Massachusetts Peace Action (MAPA), the largest grassroots peace advocacy organization in the state, announces endorsements for six candidates running for Congress or the State Legislature. Each of these candidates have shown a commitment to building peace through supporting diplomacy over war, opposing ICE violence at home, and moving money from the military industrial complex to our communities.
Ed Markey – US Senate
MAPA has worked closely with Ed Markey during his tenure in the Senate. He is a leading advocate for controlling nuclear weapons and has called for a “no first use” nuclear policy. Markey has criticized and consistently voted against excessive Pentagon spending and proposed shifting some of the budget towards meeting humanitarian needs.
Markey opposed the Gaza genocide and spoke out for a sane policy as early as mid-October 2023 when war fever was sweeping the United States. During the genocide Markey voted for three rounds of War Powers Resolutions to cut off weapons shipments to Israel and assert Congress’s authority over decisions of war. Recently, Markey has been a leader in the Senate and in the Democratic Party on resisting Trump’s war in Iran. Markey went beyond strongly worded letters when Trump threatened that Iran’s “whole civilization will die” and called for removal from office. Markey co-authored the Green New Deal legislation which would build a strong coalition linking climate and economic justice. We believe that Markey is the best candidate in this race on issues of peace and justice.
Learn how to contribute to Markey’s campaign at https://www.edmarkey.com/
Jeromie Whalen – US Congress, MA-01
Jeromie Whalen is a teacher running for Congress in Western Massachusetts on a bold progressive platform of taxing the rich, abolishing ICE, and opposing foreign wars. He is not taking money from corporate PACs, supports overturning Citizens United, and supports a Congressional Stock Trading Ban. The incumbent, Richard Neal, is one of the top recipients of corporate PAC money and has also taken money from AIPAC. Neal has been a steadfast supporter of Israel in Congress in contrast to Whalen who has openly condemned the genocide in Gaza. Whalen also supports medicare for all, rent control, and tuition free community college.
Learn how to contribute to Jeromie’s campaign at https://www.whalenforcongressma.com/
Jim McGovern – US Congress, MA-02
Jim McGovern has consistently been one of the strongest advocates for peace and diplomacy in the House of Representatives and has partnered with MAPA in the past. During the humanitarian catastrophe in Yemen, enabled by our weapons, McGovern bravely advocated against arming Saudi Arabia. He is a leading advocate for abolition of nuclear weapons, for normalizing relations with Cuba and ending the embargo, and he consistently votes against arms shipments to Israel since the start of the Gaza genocide in 2023 and Israel’s many attacks on its neighbors.
Learn how to contribute to McGovern’s campaign at https://www.jimmcgovern.com/
Ayanna Pressley – US Congress, MA-07
Ayanna Pressley is one of the most progressive voices in Congress. She was one of the first members of Congress to condemn the Israeli genocide in Gaza and has a strong record of voting against arming Israel. She has also been a firm advocate for peace and justice domestically through calling for the abolition of ICE and has been active in efforts to reform U.S. policy on Haiti and Sudan.
Learn how to contribute to Pressley’s campaign at https://ayannapressley.com/
Evan Mackay – Massachusetts House, 25th Middlesex
Evan Mackay is a MAPA board member, union organizer, and anti-corruption activist running for State Representative in Cambridge. Mackay is running on a platform of making the State House, one of the least transparent and effective in the country, more accountable. Massachusetts is currently the only blue state with a 287(g) agreement with ICE, which Mackay has called for an end to. In the State House, Mackay will be a fearless voice for immigrant rights, climate, and transparency.
Learn how to contribute to Evan’s campaign at https://www.evanforcambridge.com/
Erika Uyterhoeven – Massachusetts Senate, 2nd Middlesex
Erika Uyterhoeven is a current State Representative who has consistently supported MAPA’s priorities in the State House. She has been a lone voice in opposing building new prisons and has fought for the rights of incarcerated people. She introduced a MAPA-backed bill to divest the state pension fund from Israeli genocide and publicly pushed for the Yes on 3 ballot iniative in Somerville to end all city contracts with companies tied to Israeli genocide. Uyerhoeven cofounded Act on Mass to fight for transparency in the State House, one of her crowning achievements was pushing for public committee votes.
In the State Senate, Uyterhoeven will continue these fights. She will tackle the climate crisis by taking on private utility companies like Eversource and rejecting attempts in the State Senate to label pro-Palestine activism as antisemitism.
Learn how to contribute to Erika’s campaign at https://www.electerika.com/
MAPA’s endorsement procedures are explained at our Peace Voter campaign page.
