streets in the Back Bay.
November 8 Municipal Election is in the Books!
The Committee extends its congratulations to all of the candidates elected during this past Tuesday's election. The Ward Committee's three endorsed candidates for At Large City Council (Pressley, Connolly, and Arroyo) finished one-two-three in Ward 5. In addition, the city-wide vote winner, Ayanna Pressley, won all but two precincts in Ward 5. Although unsuccessful in her bid for District City Councilor, Ward 5 endorsed candidate Suzanne Lee came within 100 votes, and fared extremely well in 5-1, the only Ward 5 precinct where she was running.
Committee Endorsements for the November 8 Municipal Election
The Committee has voted with a two-thirds majority to endorse the following candidates:
City of Boston, City Council At-large
City of Boston, City Council District 8
City of Boston, City Council District 2
Don't forget to vote!
Ward 5 Dems Get to Work!
The Committee has scheduled the following events in support of our endorsed candidates. Please gro.smed5drawnotsob|riahc#hcuot ni eb to get involved.
- Phone Banks:
- Tuesday, October 25 … Done!
- Thursday, October 28 … Done!
- Tuesday, November 1 … Done!
- Lit Drop GOTV Weekend, Saturday, November 5, 10a, Starbucks at Beacon and Charles
- Poll Dressing, Monday, November 7, 8p, Charles and Mt. Vernon
On election day, Committee members are released to work on any campaign they like. Ward 5 committee members and supporters will be all over the city on election day!
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| W5ers TCB! |
Statement of Support for Occupy Boston
As adopted at the 10/18/11 Meeting and transmitted to Occupy Boston via email:
"Occupy Boston has demonstrated the importance and value of standing up to deeply entrenched interests whose actions have negatively influenced the lives of most Americans. We admire Occupy Boston's courage and fortitude and we stand shoulder to shoulder with them in their fight for justice."
Thanks to our Speakers at the 10/18/11 Meeting
The Committee was addressed by US Senate candidate and current State Rep. Tom Conroy, who received a glowing introduction from Committee member State Rep. Marty Walz. Rep. Conroy discussed his Vietnam era childhood, business background, legislative efforts, and hopes for the future in making his case for the US Senate nomination.
The Committee was also addressed by State Senate candidate and current State Rep. Jon Hecht.
Annual Reception Featuring Treasurer Steve Grossman
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| State Treasurer Steve Grossman |
On Thursday, September 15, State Treasurer Steve Grossman joined us at Lir for our Annual Reception. Steve thanked the Committee for giving him his first endorsement and "breaking the logjam". He then spoke about some of the issues that he's been working hard on, including his program to bring state savings to local banks in exchange for accelerated lending to Massachusetts small businesses.
Several office holders and candidates sent their regrets and several others were fortunately able to attend: State Representative and candidate for US Senate Tom Conroy, candidate for US Senate Marisa DeFranco, and candidate for US Senate Herb Robinson.
The Committee members thanked our Chair, Josh Dawson, and Elected Member Patrick McDonough for their efforts in organizing this very engaging and successful event.
Suzanne Lee Earns W5D Endorsement
Thanks to all of our guest speakers at the September meeting, and congratulations to District 2 City Council Candidate Suzanne Lee for earning our endorsement!
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| Suzanne Lee |
Our other guests, in the order they appeared:
At-Large City Councillor Ayanna Pressley
District 7 City Councillor Tito Jackson
District 7 City Council Candidate Sheneal Parker
District 8 City Councillor Mike Ross
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Boston City Council At-Large Candidates Debate Broadcast Schedule
The Ward 5 sponsored forum of June 21 will be broadcast on BNN News & Info Channel (Comcast 9, RCN 15) and simultaneously streamed online at bnntv.org per the following schedule:
Friday 7/15/11 @ 6p
Sunday 7/17/11 @ 9a
Monday 7/18/11 @ 7p
Tuesday 7/19/11 @ 3:30p
Thursday 7/21/11 @ 9a
Boston City Council At-Large Candidates Debate At Ward 5 Forum June 21
The Boston Ward 5 Democratic Committee hosted a candidates' forum for those vying to become At-Large Boston City Councilors. David Bernstein, reporter for the Boston Phoenix, moderated the forum.
Incumbents Stephen Murphy, Felix Arroyo, and John Connolly and challengers Michael Flaherty, William Dorcena, and Sean Ryan attended. Ayanna Pressley, also an incumbent, was not able to attend as she was attending to a family emergency. Councilors Connolly, Arroyo, and Pressley received the Committee's endorsement.
The Forum was recorded for broadcast by the Boston Neighborhood Network and was covered by numerous outlets, including Universal Hub, Dorchester Reporter, Boston Courant, and The Boston Phoenix.
The Committee would like to thank the candidates for their participation and everyone who helped make the event a success, and would like to make special note of the efforts of Elections Subcommittee Chair Winthrop Roosevelt.
The City of Boston Elections Department has scheduled a preliminary municipal election on September 27 and a general municipal election for November 8. The Boston Ward 5 Democratic Committee urges all residents to register to vote in the upcoming elections.
Ward 5 Democratic Committee Issues Re-Districting and Re-Precincting Letter
Thanks to the leadership of Subcommittee Chair Fran Burke and the hard work of all of the members of the Subcommittee on Re-Districting and Re-Precincting, we are able to issue a letter to our elected officials and other interested parties urging the following:
- The re-precincting exemption for Boston should be discarded.
- Boston should be re-precincted as soon as possible.
The letter is available online here.
Thanks to our Speaker at the 5/18/11 Meeting
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Boston At Large City Councillor Felix Arroyo joined us to speak about his excellent work in his first year in office, and his plans for the future.
Boston District City Councillor Mike Ross was also on hand, and we appreciate him taking the time to visit with us.
Ward 5 Health Care Forum
Neighbors, government officials, and local experts gathered to discuss one of the most pressing issues of the day relevant to all Massachusetts residents, including working families, young adults, and the elderly.
FEDERAL HEALTHCARE REFORM IN MASSACHUSETTS … WHAT’S NEXT?
Featuring Dr. JudyAnn Bigby, M.D., Secretary of Health and Human Services for Massachusetts.
Opening Remarks from James Roosevelt, President and Chief Executive Officer of Tufts Health Plan.
Representative Byron Rushing moderated a discussion with panelists Elmer Freeman, Executive Director of Northeastern University’s Center for Community Health Education, Research and Service, and Glen Shor, Executive Director of the Health Connector, the independent state agency tasked with helping Massachusetts residents find health insurance.
This non-partisan event was organized by Boston’s Ward 5 Democratic Committee, Shelia Martin, Chairperson, Public Policy Forum Subcommittee.
Ward 5 Shows Appreciation for 20 Year Members
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| Fran Burke | Helen Cox |
At the March 15, 2011 meeting, the Ward presented certificates to the 20 year members in appreciation for their commitment to the Ward Committee and the community.
