Cindy Friedman, longtime community activist and Chief of Staff to the late state Senator Ken Donnelly (D-Arlington), will run to succeed him in the state Senate. Donnelly died in April following an eight-month battle with brain cancer. “This has been a difficult time for all of us who worked with and admired Ken, his values, and his work ethic,” Friedman said, “but after long talks with the Senator’s family, his close friends, and my own family, I have concluded that I am best positioned and truly impassioned to continue the work Ken started nine years ago.”
Friedman is a former public school teacher, has managed hardware and software development groups, and is a community activist and parent. She says these experiences, coupled with her most recent role as Chief of Staff for Ken Donnelly in the State Senate, has uniquely prepared her to succeed the late Senator. “Having traveled the district, I understand the needs of the people of the 4th Middlesex District and have answered their questions and helped resolve their problems for the past nine years. I have drafted and lobbied for legislation to protect working families and provide homeless children with early access to shelter; to increase access to services for and reduce the criminalization of those suffering from severe and debilitating mental illness and substance use disorders; to reform our criminal justice system; and to increase the availability of workforce training that would meet the needs of businesses and increase the economic stability of our residents.
“Further, I have worked side by side with the late senator to increase access to transportation and support for district schools and local governments. I am eager to share with voters the issues that Ken and I, with his staff, have been working on in order to improve the lives of all Massachusetts residents, especially those who are most vulnerable and without a voice. I am running with the hope that the people of the 4th Middlesex District will allow me to continue and expand the important work that we have been doing for nearly a decade.”
ABOUT CINDY
Cindy Friedman is a graduate of Roger Williams University and earned a MA degree in Special Education from Lesley University. She and her husband, John Page, have three children and two grandchildren.
Cindy has engaged in many political, social, and community activities over the past two decades, and has served in several important roles, including: long time Arlington Town Meeting Member; former member of the Symmes Advisory Committee and chair of the Symmes Advisory Committee community outreach sub-committee; founding member, SPOT (Schools are a Priority in Our Town); former VP and co-founder of Arlington Education Foundation; and former Chair of the Arlington No Place for Hate Committee. She has been a sought-after leader for organizations and campaigns.
The 4th Middlesex Senate District includes Arlington, Burlington, Woburn, Billerica and two-thirds of Lexington. The Primary election is on Tuesday, June 27, 2017.