Jay Livingstone for State Representative

Who am I?

Progressive activist Jay Livingstone is a candidate in the Democratic primary for State Representative in the Massachusetts 8th Suffolk District – including parts of Beacon Hill, Back Bay, West End, Cambridgeport, and MIT.

Raised in North Attleboro, MA, Jay Livingstone graduated from the University of Connecticut and George Washington University Law School. He has served as an assistant Attorney General in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and as an assistant district attorney for the Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office. A current resident of Beacon Hill, Jay is an employment discrimination and criminal defense attorney and adjunct professor at Northeastern Law School.

Jay has been a community activist and grassroots organizer in Boston for years and has led voter outreach and organizing efforts in communities throughout and beyond the 8th Suffolk District. He was a lead organizer for such independent progressive candidates as Elizabeth Warren, Deval Patrick, Mac D’Alessandro, and Suzanne Lee. A leadership member of Boston’s Ward 5 Democratic Committee, Jay is also a board member of the Beacon Hill Civic Association, and is clerk of its Zoning and Licensing Committee.

Why am I running?

I decided to run because this is one of the most progressive districts in Massachusetts. We deserve leaders who will stand up and fight for our progressive values. We deserve leaders who will fight for policies that make our community, and our Commonwealth, stronger.

In the Middlesex county DA's office, I came face to face with the consequences of poverty and lack of investment in our communities. Too many of the young people I encountered in the system were on the wrong track from early in life. Their parents struggled to make ends meet at low wage jobs. Their schools were among the worst in the county. Their streets were filled with foreclosed and abandoned homes. They had few successful adults in their lives to serve as role models and mentors.

I know we can do better than that. I believe that a compassionate and effective state government working in partnership with every community is essential to create opportunity for all our kids and families. I’m committed to that work, and that’s why I’m running.

My Goals

I would proudly co-sponsor "An Act to Invest in our Communities", which makes our tax code more progressive, and raises essential revenue from those who can most afford it while reducing taxes for lower income working families. We need a plan that raises $2 billion in new revenue.

Second, we need to fund our crucial priorities. In Massachusetts, we have chronically under-funded our transportation infrastructure for years, and have made severe cuts to human services and programs for needy families.

My DFA Values

I am with DFA on the core progressive values of community, security, and liberty. I support restoring funding to the crucial programs that bind our communities together and help the neediest among us. When I was in the Middlesex DA's office, I saw the effects of misguided cuts first-hand. Instead of getting the help they needed, kids from troubled families would end up in front of a prosecutor. They weren't given a fair shake and were thrown into a broken system. I am a strong believer in alternative energy and reducing our CO2 footprint. Right here in Massachusetts, I would proudly co-sponsor the updated bottle bill, to encourage recycling and reduce litter on our streets. I'm not afraid to stand up to the corporate lobbyists and big bottle / drink companies on this issue. Finally, when my Congressman, Stephen Lynch, voted against healthcare reform and expressed opposition to reproductive choice and freedom, I became a team leader for his progressive opponent, Mac D'Allesandro. I am an attorney in private practice, and my practice focuses on representing people who have been discriminated against at work. I am also a firm ally of the LGBT community, and have prosecuted perpetrators of hate crimes against members of the LGBT community and dealt with LGBT-targetted bullying among youth.

My Campaign is People Powered!

I have been inspired by the courage of progressive leaders like Mac D'Allesandro (DFA All-Star runner up) and Suzanne Lee (Boston City Council). I was a grassroots neighborhood team leader on both of those campaigns, and am running my campaign in that same spirit. I will personally be knocking on doors nearly every night in the coming weeks, and will have volunteers joining me. Finally, our volunteer team is pulling together house parties and events all across the district, especially with new voters in places like the West End, where we aren't able to canvass the large apartment units.

Voice support

29 people support this campaign.


About the Endorsement Process

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