Elections for Somerville City Council this year will see a challenge in Ward 3 as Nathaniel Roderick runs against incumbent Ben Ewen-Campen. Ewen-Campen was elected in 2017.
The Ward 3 race is one of two in which incumbents are being challenged. Jason Mackey is running for Ward 5 Councilor against Naima Sait, who was elected in 2023.
Roderick, who grew up in Somerville and describes himself as a queer trans man, said he was motivated by his love for the community as well as the political climate. “I think right now it’s very important to have trans voices in politics,” he said.
Roderick described growing up in a different Somerville. “I used to tell people I was from Somerville, and they would balk at me. And now, they’re very excited,” he said. But the city’s changes have included higher rents and housing prices, which has stymied diversity.
To make Somerville an accessible place to live, Roderick wants to protect renter rights and artists’ spaces. While he’s in favor of bike lanes, he recognizes that bike lanes are a “pain point” for bikes and cars, he said.
The race for Ward 3 will be Roderick’s first political run. He comes from an 18-year career in health care, including more than seven years as a certified nursing assistant at Boston Medical Center.
Roderick described his work at BMC as centering community care. He wants to approach addiction in Somerville in the same way, he said, including engaging with local organizations.
Addiction is an issue personal to Roderick: Attending Somerville High School in the early 2000s, he lost at least 10 friends to addiction, he said.
To Roderick, his experiences living in Somerville and working in health care are assets. So is his newness to politics. “I’m not burnt out from any political machines just yet,” he said.
“I am first and foremost … just someone who wants to listen to the people. I feel I’m very relatable on a number of levels,” he continued.
He made a commitment to constituent communication, an issue also raised in Somerville’s mayoral race. “People want a councilor that they can reach,” Roderick said.
A stronger
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