From My Corner by Dalia Diaz
Another Primary Election: Select Carefully
A couple of days ago, I received a message from Georgia at the Working Families Party asking for my opinion about Celina Reyes, who is running for State Representative in the 16th Essex District.
The timing was interesting. With incumbent State Representative Francisco Paulino now facing federal charges, this primary has taken on a different dimension. Paulino was arrested on August 26 and is accused by federal prosecutors of offenses involving pandemic-relief funds. Those allegations will be decided in court, but there is no question they have changed the political landscape of this race.
The Working Families Party message described Reyes this way: “Celina Reyes is a Lawrence City Council Member, union leader, and child educator who’s running for State Rep to fight for affordable housing, lower utility bills, and ensure community safety.”
I could have simply deleted the message. Instead, I read it carefully. It sounded remarkably similar to the oversized campaign literature that has been arriving in mailboxes—full of broad promises and impressive-sounding descriptions. So, let’s take these claims one at a time.
1. Yes, Celina Reyes is a Lawrence City Councilor.
That part is not in dispute. The City of Lawrence lists Celina Reyes as an at-large City Councilor, and she is also listed as a member of the Council’s Public Safety Committee. But being elected to office is only part of the question. Voters should also ask what an elected official has accomplished while in office.
How often has she attended City Council meetings? How often has she participated in debates? How many motions or initiatives has she introduced? How has she voted on the major issues facing Lawrence? What legislation has she helped advance? Those are measurable questions, and voters deserve measurable answers.
Reyes’s own campaign website says she will be a State Representative who “shows up” to meetings, hearings, and votes. That makes her own attendance and participation as a City Councilor particularly relevant to voters evaluating that promise.
If her attendance record is being criticized, the answer should not be based on someone’s impression of her performance. The City Council’s attendance records, meeting minutes, agendas, and video recordings should tell the story.
2. Yes, she is a union leader.
This claim also has a basis. Progressive Mass describes Reyes as a leader of her local SEIU 509 chapter, and a published leadership profile identifies her as president of the SEIU Local 509 Family Child Care Chapter. That is a legitimate part of her background. But voters should ask what that leadership has produced and what she intends to bring from that experience to Beacon Hill. A campaign biography can tell us what positions someone has held. It is more useful to examine what that person accomplished in those positions.
3. “Child educator” needs some context.
Reyes has a background in family childcare and education. Her campaign describes her as a family-run childcare provider, and a published profile describes her as an educator of family childcare. But there is an important distinction between describing someone’s professional background and suggesting that the work was volunteer community service.
If her work with Lawrence CommunityWorks is being presented as evidence of her community involvement, voters should know whether that work was employment, volunteer service, or both. There is nothing wrong with being a paid educator. In fact, being paid for one’s work is perfectly normal. The issue is whether campaign literature accurately describes the nature of that experience.
4. Affordable housing and lower rents
Reyes says she will fight to bring down housing and utility costs. Her campaign website says she wants to increase funding for affordable housing and expand homeownership opportunities. But what exactly can a State Representative do to lower someone’s rent?
That is a legitimate question for every candidate, not just Reyes. A State Representative cannot simply order landlords to lower rents. State laws, local zoning, construction costs, taxes, interest rates, supply and demand, subsidies, and many other factors affect housing costs. Candidates should explain specifically what legislation they would support, how much it would cost, who would pay for it, and how it would reduce housing costs for Lawrence and Methuen residents. Promises are easy. Results are harder.
5. Community safety
Reyes also says she wants to ensure community safety. Her campaign points to public safety, police-community relations, and expanded access to drug treatment as part of her platform. Again, voters should ask for specifics. What legislation would she support? What funding would she seek? What changes would she propose to improve public safety?
And perhaps most importantly: what has she accomplished in public safety during her time in the Lawrence City Council? These are reasonable questions because public safety is not merely a campaign slogan. It is one of government’s most important responsibilities.
6. Celina Reyes, Lina Montesino — Which Name Is Which?
This is where I believe voters deserve a clear explanation.
I have a copy of the Massachusetts registration for the childcare business associated with Celina Reyes. The business is registered under the name Celina Reyes. However, in the section identifying the contact person, it lists Lina Montesino. I didn’t find that on social media. It is not a rumor circulating on the street. It is a name appearing on a state document connected to the childcare business.
I asked her why she maintains Facebook pages under both Celina Reyes and Lina Montesino. She said people in the Dominican Republic know her as Lina Montesino. That may be her explanation, but it leaves an important question unanswered: When an elected official uses different names in different contexts, transparency matters most.
Trust in public office begins with being straightforward about who you are.
7. Who deserves credit for Lawrence’s new projects?
Reyes’s campaign website says that, as a City Councilor, she “built two schools” and “built a new police station.” That wording deserves scrutiny. Major public construction projects do not ordinarily appear overnight because one City Councilor decides to build them. They involve planning, funding, appropriations, design, bidding, construction, and years of work by numerous public officials and employees.
The question is not whether Reyes voted on or supported these projects. The question is: What specifically was her role? When was the project first proposed? Who secured the funding? Who sponsored the necessary legislation or appropriations? When did construction begin? What actions did Reyes personally take? And which portions of the project were already underway before she became a City Councilor?
8. Voters have a responsibility, too.
Voters have an excellent reason to look beyond campaign mailers and political endorsements. In the current edition of Rumbo, Lane Glenn, president of Northern Essex Community College, writes about empowering voters and the importance of civic engagement and informed decision-making. That discussion is particularly relevant during an election like this one.
We cannot complain about the quality of our elected officials if we select them based solely on slogans, photographs, endorsements, and promises. Candidates should be questioned. Their records should be examined. Their claims should be checked. And their promises should be compared with what they have accomplished.
Celina Reyes has supporters and organizations that have endorsed her. Those endorsements are part of the political process. But endorsement does not relieve voters of the responsibility to do their own homework.
Nor should voters reject a candidate simply because someone else criticizes them. The same standard should apply to every candidate in this primary.
Select carefully
This election is too important to be reduced to personalities or political slogans. Lawrence and Methuen need representatives who can explain what they have accomplished, what they intend to accomplish, and—perhaps most importantly—how they intend to do it.
If Celina Reyes wants to represent the 16th Essex District on Beacon Hill, she should welcome those questions. And voters should insist on answers. Do not vote because someone tells you a candidate is a “fighter.” Do not vote because a political organization sends you a glossy mailer.
Do not vote because a candidate promises to solve problems that are far more complicated than a campaign slogan suggests.
Ask questions. Check the records. Examine the promises. Then make your decision.