Jehlen

From the Reelect Pat Jehlen campaign, April 26, 2016: State Sen. Pat Jehlen announced Tuesday that she has certified enough signatures to appear on the 2016 ballot in Massachusetts, making her reelection bid official. She will hold a campaign kickoff reception open to the public from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at VFW Post 1012, 114 Mystic Ave., Medford. All are invited and encouraged to attend.

Jehlen is a progressive with more than 25 years of service to her constituents in Massachusetts. She served on the Somerville School Committee, was elected as state representative and was later elected to the state Senate in 2005. She and her husband Alain have three children and two granddaughters, all educated in Somerville public schools.

“I am proud of my record as a proven progressive and look forward to highlighting my decades of service,” Jehlen said. “I am taking nothing for granted and will run a strong, issues-based race against any challenger.”

Jehlen’s recent accomplishments include: a bill to close the wage gap between women and men that passed this year; securing funding for the Assembly Square Orange Line extension, the first new MBTA station in 27 years; securing funding to clean up the Mystic River; a parental leave bill that passed this year; creating 1,000 units of supportive housing for seniors, people with disabilities and veterans; and much more.

She has been endorsed by Congressman Michael Capuano, Senate President Stan Rosenberg, Sheriff Peter Koutoujian, Somerville Mayor Joe Curtatone, Rep. Christine Barber, Rep. Mike Day, Rep. Marjorie Decker, Rep. Paul Donato, Rep. Sean Garballey, Rep. Denise Provost, Rep. Dave Rogers, Sen. Sal DiDomenico, Sen. Jason Lewis, former Rep. Alice Wolf, former Rep. Will Brownsberger, former Somerville Mayor Gene Brune, former Somerville Mayor Dorothy Kelly Gay and former Medford Mayor Mike McGlynn.

Jehlen was named Legislator of the Year by the Home Care Alliance, Massachusetts Developmental Disabilities Council & the Arc of Massachusetts, Citizens for Public Schools, the Assisted Living Federation, the National Organization for Women, Friends of the Middlesex Fells, the National Association of Elder Law Attorneys, the Equal Justice Coalition, the Animal Control Officers Association and Grey2K.

Her 2nd Middlesex District includes Somerville and Medford and parts of Cambridge and Winchester. City councillor Leland Cheung has declared to run against her for the district seat.