Candidate Profile: Lisa Gordon, Ward 6 Newton City Council

NEWTON, MA — Lisa Gordon is running against incumbents Alicia Bowman and Victoria Danberg for Ward 6 Councilor-At-Large. There are 20 people vying for the 16 Councilor-At-Large seats on the Newton City Council in the Nov. 2 municipal election, as well as contested races for Ward Councilor, mayor, and school committee.

Newton Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles this week.

Gordon is an executive director and has 29 years of leadership experience. She holds a Bachelor's degree from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Are you running for office in Newton? Contact Annie Sandoli at annie.sandoli@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate profile and submitting campaign announcements to Newton Patch.

Campaign website

https://lisagordonfornewton.co...

Age (as of Election Day)

53

Position Sought

Councilor At-Large, Ward 6 - All of Newton may vote for me

Party Affiliation

Democratic

Family

Ken Gordon, Shoshi Gordon (19), Ari Gordon (16)

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education

BA University of Massachusetts, Amherst

Occupation

Executive Director, 29 years of leadership roles

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

N/A

Why are you seeking elective office?

I am running for Ward 6 Councilor-At-Large (all of Newton may vote for me) because Newton is a wonderful place to live, but we face big challenges and I believe I can do a better job than the incumbents in providing the leadership our city needs.

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

As I've been knocking on doors and talking to voters, I'm hearing many concerns about the state of our roads, the state of our sidewalks, and the state of our athletic fields. As a city councilor I will be a strong advocate for putting the resources into our roads, sidewalks, athletic fields, and lighting to get repairs done faster. And this includes getting trees planted as well. That means spending money at times appropriately and carefully. Newton is receiving $63 million in COVID funds, I think we should be applying a significant portion of that toward our streets.

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

My opponents missed an opportunity to support our athletic fields by abstaining on a vote to put extra funds into fields.

I believe that all residents must be treated with respect and that points of view, that may not align with mine, should be respected and listened and represented

I will hold developers accountable and push back to get the best projects for Newton that work with our neighborhoods and current residents.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)

We need bold action to help the neediest among us by developing truly affordable units in partnership with non-profit organizations — rather than continuing the failed policy of letting for-profit developers build as many monster houses as they can squeeze into a lot, which does nothing to create affordable housing.

How do you think local officials performed in responding to the coronavirus? What if anything would you have done differently?

The City Council did a good job of reflecting residents and parent’s concern over getting our kids into school. The city could have done better with reaching out to seniors when vaccines became available, and we should have signed on to administer vaccines from day one. We did catch up with partnerships of Covid-19 Vaccine locations. These facilities stepped up to help our community.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

Preserving the Garden City - I will advocate for investments in trees, parks, and open space, so we keep Newton “The Garden City.”

Putting residents first - Developers are making too many of the decisions about Newton’s future. I will put residents first because as your Councilor, I work for you.

Prioritizing Infrastructure - I will prioritize funding for roads, sidewalks, and fields to ensure they are safe for residents of all ages. I will invest in traffic mitigation and improving public transportation.

I will always be a collaborative voice to build consensus around solutions to address these issues. I will work hard to ensure that Newton remains welcoming to residents and newcomers at all income levels while keeping what we love about "The Garden City."

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

Since my early twenties I’ve held leadership positions in both for-profit and non-profit organizations. I’ve acquired the skills to work on difficult negotiations with a variety of people and backgrounds. I worked on anti-racist campaigns for 10 years and understand economic disparity firsthand. I know how to listen and bring different opinions to consensus to get the best outcomes for all.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

After my daughter was born at the Brigham and Women’s hospital in Boston, I must have been concerned about something, as so many new mothers are, and one of the nurses, who happened to be a Newton resident, said to me “don’t waste your worries.” Life is too short to be consumed by trivia, know what matters and how best to spend your time. I try to live up to that every day.

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

I pledge that as your City Councilor, I will always listen to you and be respectful of your views — regardless of my own views. By keeping an open mind, I will help maintain a civil and respectful dialogue on the issues affecting the lives of Newton residents. We, in Newton, should not emulate the arrogance and divisiveness of Washington, DC. We can do better. And we must.