Chelsea School Committee member Roberto Jiménez Rivera launched his campaign for State Representative last week at a virtual event attended by over 90 people.
Among these were elected officials, community leaders, and residents from Everett and Chelsea. Also present were community organizers and advocates from across Massachusetts, as well as various friends and family members. Mr. Jiménez Rivera said, “I am proud of the grassroots coalition that we are building. It includes people who have been deeply involved in and committed to Chelsea and Everett for many years, as well as statewide advocates who have been our allies as we speak out on the issues that affect our district every day. We are all fighting for good jobs, reliable transit systems, housing that is affordable, and for a just pandemic recovery.”
During the event, Roberto introduced his campaign manager, Zayda Ortiz. A resident of Malden, Zayda worked in Chelsea for almost a decade as an MRI administrator at MRI Centers on Everett Ave. Originally from Texas and Oklahoma, she is a first-generation Mexican-American who has been organizing around immigration justice and racial equity for many years. She brings experience from multiple campaigns, most recently to elect her husband to the Malden School Committee. This week, Roberto was also excited to announce that by the end of January, the campaign had raised $35K. “The resources we are bringing together will ensure that we can reach every voter in our district, pay our staff a living wage, and keep our volunteers fed and hydrated throughout the year,” said Mr. Jiménez-Rivera. “I’m deeply grateful to our supporters and looking forward to the conversations we will be having throughout this campaign, listening to residents about the challenges we’re facing, and sharing our vision about how we will work together to fix them.”