Tim Toomey serves as state representative for the 26th Middlesex District, which includes Eastern portions of Somerville and Cambridge, and as a Cambridge city councillor. He was born in Cambridge, raised in East Cambridge and lives on Sixth Street. He is a graduate of Matignon High School and earned a degree in government from Suffolk University in 1975.

He was elected to the Cambridge School Committee in 1985, then to the council in 1989. In 1992, he was elected as state representative.

Compiled from the candidate’s words in publicly available sources

On local business:

Condensed and edited from responses given to Cambridge Local First

The city should continue to support the local business community by providing smart, stable long-term planning. The vitality of the Cambridge business community comes from its diversity, and the best way to continue to foster that diversity is to give companies and entrepreneurs a fair, level and well-defined playing field. The city has done an excellent job of creating opportunities for companies large and small, and a lot of that success comes from listening to the needs of our neighbors and the businesses that want to put down roots in Cambridge. We’ve not only created a framework for a wide variety of employment opportunities in our city, we’ve also highlighted the independently owned businesses that make Cambridge a great place to work and live.

A roundtable of business associations can promote events between squares. Cambridge is already known as a fun place to spend weekends, and there’s some real potential in promoting events that stretch from one square to another. An event stretching from Kendall Square to Inman Square, for instance, could easily highlight both our farmers markets and our best restaurants. We should encourage partnerships between the city and local businesses.

Toomey on the issues

From Cambridge Community Television

Inclusionary housing:

City governance: