I’m running for State Rep with a record of turning our values into policy
To learn more about what we’ve accomplished for Somerville, click here.
I was elected to the Somerville City Council in 2017, on a platform of housing affordability, economic justice, and good government. In the years since, we have delivered real results.
But despite everything we have accomplished in Somerville, the challenges we face require fundamental changes at the State level. That’s why I’m running for State Rep: to work towards the transformational policies that will build an affordable, sustainable, and just future.
Here in Somerville, we have passed one of the most progressive affordable housing agendas in Massachusetts. We created the Somerville Community Land Trust, passed Somerville’s Affordable Housing Overlay District, and helped create policies to protect tenants and create new housing. These policies have directly led to the creation of hundreds of new affordable homes, and have helped keep Somerville residents in their homes. At the State House, we will fight to build more affordable homes, to stabilize rents, and keep people in their homes.
We have stood with grassroots organizations in their fight to win the first-ever Community Benefits Agreements and Project Labor Agreement in Somerville history. These secured big wins for unionized workers, for affordable housing, and for local businesses. We’ve worked to make sure big developers pay their fair share, increasing linkage fees to raise millions for affordable housing and good jobs. At the State House, we will fight for well-paying, dignified green jobs, workers rights, and economic justice.
At a time when civil rights and protections from government overreach have never been more important, we helped lead Somerville to become the first City in Massachusetts to ban facial recognition technology, and to ensure public oversight of all surveillance technology. At the State House, we will fight against invasive surveillance technologies, and we will protect your right to privacy and your ability to exercise your constitutionally protected rights.
In Somerville, we have led policies to make our streets safer, to expand the T and make our buses run faster, and to make our environment cleaner. At the State House, we will work to scale up all of these efforts to have excellent mass transit and safe streets.
The challenges we face are enormous, but I’ve seen the progress we can make when we work together to take on special interests and fight for the common good.
“Ben has fought tirelessly for more inclusive housing policies, greater accountability for law enforcement, climate justice, and more…He has shown the determination and leadership to get things done for the people of Somerville.”
- Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, in her 2021 city council endorsement
“Councilor Ewen-Campen is putting Somerville on a different path, and we should all be grateful for his leadership.”
- ACLU of Massachusetts
“This is Ben Ewen-Campen - a moral pillar of our group.”
- This American Life
The Democratic Primary is Tuesday, September 1
I’m asking for your vote
to continue our work on Beacon Hill.
Learn more about Ben here.
“I know we can accomplish great things together because I’ve seen it happen in Somerville. Sometimes, this means going toe-to-toe with big developers and special interests. Other times it means sitting at the table with people with different views to come to an agreement. Somerville deserves a Representative who will do whatever it takes to get things done for all of us.”
Watch Ben’s City Council President Inaugural Speech from 2024 - a “science fair project”:
Paid for by the Committee to Elect Ben Ewen-Campen