I recently read Alison Leary’s response to a Ballotpedia question asking, “What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?” Her answer was: “Honesty, Accountability, Empathy, and Commitment.”
I wholeheartedly agree. Those are precisely the qualities I have seen consistently demonstrated by the candidate receiving my vote on September 1: Representative John Lawn.
I’m a senior who has worked since I was 16. I spent 32 years with the U.S. Postal Service, raised my daughter as a single mother, and returned to college in my late 40s while working full-time. I know something about persistence, and I value people who don’t simply make promises, but show up year after year and do the work.
The old adage “New friends are silver; old friends are gold” comes to mind. New candidates and promises of dramatic change can be enticing. But particularly in these volatile times, I believe experience, trusted relationships, and a proven record of commitment matter.
As a senior woman and alumna of both a women’s college and a girls’ high school, I take women’s leadership seriously. But I also believe we should judge candidates by the qualities Ms. Leary herself identified: honesty, accountability, empathy, and commitment. I ask that you join me in reelecting Representative John Lawn on September 1.
Rita Gibbons
Waltham (10th Middlesex District)