Linos bridges the Kennedy-Markey divide

For those who follow Massachusetts politics religiously, we are sure you have been following the kerfuffle that is the race to replace Joe Kennedy III in Massachusetts’ Fourth Congressional District. In a race with many talented individuals with a lot of ideological similarities, it’s difficult to choose just one candidate that stands out. What if we told you there was a woman running that happens to be a mom, a progressive, and an epidemiologist during the worst health crisis in the last century? No matter where you stand in this race, we sincerely ask you to read why Dr. Natalia Linos not only deserves to be in this race, but why she is the right candidate to truly meet the moment.

Taylor: When I first met Natalia over zoom, she explained the intersection of public health and racism, the criminalization of poverty, and improvements we need for a better COVID recovery. I was most struck by how Natalia handles questions with voters, as she confidently and clearly explains what she knows, asks for insights, and admits when she does not have the answer. Her style is a refreshing change from the standard political script, and I think that resonates with people.

Over the past month, I have talked to voters all across the district about Natalia. Quite frankly, we have disagreed on a lot of issues but I often find common ground a lot with voters as we discussed the particularities of the issues they faced. With COVID as the most urgent issue, it seems impossible to tackle any other issue without addressing this pandemic properly. Despite different perspectives, we often agreed on the value of a social epidemiologist’s perspective in Congress.

I believe Natalia Linos’ campaign is about building social solidarity, while fighting for a greener, healthier future. She leads with compassion, a plan, and an understanding of the deep moment of crisis we are currently in. Inaction is devastating and it looks like 180,000 deaths and counting. Our health cannot wait!

Josh: The first time I met Natalia was actually through instagram. The college program I was with was making our rounds asking candidates of Massachusetts to not take money from police unions. Natalia full heartedly agreed and signed the pledge a short time later. The next day, she invited my friend and I to a town hall event for students. I will be honest, I did not go in expecting much. However, both my friend and I were absolutely blown away. As someone who has worked on several campaigns in multiple states, I can say that I have never met a candidate as transparent and honest as Natalia. While she admitted she was still learning the hectic world of politics, she offered clear and concise stances on what she believes in and what needs to change. As a mother, she hurt when I told her about children I grew up with falling victim to the Opioid epidemic. As a progressive, while she respected the history of our nation, she also acknowledged that for far too long the political realm has catered to the fortunate and we needed to make swift changes. As an epidemiologist, she took the time to write the most comprehensive plan out of any congressional, senatorial, gubernatorial, or presidential candidate in the country on how to right the ship that COVID-19 and our current leadership has set off course.

While I can not cover every amazing detail about Natalia, I can say with full confidence that if you choose to elect Natalia, you will never regret it. She will work harder than any other politician to make sure every man, woman, and child from Newton to Wellesley to Fall River has the representation they deserve. If I did not answer any question in my brief pitch, I would encourage you to ask Natalia herself by going to her website and go to the ask me anything tab between 12:00 and 12:30 any day up until the election. There, you can talk to Natalia one on one and ask any questions that you may have about her.

Both: Natalia straddles the world of science and public service. With a degree in epidemiology, she has worked at the United Nations and the New York City Health Department. Her COVID-19 reopening plan is comprehensive and rooted in equity. At twenty-six pages in length, Natalia goes beyond a quick fix, and addresses how we can transform the underlying structural failures that have exacerbated this health crisis for many Americans.

Despite falling on different sides of the Ed Markey - Joe Kennedy divide, we wanted to share why we believe Natalia’s science and equity platform appeals to both sides of the heated Senate race and why you should vote for Natalia.