Jenny Armini: State Representative Candidate Profile

MARBLEHEAD, MA — Jenny Armini is one of six candidates on the ballot looking to fill the open seat as the state representative for the 8th Essex District encompassing part of Lynn, Marblehead and Swampscott.

The 53-year-old mother of two is a professional speechwriter who earned a Masters in Public Administration at the Harvard Kennedy School of Business, a bachelor's degree in government at the University of Virginia and an associate's degree in communications at Endicott College.

She told Patch she wants to head to the State House to work on climate change legislation, for affordable housing and for equity in education and support of students as they make up for learning time lost amid the COVID-19 health crisis.

Campaign website

www.arminifor8.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

The 8th Essex District has been my home for nearly 17 years. I am deeply indebted to our communities for playing a large and wonderful role in helping to raise my children — from teachers and coaches to neighbors and first responders. I am running to give back — to leverage my significant experience, skills, and relationships to improve their lives and tackle the toughest problems facing our communities and state.

The single most pressing issue facing our district is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Tackling climate change with aggressive action is a top priority for me. We are a coastal district, after all. Rising temperatures bring more frequent and intense storms. On top of that, sea level rise is projected to jump anywhere from 1.1 feet to 2.7 feet by the mid-century. Both expose our coast to flooding, high winds, and erosion. Neighborhoods, ecosystems, transportation routes, and infrastructure are all vulnerable.

Massachusetts must stay on track to reach its net zero greenhouse gas emissions goal by 2050 (if not sooner). This requires policies and legislation that move communities and individuals away from a reliance on fossil fuels in favor of renewable energy sources. It requires the electrification of transportation (public transit and cars) and homes.

Of course, we know that damage has already been done, especially with sea rise. We need to secure our coastline with investments in infrastructure, including sea wall repairs and construction. Importantly, long-term projections should be part of any planning (such as sea wall height required to get us through to 2070), so that we avoid returning to taxpayers at all levels of government and other funders multiple times for the same needs at the same locations.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I met a woman knocking on doors who responded to my background with, "Well, you are shovel ready!" That's exactly right. I have the public policy and legislative experience and deep community ties to get to work quickly and effectively in the State House.

As an aide on both Capitol Hill and Beacon Hill, I drafted legislation and created the coalitions to pass it. As a speechwriter and the communications chief at MassINC, the state's nonpartisan think tank, I advanced complex ideas with effective messaging and strategies for placing them on the state's public policy agenda. And as a board member of the Massachusetts Women's Political Caucus and graduate school intern at Planned Parenthood, I provided leadership and technical assistance in the fight for women's reproductive rights.

The job of representative requires those skills, but equally important, it requires deep community ties and the ability to develop relationships with key stakeholders, including fellow legislators. I'm very proud of cofounding ElectBlue, the local grassroots political organization that raised thousands of dollars for US House and Senate Democrats running in the wake of Donald Trump's election. Through ElectBlue, Maureen Kay and I identified a need within our community and provided the resources for people to take political action. Many of those same people support my campaign today.

I am the only candidate in this race with these powerful and highly relevant experiences, which are matched by my passion for public service and my long-time dedication to the District.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

Education is central to my platform. The state must play a more active role in giving all our kids the academic, social, and emotional support to fully recover from the pandemic. I see its effects throughout our community and even in my house. This requires funding specialists to help students get back up to grade level; additional adjustment counselors; professional development for teachers; and robust after-school programs beginning in the youngest years.

I'm also laser-focused on solutions for making our communities more affordable and livable —from housing to prescription drug costs to transportation modernization. These issues are especially acute for seniors living on fixed incomes. Boosting the Senior Circuit Breaker during every legislative session can help keep seniors in their homes. Those with chronic illnesses would benefit from capping certain drugs, while transparency has shown to help drive prices down for others. And I think we can all agree that modernizing our public transportation system is an absolute necessity — for safety, economic competitiveness, environmental protection, and for pure and simple justice.

Last but certainly not least, I will continue my lifelong fight for women's reproductive rights, expanding access to services in Massachusetts, pushing Congress to pass Roe at the federal level, providing national leadership to other states seeking to strengthen their own laws, and serving as a resource for my own constituents.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

A commitment to public service has shaped my personal and professional lives in profound ways. It is the through line. I was awarded a Harvard Public Service fellowship in recognition of my commitment to service. By then, I had spent years working as a senior aide on Capitol Hill and as a legislative analyst on Beacon Hill. I witnessed the positive power of government to change lives, and I learned the craft of drafting legislation and creating strategies for passing it. My love of words led me to political speechwriting after graduate school and heading up the communications shop of the state's leading nonpartisan think tank.

So, in many ways, I have been doing aspects of this job for my entire career, including the last several years I've spent writing speeches for politicians, CEOs, and university leaders. When the community was alarmed after Trump took office, I co-founded ElectBlue, a local grassroots organization that provided an avenue for change when no one thought change was possible. Solving problems and getting big things accomplished in partnership with the community will continue to be my approach if I am fortunate enough to be elected.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Be yourself. Everyone else is taken.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

Conventional wisdom would have you believe that people grow more conservative with age. Yet, I have done the exact opposite. In fact, raising a family has sharpened my view that government can and should play a role in breaking down barriers, facilitating opportunity, and protecting the most vulnerable in our society. It has made me consider the generational compact, and how threats like climate change and the national scandal of income inequality will permanently and negatively impact the quality of life for our children and theirs.

I entered parenthood with a host of advantages, thanks to my family's education, income, and race. As the challenges added up—routine challenges, mostly—I was struck by how American society makes it incredibly difficult for people to raise healthy families—from the cost of health care and child care to the paucity of paid family leave and equal pay. Educational opportunities are delivered by zip code and bank accounts. The American Dream feels more like a lottery than it did when I was a kid.

I view my role as state representative as legislating, advocating, speaking up for the policies and programs that will place that dream back in easier reach of Marblehead, Swampscott, and Lynn families, especially those still struggling on the margins of society. I have a track record of getting things done for our community, and I will bring the same creativity, intelligence, commitment, and passion to Beacon Hill.