Mayors, State Senators, Local Officials and Labor Across Massachusetts Endorse Question 3 for Competitive Elections
Growing coalition of leaders – from Western Mass to Greater Boston – backs good-government ballot question for All-Party Primaries
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
September 15, 2026
press@coalitionforhealthydemocracy.org
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – State senators, mayors, a county sheriff, a labor union and municipal officials from across Massachusetts today announced their support for Question 3, the All-Party Primaries ballot initiative, ahead of the November election. This good-government reform is designed to make Massachusetts elections more competitive, open the door for fresh voices, incentivize elected officials to deliver results and make politicians actually listen to the people they serve – not political insiders.
In an All-Party Primary (sometimes called “top-two” primary) every voter sees the same ballot, no matter their party, with every qualified candidate included. The top two vote-getters, regardless of party, would then advance to the November general election, where turnout is typically twice as high than in the primary. The result: politicians have to earn your vote instead of assuming it. This is not a new idea for Massachusetts: many cities and towns already elect their mayors or municipal officials this way. Question 3 would extend this familiar system to legislative, statewide and federal congressional primary races. It would also end convention gatekeeping – party conventions would no longer decide which qualified federal candidates make the ballot, but could instead be used for important endorsements or organizing.
Top-two primaries have been shown to increase voter turnout and competition in other states that have also implemented the reform, like California and Washington, and officials in top-two states are younger and more representative by race and gender of their populations.
Right now, most Massachusetts elections are over and decided before the general election in November. Since 2014, 51% of all races in Massachusetts feature no opposition – one candidate who wins by default because there’s no other person to vote for. When politicians never face a serious challenger, they stop listening, they stop acting with urgency and they stop delivering results.
The coalition behind Question 3 now includes:
LEGISLATORS
State Senator John Cronin (D-Lunenburg)
State Senator John Velis (D-Westfield)
Former State Representative Marty Walz (D-Boston) and former CEO of Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts
SHERIFF
Hampden County Sheriff Nick Cocchi
LABOR
Western Massachusetts Building Trades Union
MAYORS
Agawam Mayor Christopher Johnson
Chicopee Mayor John Vieau
Malden Mayor Gary Christenson
Medford Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn
Westfield Mayor Michael McCabe
West Springfield Mayor William Reichelt
MUNICIPAL OFFICIALS
Agawam City Council President Anthony Russo
Arlington School Committee Member Paul Schlichtman
Cambridge City Councilor Patty Nolan
West Springfield City Council President Mike LaFlamme
Former Lexington Public School Committee Vice Chair and Town Meeting Member Deepika Sawhney
Marblehead Select Board Vice Chair Moses Grader
Worcester City Councilor Robert Bilotta
Former Worcester City Councilor Jenny Pacillo
These local leaders join Fitchburg Mayor Samantha Squailia, New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell and Great Barrington Town Moderator and Former Finance Committee Chair Michael Wise who have already endorsed Question 3.
Other previous endorsers include the NAACP New England Area Conference, the Massachusetts Women of Color Coalition, the Massachusetts Forward Party, the Election Reformers Network, Partners in Democracy, Veterans for All Voters, Indivisible Fitchburg, Worcester Indivisible, Central MA Citizens Climate Lobby, Brookfield Fights Fear, UltraViolet Action, the Holden Democratic Town Committee and individuals such as Governor Deval Patrick, Rep. Joe Kennedy III, Lt. Governor Kerry Healey, Treasurer Steve Grossman, State Auditor Diana DiZoglio, Former MassGOP Chair Jennifer Nassour, NAACP New England Area Conference President Tanisha Sullivan, Northampton activist and organizer Arlene Kirsch, Massachusetts Women of Color Coalition President and CEO Celia Johnston Blue, Somerville climate activist and organizer Bob Massie, Rank the Vote Founder Nathan Lockwood and more.
“The journey toward this campaign started in Western Mass at Spring of Hope Church in Springfield, when community members told me they didn’t vote because ‘there are no choices on the ballot,'” said Danielle Allen, convening chair of the YES on 3 campaign and public policy expert specializing in the renovation and study of democracy. “They saw a broken election system, and that stayed with me. Their experience is not unique to any one town, city or district – it’s true across the Commonwealth, where the majority of seats go uncontested year after year, and constituents feel like afterthoughts. Question 3 is about making sure that all voters have a say, our races become competitive and our elected officials listen and are incentivized to make real progress on all the challenges we’re facing.”
“Massachusetts voters deserve competitive elections and real choices,” said State Senator John Cronin (D-Lunenburg). “Too often today, elections are effectively decided before most voters ever get a meaningful say. Question 3 is a common-sense solution that will put voters back at the center of our elections. It would give every voter a voice in the primary, put the top two vote-getters on the November ballot, and encourage us as elected officials to build broad support across our districts. I believe that will help ensure that government listens to all voters and delivers for everyone. That’s why I’m proud to support Question 3.”
“Good government starts with good incentives,” said State Senator John Velis (D-Westfield). “People are tired of a broken political system that rewards political insiders instead of voters. All-Party Primaries change those incentives. They reward candidates for building broad coalitions, answering to everyone and actually delivering results. They move power away from gatekeepers and put it back with voters. That’s the kind of politics Massachusetts wants, the kind of politics Massachusetts needs, and it’s why I’m proud to support and vote yes on Question 3.”
“Good government isn’t about protecting a party or a political system. It’s about meeting people where they are and being accountable to the people we serve. Question 3 gives every voter a seat at the table and forces candidates to compete for support beyond their own political base,” said Hampden County Sheriff Nick Cocchi. “Every Massachusetts voter deserves a meaningful voice in choosing who represents them, regardless of their party affiliation. Question 3 makes our elections more inclusive and accountable to all voters. That’s why I’m voting Yes on 3.”
“A yes on Question 3 is a yes for working people,” said Colton Andrews, president of the Western Massachusetts Building Trades Unions. “Our members work long hours, raise families and contribute to every major project that keeps Western Massachusetts running. They deserve a system that makes it easier – not harder – to participate in our democracy. A yes vote on Question 3 empowers every worker, every household, and every community to have a stronger voice in choosing leaders who represent their interests. Our democracy works best when everyone can participate. Open primaries give working people more power – and we’re proud to stand with voters across Massachusetts in supporting this important reform.”
“Every resident of Massachusetts deserves representatives who have earned their position and are fully committed to serving their communities to the best of their ability,” said Medford Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn. “I’m proud that Medford has already embraced this approach to local elections, and I’m proud to support ‘YES on 3’ to bring more competition, broader voter participation, and more accountability to elections across Massachusetts.”
“As a mayor, I know that government works best when elected officials listen to everyone – not just the few who vote in party primaries,” said Westfield Mayor Michael McCabe. “Question 3 is a practical reform that will give every voter a say in our state primaries and ensure that the two candidates with the most support move on to November, just like we do in our cities. It will create more competition, more choices, and stronger incentives for candidates to reach out to voters across their communities. I’m supporting Question 3 because Massachusetts government will be stronger when all voters have a say in who represents them.”
“As an independent mayor representing a Gateway City, I know that real progress comes when all of us have an opportunity to take a seat at the table,” said Fitchburg Mayor Samantha Squailia. “I support an election system that rewards diversity of thought, coalition-building, accountability and broad community support. Voters deserve a process that is more open, more competitive and more reflective of the people that elect leaders to serve.”
The Coalition for Healthy Democracy was founded by Danielle Allen, a democracy advocate and public policy scholar who believes that our democracy should work for everyone. Every voter deserves a real say – no matter their party, no matter their zip code. Danielle’s journey of democracy renovation began at the Spring of Hope Church in Springfield, where community members shared that primary races consisting of single incumbent candidates with no challengers left them wondering why they should even show up to vote in the primary. Voting for the lone default winners of uncompetitive races, they said, wasn’t a great use of their time. Danielle and the broad coalition behind Question 3 are working to help fix that by giving every voter in Massachusetts a meaningful voice.
For more on the YES on 3 campaign for All-Party Primaries, visit yeson3ma.org.
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