Ayanna Pressley, Margareth Shepard Endorse Spicer In Framingham

FRAMINGHAM, MA — Framingham Mayor Yvonne Spicer picked up two key endorsements this week in her bid for a second term: Boston U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley and District 7 Councilor Margareth Shepard.

The Nov. 2 election is just over three weeks away, and Spicer will be facing an uphill battle against Charlie Sisitsky, who came out of the Sept. 14 primary about 2,000 votes ahead of the city's first mayor.

Shepard, who was the first Brazilian-American woman elected as a councilor, took office alongside Spicer after Framingham's first city election in 2017. Shepard is leaving office at the end of this term, but has endorsed District 7 candidate Leora Mallach.

In a news release, Shepard said Spicer's first term has been marked by opposition to the mayor's agenda.

"She did not have enough support staff or resources and her decisions and work style were challenged at every step," Shepard said. "The City Council often blamed the mayor for decade-old problems she inherited like the water and sewer finances, dormant properties, traffic and safety, and contaminated sites. Many City Councilors continuously bucked and admonished her with an obstructionist approach. She took it graciously and forged forward staying true to the people of Framingham and to her promises. How do we expect things to change if our new government behaves like it did for decades?"

Pressley endorsed Spicer the same day she made other picks in local Massachusetts elections, including Somerville Council candidate Charlotte Kelly.

Spicer "has laid out a clear, inclusive vision for the future of Framingham, and the city will continue to benefit from her leadership," Politico Massachusetts reported Pressley saying Thursday morning.

Spicer has also been endorsed by U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren.

Sisitsky has also lined up many local endorsements, including some former and sitting councilors: state Reps. Maria Robinson and Jack Lewis; District 5 Councilor Robert Case; School Committee Chair Adam Freudberg; Council Chair George King Jr.; and former councilors Dennis Giombetti and Judith Grove.