For Immediate Release
April 9, 2014

Contact: Matt Fenlon
Phone: 617.939.0800

COMMUNITY OF COLOR LEADERS ACROSS MASSACHUSETTS CRITICIZE REPUBLICAN CHARLIE BAKER’S NEW INTEREST IN CITIES

 Community of Color Elected Officials Focus on Trust

 BOSTON – Elected leaders of color from communities across Massachusetts are criticizing Republican Charlie Baker’s newfound interest in Gateway Cities, an interest news reports say was absent from his 2010 campaign.

“Republican Charlie Baker may think he’s being politically clever with his newfound interest in communities of color, but voters are smart enough to know pandering when they see it,” said Dana Rebeiro, New Bedford City Councilor and Massachusetts Democratic Party Communities of Color Director. “You can’t ignore communities of color during one campaign– like Republican Charlie Baker did in 2010 – and then come back four years later and expect us to trust you.”

“The community of color vote is not monolithic. Democrats overwhelmingly succeed in Massachusetts because we advocate better ideas for job creation, transportation, and education,” said State Representative Russell Holmes, who represents Mattapan. “Charlie must attend community forums and meetings where voters can hear his positions firsthand if he ever intends to garner much support.”

“In 2010, Republican Charlie Baker said Gardner and Grafton were in Western Massachusetts. How are voters in communities of color like Springfield and Holyoke supposed to trust you if you don’t even know we exist?” said Springfield At-Large City Councilor Bud Williams.

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Background from Paul McMorrow’s story in Commonwealth Download:

“In conversation, he repeatedly name-checks cities like Lowell, New Bedford, Worcester, and Springfield. His platform is heavy on talk about school turnarounds and economic opportunity — issues that would seem to resonate deeply in urban communities. A Globe story two weeks ago had Baker trying to broaden his base, and drum up support among black supporters from Hyde Park and Mattapan. “It’s no secret that the reason we lose on Election Day is because we lose in urban cities,” state GOP chairman Kirsten Hughes told theGlobe. “It’s not rocket science. We have to go to places we haven’t typically gone.”

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