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FRAMINGHAM – Framingham State Rep. Jack Patrick Lewis gave a very strong endorsement to former City Councilor and 20-year Selectman Charlie Sisistky to be Framingham next mayor earlier tonight, May 23.
Before a crowd at Historic Village Hall, Rep. Lewis said “Charlie has the experience serving our city, collaborating with staff and elected leaders. Charlie has the financial acumen to responsibly and effectively manage and to balance the needs and resources of our city. And most importantly, Charlie has the background and expertise to – on day one – get to work and lead our city.”
Rep. Lewis, who before the pandemic was rumored as a likely challenger to the City’s first-ever Mayor Yvonne Spicer, said last week he was approached to run for Mayor in November 2021, but has decided to give his full support to Sisistsky.
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“Today I want to talk about my friend Charlie. For many, Charlie needs no introduction. His decades of service to Framingham and our region are well known. And for those who know him, we know that his cooperative leadership style and extensive experience ensures that he will be ready to move our community forward on day one,” said Rep. Lewis. “While Charlie’s love of Framingham is deep and his local experience is vast, Charlie has never been stuck in the past. He has always looked forward, knowing that Framingham’s best days lie
ahead.”
Rep. Lewis and Rep. Maria Robinson, who also spoke tonight and endorses Sisitsky, said they have heard from people living outside of the City of Framingham questioning their endorsement.
“I want to be frank with you. It would have been easier, politically and personally, to stay on the side lines in this race. While I know that the great majority of Framingham residents have had a front row seat to the current Mayor’s mismanagement of our city, elected leaders and friends across the Commonwealth might be confused by Maria and me endorsing someone else. To those out-of-town colleagues and friends, all I can say is trust us. Change is needed. Change is a must if we are to run a government aligned with our shared values. We are the ones who live here and fight for Framingham’s future each and every day. Hear us when we say that we need a partner in the Memorial Building committed to doing the same, a new mayor who will bring Framingham together, who will allow our community a chance to heal, and who will lead us forward to a shared and prosperous future,” said rep. Lewis.
“Four years ago, like many of you, I voted for the current mayor. I actually voted for her twice,” said Rep. Lewis. “And I spent the first couple years of her tenure defending her, urging friends and neighbors to be patient, to give her time to get her bearings and to do what all great leaders do, humbly recognize that we don’t know everything, acknowledge that we can’t do this work alone, build positive relationships with colleagues and partners, and surround ourselves with people with different expertise, who challenge us to do better.”
Lewis said “Instead, when our city most needed to be united, our current mayor alienated not only those she broadly deemed political enemies, she alienated her friends, her allies, and even those who tried to be patient partners in this work. Instead of taking the high road, our current mayor engaged in petty squabbles, not with random internet trolls, but with elected city councilors. And every day that now passes we learn more and more about the mishandling of our city’s budget, mishandling that is disrespectful to the taxpayers who are on the hook for her on the job training.”
Rep. Lewis said “I wanted our current mayor to succeed as much as I wanted Framingham to succeed. But after four years of gross mismanagement, four years of absent leadership, four years of a ‘go it alone’ attitude, the only way for Framingham to succeed is by coming together as a community, a truly diverse community, and voting for a proven leader. And that person is Charlie.”
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“Charlie is gathering a diverse coalition not only to win but to bring our community together, to begin the healing process after decades of strife and division, and together move our families, our schools, our businesses, and our city forward. Because Charlie knows that for Framingham to win, previous political factions, old scores, and historic divisions all must be superseded by something stronger than any one of us alone, and that is a love for our families, our neighborhoods, our schools, and our city,” said Rep. Lewis. “And yes, this coalition is going to include some people you may have had some beef with in the past, maybe you were on the opposite side of the last mayoral election or the city vs. town debate. Maybe some members of this coalition took votes at Town Meeting that you still adamantly disagree with. But you know what, this is Framingham. We are Framingham. Diverse, imperfect, and full of strong opinions and ever evolving emotions. But we are learning, we are growing, and we are ready to truly come together. What we need is a Mayor ready to travel with us.”
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Town of Ashland