Massachusetts Teachers Association Drops Higgins Endorsement Following Melrose Override Comments
By Ellen Putnam
Jay Higgins
Photo Credit: Nancy Clover
In an unusual move, the Massachusetts Teachers Association (MTA) this month dropped their endorsement of Jay Higgins, who is running to be Melrose’s next state representative.
Melrose voters will be choosing between two Democratic candidates in the primary election on Tuesday, September 1st. There are no Republican or unenrolled candidates in the race, so the candidate who wins the primary election will be uncontested in the general election in November.
Higgins, who lives in Malden and works for Congresswoman Katherine Clark, is running against former Melrose City Council President Leila Migliorelli. Higgins and Migliorelli both expressed their support for more state funding for education in their campaign materials and in their interviews with The Melrose Messenger. Higgins was endorsed this spring by Malden Mayor Gary Christenson, who recently put forward an override vote in his own city.
Last month, Higgins posted a video on his Instagram account in which he stated: “My opponent has already shown that she has a track record of raising taxes.” Specifically, he said, “My opponent is the lead architect of the Melrose Proposition 2½ override vote that was forced through last year and raised the property taxes of every single resident in Melrose.”
Migliorelli was one of two city councilors who served on the Financial Task Force that proposed the three override tiers that Melrose residents voted on last year. She was serving as City Council President when the City Council approved the override questions Mayor Jen Grigoriatis had proposed, placing them on the ballot. Migliorelli did not hold a leadership role on the Yes for Melrose override campaign, although she did volunteer on the campaign.
Melrose voters approved the top tier override amount, 54% to 46%, in an election that had 52% turnout among registered voters.
Speaking in the video about his own plans, Higgins said: “My pledge to you, if I am elected, is I won’t raise taxes on middle class families. I won’t raise taxes on working people.”
Following the publication of the video, the MTA, which had previously endorsed Higgins, withdrew their endorsement, and do not currently endorse either candidate in the race for Melrose’s state representative. They still endorse Ryan O’Malley, who is running against Kate Lipper-Garabedian and Carey McDonald to represent Melrose in the state senate.
Leslie Means, left, and Mary Caddle
Photo From Melrose Educators Union
Leslie Means, the President of the Melrose Educators Union, which belongs to the MTA, stated:
“The Melrose Educators Union and the MTA worked tirelessly last year with caregivers, students, elected leaders, and community stakeholders to pass a historic override for Melrose. For years Melrose schools have been starving for adequate funding and the override was an important step forward to addressing that crisis. The state house needs to take action and do its job to give Melrose and public schools throughout the state more funding and resources at the state level as well so it’s not just on the backs of locals.”
“Education workers in Melrose cannot support a candidate for state rep who does not recognize the necessity for the override here in Melrose as well as the need for significantly more support from Beacon Hill for our schools. Jay Higgins lost education workers support because he clearly doesn't understand the urgency or needs of our families, students, and workers. The MEU and MTA are proud of the override last year and the transformative and positive changes it has already brought to our school community.”
Mary Caddle, one of the co-chairs of the Yes For Melrose campaign stated:
“The hundreds of Yes for Melrose volunteers, including myself, didn't support the override because we love paying more taxes. Our community had dealt with two years of brutal cuts to already lean operations in education, public safety, senior services, and so much more. An override was the only route available to stabilize Melrose's finances. The City Council at the time unanimously supported it, and the majority of voters did too.”
Higgins shared the following statement in response to the MTA’s decision to drop its endorsement:
“I was extremely honored and humbled to earn the endorsement of the MTA, and I’m extremely disappointed that we have parted ways over a disagreement about how to fund our public schools. I’m running for State Representative to make Massachusetts more affordable for middle class families who are currently being priced out of our state. I fully support funding our public schools. I’ll work to make sure we have the resources necessary by fighting to make the wealthiest among us pay their fair share, not by raising taxes on the struggling middle class.”
