With less than a week until Bostonians head to the polls for the Democratic mayoral primary, the field is packed with candidates fighting to be heard, and to prove that they're qualified to lead one of our nation's largest cities.
But one clear strong voice is standing out, and it belongs to the only candidate with the experience and vision to move Boston forward for women and families -- Charlotte Golar Richie.
Charlotte moved to Boston as a young woman, when the city was dealing with a lot of uncertainty. And she knew that if she committed herself to moving a city on the brink of progress in the right direction, she could be a part of shaping a better future for it.
She's made a difference by focusing on the fundamental issues that Bostonians care about. Helping thousands of low income and homeless families put a roof over their heads. Creating programs that help kids get quality public education and job training. Protecting women and families from violence. And she's spent her career using every avenue available to her -- as a state legislator, chief of housing for Mayor Menino, top advisor to Governor Deval Patrick, and as leader of a national nonprofit, finding innovative solutions to tough problems. She is the kind of leader who rolls up her sleeves and gets things done.
In the process, Charlotte has built meaningful relationships with communities in Boston who have been inspired and changed by her leadership. From Dorchester and Roxbury to Hyde Park to the North End she has made a commitment to all Bostonians, and they've noticed.
The thing that Boston wants most is a qualified, experienced leader, and that's why polling shows that Charlotte is one of the leading candidates in the field. All are promising to build a better Boston. Charlotte already has.
This great city is on the brink of progress again. Voters have the opportunity to embrace an historic candidacy, and not just by electing a woman of color to lead Boston forward, but by electing someone with unprecedented qualifications. Someone who has already shown us that she can take on Boston's biggest problems at the state, local, and federal level. And someone who has the experience to know that we can't move forward if our nation's women are afraid of violence, or worried about where they are going to live, or whether their kids are going to be able to get a job when they leave school.
That's why EMILY's List is committed to electing pro-choice Democratic women like Charlotte to office. Because we know when they're at the table, the issues that matter to women and families are always a priority. They become the cornerstone of progress. And our communities are better for it.
The choice couldn't be clearer. It's time to make Charlotte Golar Richie the next mayor of Boston.