Introducing the “Every District Accountable” pledge

Did you know that Massachusetts has the least competitive legislative elections in the entire country? This November, 59% of legislative races in Massachusetts will feature just one candidate on the ballot.

At the same time, the focus on transparency, accountability, and good government reforms is at a fever pitch in our state. Grassroots groups, advocacy organizations, and voters need a way to get our legislators and prospective legislators on the record about these issues: contested race or not.

Enter: the Every District Accountable: Good Government for Mass Pledge. No more false promises, and no more hiding behind leadership. We are looking for transparency advocates to ask their (current or prospective!) legislators to sign the Pledge, and/or meet with them to further increase accountability. We hope that we can count you in on this effort!

The goal of the Pledge is to be:

Verifiable by the public
Accessible and easy to understand to voters
Empowering for rank-and-file members of the House and Senate
Effective in putting pressure on elected officials to shift the broken culture on Beacon Hill

What’s in the pledge?

In signing the pledge, current and prospective state legislators commit to any of the following five commitments:

Vote in favor of bills you have co-sponsored on committee and floor votes
Host at least two in-person constituent town halls per year in your district
Support legislation to provide public funding for elections
Vote to reinstate 8-year term limits for Speaker and Senate President
Uphold the will of the voters on good government ballot initiatives, namely: Public Records and Same Day Voter Registration

For an in-depth explanation of these five commitments, scroll down to “additional details” or watch the recording of our launch event.

How do I sign?

If you are a legislator or prospective legislator, you can share your commitments with our coalition by filling out the form at this link. As long as you commit to 1 out of the 5 commitments, we will publicize your response.

How can I get my legislator to sign?

Has your legislator signed the pledge? Scroll down to check, if not, send them an email using our script!

Are you part of an organization that might be interested in co-sponsoring the pledge? We’re looking for co-sponsors to promote the pledge to your members and get them to reach out to their own reps! Click here to sign up as a co-sponsor, or email info@actonmass.org for more information.

Who has signed the pledge?

Don’t see your legislator or a candidate in your district on this list? Send them an email!

Current signers – House candidates

Last updated August 24th, 11:25 AM

Zosia Van Meter (D), 9th Essex – 5/5
Connor Murray (D), 18th Essex – 5/5
Lorena Betts (D), 16th Middlesex – 5/5
Harini Aiyer (D), 17th Middlesex – 5/5
Nomita Ganguly (D), 24th Middlesex – 4/5
Evan MacKay (D), 25th Middlesex – 5/5
Neil Miller (D), 26th Middlesex – 5/5
Rep. Mike Connolly (D), 26th Middlesex – 5/5
Ben Ewen-Campen (D), 27th Middlesex – 5/5
Jadon Wilson (D), 30th Middlesex – 5/5
Paul Ruseau (D), 34th Middlesex – 5/5
Chris Oates (D), 34th Middlesex – 5/5
Colby Hoffman (D), 4th Hampden – 5/5
Nicole Coakley (D), 11th Hampden – 5/5
Michael Lachenmeyer (D), 12th Hampden – 5/5
Lisa Lopez (D), 6th Norfolk – 4/5
Clinton Graham (D), 7th Norfolk – 5/5
Edward Pacheco (D), 9th Bristol – 5/5
Steven Leibowitz (D), 1st Barnstable – 5/5
Amy Lavallee (I), 1st Franklin – 5/5
Krista Ferrante (D), 1st Worcester – 4/5
Stephanie Mulroy (R), 1st Worcester – 5/5
Kathleen Ann Baxter (D), 4th Plymouth – 5/5
Lori Childs (D), 5th Plymouth – 5/5

Current signers – Senate candidates

Last updated August 24th, 11:25 AM

Rep. Erika Uyterhoeven (D), Second Middlesex – 5/5
Rep. Christine Barber (D), Second Middlesex – 5/5
Matthew McLaughlin (D), Second Middlesex – 5/5
Burhan Azeem (D), Second Middlesex – 5/5
Carey McDonald (D), Fifth Middlesex, 5/5
Ryan O’Malley (D), Fifth Middlesex, 5/5
Tony King (D), Norfolk, Plymouth, and Bristol – 4/5
Daniel Lander (D), Suffolk and Middlesex – 5/5
Robert S. McConnell (R), Second Bristol and Plymouth – 5/5
Sen. John Keenan (D), Norfolk and Plymouth – 4/5
Theodore Semesnyei (R), Second Essex and Plymouth, 4/5
Shannon Teabo (D), Worcester & Hampshire, 5/5
Persis Yu (D), Norfolk and Suffolk, 5/5

Thank you to all those who have signed so far and made a commitment to your constituents or future constituents about the conduct they can expect from you!

Additional details behind each ask of the pledge:

Vote in favor of bills I have co-sponsored on committee and floor votes

If more legislators adopted the common-sense, good lawmaking practices in this pledge it would super-charge our organizing efforts. This is because most of the things voters are commonly encouraged to ask their legislators to do have serious limitations. For instance, a Legislator can say they support a bill by co-sponsoring it, but that does not actually make the bill more likely to pass. It is well known that some legislators even lobby in secret against bills they have co-sponsored. And with no access to public records, legislators are able to get away with telling their voters one thing, and leadership/donors another.
Host at least two in-person constituent town halls per year in your district

As seen by fiery Republican town halls across the country last year, public forums are essential to a representative relationship between the people and their state government.
Support legislation to provide public funding for elections

This point is modeled after states like New York, where small donations are matched by the state at different rates, depending on the office they are running for. For example, in New York City donations are matched 8-1. Through this system, candidates can maintain a higher level of independence from leadership by appealing directly to voters.
Vote to reinstate 8-year term limits for Speaker and Senate President

The House removed speaker term limits in 2001, reinstated them in 2009, and then removed them again in 2015. Then-Speaker Robert DeLeo was a strong proponent of term limits, until he changed course when his 8 years approached. In the Senate, 8-year term limits were in place since the 1990s. The 2023 vote to repeal it will allow President Spilka to serve beyond her 8 year tenure coming up this July. Term limits are one of the tried-and-true democratic methods of preventing the consolidation of power. When rank-and-file legislatures know leadership members won’t hold their office in perpetuity, they have more freedom to speak, and vote, in opposition to them.
Uphold the will of the voters on the following ballot initiatives: Public Records and Same Day Voter Registration

There is a history of Massachusetts voters approving questions related to “good government” issues that are later undermined by the legislature, such as the Clean Elections ballot initiative and the legislative audit. Voters have shown time and time again that transparency is important to them, and deserve elected representatives that are willing to acknowledge their right to know.

It is important to note that legislators do not need to sign on to every point, as long as they let us know which of the 5 they agree to. Through this mechanism, activists can lobby on specific points both ahead of elections this fall and as a tool for accountability during the session. If you have any questions on the pledge process, please feel free to reach out to us at info@actonmass.org

The “Every District Accountable” Pledge