What follows are three statements released by prominent Massachusetts officials in the wake of Tuesday’s election
Senate President Karen Spilka
Massachusetts may be the home of American democracy, but it is also the community we call home—and I take the responsibility to protect our community—and its residents—very seriously. In Massachusetts, we will always uphold the right to respectfully disagree, speak our minds, worship the way we choose, be our true selves, and love who we love.
We have faced an anti-democratic presidency before, and we responded by doubling down on defending reproductive freedom, protecting the health care of all our residents regardless of gender or gender identity, strengthening voter protections, and creating comprehensive climate policy to protect our state—and our nation—from the devastating effects of climate change. The Massachusetts Senate stands ready to fight for the fundamental values our Commonwealth holds dear once again.
As we wait for our country to turn yet another page, we are reminded that Massachusetts is a Commonwealth—and we are all charged with the responsibility of caring for each other, regardless of background or political affiliation. We have been a leader and a model for our nation in so many ways throughout our long history. Now, more than ever, we must continue to be a light of democracy and justice for all.
House Speaker Ron Mariano
Time and time again, the Massachusetts House has endeavored to step up in the face of federal mismanagement, voting to expand rights that were otherwise being threatened, and always serving as a driving force behind forward-thinking solutions to our most pressing challenges. That is a role that will now be of heightened importance due to yesterday’s incredibly disappointing election results and the potential for decreased federal support.
At the same time, the Democratic Party must view this election not only as a wake up call, but also as an opportunity to renew our focus on the issues that drove voters across the country towards the Republican Party this year.
Brooke Thomson, CEO of Associated Industries of Massachusetts
As the sun rises on the day after the election, it is time to heed Abraham Lincoln’s words and “finish the work we are in to bind up the nation’s wounds.”
Our recent national elections have laid bare the fundamentally different world views of people who live in the same communities, send their children to the same schools, and work at the same companies.
But despite their divergent political outlooks, Americans ultimately share a deep and abiding vision of living in a nation at peace, raising their families in safety, and enjoying access to the nation’s prosperity.
Associated Industries of Massachusetts and its 3,400 member companies pledge to work with our elected officials to address the country’s challenges and ensure the promise of economic opportunity for all.
This is a pivotal moment for our nation. It is a moment for all of us to roll up our sleeves and get to work solving the seemingly intractable problems that confront us. Remember that government is not some distant and abstract entity but rather, in the words of Theodore Roosevelt, “the government is us, we are the government, you and I.”
The post Mass. officials reflect on the presidential election appeared first on CommonWealth Beacon.