I got into this race because we need stronger leadership in the Senate. And if I thought that six months ago, I think it even more now. Here's why:

This virus has exposed what happens when communities in our Commonwealth are underserved and under-protected. Places like Chelsea and Brockton, disproportionately getting sick, going hungry, losing the people they love. Places like Springfield, forced to fight for its fair share of resources and protection. With everything we are up against - from COVID-19 to the daily wreckage of Donald J. Trump - our people cannot afford absent leadership.

Senator Markey isn't here enough. He isn't in Massachusetts enough. And in the months ahead, more than ever, we are going to need a Senator who will be on the ground - with us - as we recover and rebuild.

We are also going to need a Senator with the judgment this moment demands. Senator Markey does not have a record of good judgment in times of crisis. In the wake of 9/11, he voted to give us the Iraq War and the Patriot Act. In the midst of a substance use and public health epidemic in the '90s, he voted for a Crime Bill that locked people up instead of getting them well. At a time when our climate crisis was reaching an apex, when Democrats controlled all three chambers of government, he couldn't get a bill done on cap and trade. He voted present when President Obama asked Congress for war powers in Syria. He voted present again when Mitch McConnell brought the Green New Deal to the Senate floor.

Now, we face a crisis of unimaginable magnitude. And if you want to know what kind of leadership I will bring to this seat -- in contrast to Senator Markey -- just look at what we have done with our campaigns over the last month. I immediately suspended political activities and shifted to a digital operation focused on one thing: COVID-19. I paused fundraising for myself to raise nearly $100k for frontline organizations driving our response. I reoriented my entire volunteer and organizer network to make wellness calls and check in with seniors across the state. I have dedicated every inch of my time, my resources, and my staff to COVID-19.

Senator Markey didn't. That's the difference between us.

As your U.S. Senator, I will do better than the political status quo. I will do more than cast good votes or write good bills in Washington. I will show up on the frontlines in Massachusetts. I will fight in the trenches. I will listen, and I will lead.

Because that's what Massachusetts needs to get through this.

Joe

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