Raul Fernandez To Challenge Tommy Vitolo In State Rep. Race

BROOKLINE, MA — Brookline Select Board Vice Chair Raul Fernandez announced Tuesday his bid for the newly redrawn 15th Norfolk State House seat in North Brookline, challenging current Rep. Tommy Vitolo.

Fernandez said he is running to bring “community power” to Beacon Hill and address how school segregation and inequitable education funding continue to negatively affect students of color in Massachusetts and lock them out of educational opportunity.

“I’ve seen what Brookline can accomplish when we put racial and economic justice at the top of our agenda.” said Fernandez in a statement. “But I’m not seeing the same urgency from local leadership in our state government, particularly on housing justice and education equity.”

"We need leadership in Beacon Hill that understands and acts with the urgency needed to champion these issues,” he continued.

During his time on the Brookline Select Board, Fernandez has chaired the Task Force to Reimagine Policing in Brookline,, co-chairs a working group to support the Brookline Housing Authority and its residents, and created and chairs Brookline’s Small Business Development Committee.

“Raul has been an outstanding advocate for the Brookline community, and particularly our neighbors whose voices too often go unheard,” said Brookline School Committee member Mariah Nobrega in a statement. “I can always count on Raul to support disadvantaged and historically marginalized students. Seeing what he has accomplished on the Select Board - both his vision and how he turns that vision into action - I know he will advance our community's priorities at the state level, for Brookline and beyond.”

“I’m proud of what we’ve done together on the Select Board, and I am running to become your next State Representative to take the whole town with me to Beacon Hill,” said Fernandez.

Fernandez will be at Temptations Cafe on Wednesday, December 8 from 8 to 9:30 a.m. for an informal meet and greet with Brookline residents.