Boston mayor Michelle Wu has endorsed her former senior aide, Daniel Lander, in his campaign against Will Brownsberger for the Suffolk and Middlesex state Senate seat.
“I’ve been proud to work alongside Daniel to deliver for Boston families, and I know he’ll bring that same results-driven leadership to the state Senate,” Wu said in a statement Monday. “Daniel never backs down from a fight and he knows how to get things done. I’m confident he’ll be a champion for affordable housing, better transit and a stronger partnership between the state and our city.”
This is Lander’s second major endorsement in the past week. Senator Elizabeth Warren, whom Lander has also worked for, endorsed him Thursday.
The first-time candidate faces Brownsberger, a 14-year veteran of the Senate, in a Sept. 1 Democratic primary.
“I’m honored to earn the endorsement of mayor Michelle Wu. I’ve been grateful for her mentorship as we’ve worked together to make Boston a great place for everyone to call home,” Lander said in a press release.
Lander worked in Boston City Hall under Wu for more than four years before he announced his campaign in December. As a senior aide, he created the Boston Family Days program, which provides free access to museums and events across the city on certain weekends. He also pushed to get developers to build an affordable music rehearsal space and housing complex in Brighton, and helped speed up the permitting process for affordable housing construction.
Brownsberger said he was “not surprised” by the endorsement during a Monday interview.
Before this election cycle, Brownsberger, whose district covers West Cambridge, Allston, Brighton, Fenway, Belmont and Watertown, had not faced a primary challenger since 2014. He is the second senator who has publicly opposed Wu facing an opponent backed by her; this month, Wu supported Latoya Gayle, one of two candidates facing South Boston Democrat Nick Collins in the 1st Suffolk Race.
Collins and Brownsberger, who said he had a “strained” relationship with Wu, put themselves in her crosshairs when they opposed a tax shift she proposed that would have alleviated pressure on homeowners by raising taxes on commercial real estate temporarily. They co-sponsored an alternate homeowner protection bill that passed the Senate in January.
Politicians and outsiders have noted Wu’s attention to Beacon Hill over the past two years.
During a June 9 forum at the Berklee College of Music, Brownsberger reminded voters that the Legislature serves the entire state, not just Boston. “We are one Commonwealth, there are 351 cities and towns,” he said.
Lander said in a Sunday interview that if elected, he will represent all the communities in the Suffolk and Middlesex District, which may have different needs than those of Boston. He said that while he and Wu will advocate for affordability and improved public transportation, he knows there will be times he and his former boss will not see eye to eye. “I want to approach those moments collaboratively, thoughtfully, because at the core we have very similar goals,” Lander said.
Lander has centered his campaign around changing what he calls a “broken status quo” on Beacon Hill – and he calls Brownsberger its “architect.” He’s not alone in his frustrations: Voters have complained about the Legislature being less effective and transparent than in most states, and have criticized a lack of urgency in passing bills during Donald Trump’s second term. Lander has said that he will bring a sense of immediacy to the Legislature in the fight against Trump if he’s elected.
Lander has garnered public support from the Working Families Party, a handful of Cambridge and Watertown public officials, progressive organizations and labor unions. Brownsberger received the endorsements of governor Maura Healey, lieutenant governor Kim Driscoll and attorney general Andrea Campbell, among other state and local Democratic leaders.
About the race districts
The 2nd Middlesex (a state Senate seat held by Pat Jehlen, in the office since 2005 but is retiring) includes the cities of Somerville and Medford; and parts of Cambridge and Winchester. Sought by: Burhan Azeem, Christine Barber, Tom Hopcroft, Matt McLaughlin, Erika Uyterhoeven
The 24th Middlesex (a state House seat held by Dave Rogers, in the office since 2013) includes parts of North Cambridge and Arlington and all of Belmont. Sought by: Nomita Ganguly
The 25th Middlesex (a state House seat held by Marjorie Decker, in the office since 2013) includes the central slice of Cambridge, following Massachusetts Avenue from Central Square through Harvard Square and just past Porter Square. Sought by: Evan MacKay
The 26th Middlesex (a state House seat held by Mike Connolly, in the office since 2017) includes East Cambridge and East Somerville. Sought by: Neil Miller
The 27th Middlesex (a state House seat held by Erika Uyterhoeven, in the office since 2021 but running for Jehlen’s state Senate seat) includes much of Somerville. Sought by: Ben Ewen-Campen, Olivia Gilligan-Corsetti
The 34th Middlesex (a state House seat held by Christine Barber, in the office since 2015 but running for Jehlen’s state Senate seat) includes parts of Somerville and Medford. Sought by: Will Mbah, Christopher Oates, Paul Ruseau
The Suffolk and Middlesex (a state Senate seat held by Will Brownsberger, in office since 2009 and running for reelection) includes the cities of Watertown and Belmont and parts of Cambridge and Boston. Sought by: Daniel Lander, Brandon Wood
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