Firestarter

***Note - the following was published on November 9, 2022 after earning 45% of the vote for State Representative of the 22nd Middlesex.

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A final note from the Democratic nominee for State Representative

Sitting at my desk, surrounded by the remnants of my campaign, I am filled with sadness. Billerica and Massachusetts will continue the path toward decay because I was defeated Tuesday. I say this without ego - I would have impacted Billerica and our Commonwealth in immeasurable ways. My first order of business would be to impact the process for choosing the Speaker of the House. No disrespect to the current occupant, but I strongly believe that Massachusetts needs BOLD leadership. Our issues are more severe than the current rate of incremental change. We need to stop passing things with unanimous voice votes and have real discussions and arguments. Democracy is supposed to be chaotic and messy. We are imperfect humans and to govern ourselves, we need transparency and accountability. In his tenure as Speaker of the House, Mr. Mariano has not made any strides toward empowering constituents to hold their representatives accountable. The real winner Tuesday night was the status quo. The State House will be more male, more white, and less inclined to listen to us. I was prepared to work tirelessly to impact that process - especially while leadership expected me to behave like a typical newly elected young politician. With my allies at Act On Mass, Incorruptible Mass, and my unique skill set, there were real possibilities to have an impact. I’m looking forward to seeing how next term's rules deal with vaccination status, remote voting, transparency, and accountability, but I expect them to remain the same as in 2021. There is no incentive to change anything for the incumbents who won re-election.

The current Speaker prefers to avoid conflict so he will award Marc Lombardo three projects in each year’s budget to prevent temper tantrums. These three projects will be awarded towards buildings or personal projects. There will be no major investments in Billerica based on his previous 12 years in Boston. In fact, I expect this term to be even less fruitful for Mr. Lombardo. He has many demands on his time and he doesn’t multitask well. His divorce is not going well and based on how much time his girlfriend bullies me on social media, I don’t think his current relationship is healthy. He has two children that are slightly younger than mine and, as many parents will attest, ages 12 to 15 are difficult years -add in psychological damage from daddy making mommy cry, a divorce happening in the public eye, and the transitions between Middle and High School - whew, I don’t envy him or his children. I hope his soon-to-be ex-wife is awarded the alimony and child support she deserves (court records may be sealed but lips certainly are not). Busy Mr. Lombardo is also a business owner and maintains a position with a sales or marketing firm. No wonder he doesn’t have time to build coalitions or write legislation - his attendance record is truly impressive, considering. Did you know that he works out too? Despite the chilly temperatures, Marc will still be wearing shirts a size too small to make sure you notice his manly muscles.

For me, life gets easier again. Most of the harassment has stopped and it matters less what others say. I’ve never much cared when people don’t like me or say mean things. I grew up with some of the most toxic family dynamics and strangers' opinions - especially when they aren’t worthy of respect - matter even less than my recently deceased grandmother’s thoughts on my weight or child-rearing. My husband will stop working overtime to pay our bills while I campaigned. Without spending 40 - 60 hours a week campaigning, I can cook dinner and clean the house myself. It’s been almost a year since I’ve gone for a hike or binged a show on Netflix. I’m even thinking about going to a paint party tomorrow - something I would have avoided last week in favor of reaching voters or raising money. My kids are relieved to not encounter harassment on my behalf and I am enjoying spending time with two of my favorite people.

These two and a half years have been wonderful and I probably know Billerica better than most people who have lived here their entire lives. We are a great community and deserve a State Representative who builds people up and delivers results to all of us. My opponent spent months spreading fear and bigotry, encouraging and engaging in bullying of me and others, and further dividing our town. It’s hard to repair that damage but I think we should try. All the reasons I ran for State Representative still exist but I cannot run again so I will dedicate my time to ensuring Billerica is no longer overlooked and disregarded in other ways. Standing up to bullies is a multi-faceted endeavor and I am looking forward to exploring other avenues to accomplish my goals. Progress is slow and takes longer than we would like - that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth every second.

To everyone who opened their door - thank you for allowing me a moment of your time.

To everyone who shared their story - thank you for trusting me with your lived experiences. I was not successful but I will never stop fighting for all of us

To those who voted for me - thank you for your trust. Anti-immigrant and fear-mongering sentiments increased turnout for Marc beyond our expectations. We have built a movement and will be successful in the coming months and years. Take heart in the courage displayed all over town, the networks we have built, and the untapped potential within all of us. With love,

Teresa