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Christina Eckert

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This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.
Christina Eckert
Image of Christina Eckert
Elections and appointments
Last election

November 3, 2020

Education

Bachelor's

Harvard University

Graduate

UCLA

Personal
Profession
Nonprofit management
Contact

Christina Eckert (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Massachusetts House of Representatives to represent the 2nd Essex District. She lost in the general election on November 3, 2020.

Biography

Christina Eckert earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Harvard University in 1985 and a masters of fine arts in screen writing from UCLA in 1989. Her professional experience includes working as a television writer and nonprofit management. Her organizational affiliations include the Masconomet Education Foundation and Boxford Recreation Committee.[1]

Elections

2020

See also: Massachusetts House of Representatives elections, 2020

General election

General election for Massachusetts House of Representatives 2nd Essex District

Incumbent Leonard Mirra defeated Christina Eckert in the general election for Massachusetts House of Representatives 2nd Essex District on November 3, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Leonard Mirra
Leonard Mirra (R) Candidate Connection
 
51.3
 
15,026
Image of Christina Eckert
Christina Eckert (D)
 
48.7
 
14,272
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.1
 
19

Total votes: 29,317
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Massachusetts House of Representatives 2nd Essex District

Christina Eckert advanced from the Democratic primary for Massachusetts House of Representatives 2nd Essex District on September 1, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Christina Eckert
Christina Eckert
 
99.4
 
8,481
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.6
 
48

Total votes: 8,529
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Massachusetts House of Representatives 2nd Essex District

Incumbent Leonard Mirra advanced from the Republican primary for Massachusetts House of Representatives 2nd Essex District on September 1, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Leonard Mirra
Leonard Mirra Candidate Connection
 
99.3
 
3,008
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.7
 
20

Total votes: 3,028
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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2018

See also: Massachusetts House of Representatives elections, 2018

General election

General election for Massachusetts House of Representatives 2nd Essex District

Incumbent Leonard Mirra defeated Christina Eckert in the general election for Massachusetts House of Representatives 2nd Essex District on November 6, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Leonard Mirra
Leonard Mirra (R)
 
50.7
 
11,588
Image of Christina Eckert
Christina Eckert (D) Candidate Connection
 
49.3
 
11,264
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.1
 
12

Total votes: 22,864
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Massachusetts House of Representatives 2nd Essex District

Christina Eckert advanced from the Democratic primary for Massachusetts House of Representatives 2nd Essex District on September 4, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Christina Eckert
Christina Eckert Candidate Connection
 
100.0
 
3,311

Total votes: 3,311
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Massachusetts House of Representatives 2nd Essex District

Incumbent Leonard Mirra advanced from the Republican primary for Massachusetts House of Representatives 2nd Essex District on September 4, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Leonard Mirra
Leonard Mirra
 
100.0
 
2,607

Total votes: 2,607
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Campaign themes

2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Christina Eckert did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.

Ballotpedia contacted Eckert in 2020 with questions regarding current events. The questions appear in bold and are followed by Eckert's responses. Eckert answered the following question as of September 1, 2020.

Who should decide when and how Massachusetts schools open for in-person instruction? What factors should be considered in making that decision?

The decision of when and how to re-open Massachusetts schools should be made together by the Department of Public Health, local Boards of Health, school administration, faculty, the families of students and all others who have stake in our schools. There is no one-size-fits-all solution to this challenge and each community will have to work together to come to an equitable decision that is safe and responsible for all students, families, and faculty. We still have no idea of the severity of the risks that they will be taking and there must be a fully remote option for families and teachers who cannot take those risks due to pre-existing conditions. Factors to take into consideration include, but are not limited to, the prevalence of COVID in the school district, the vulnerability of the population, the ventilation in the school building, the ability to separate students an appropriate distance, the availability of PPE, the availability of rapid and accurate testing, and the ability of the school district to pay for all of the necessary accommodations. Also the availability of teachers, especially if many choose early retirement, which would only increase class size and decrease appropriate distancing.[2]

2018

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Candidate Connection

Christina Eckert completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Eckert's responses.

What would be your top three priorities, if elected?

1. Funding Public Education 2. Cleaning the Merrimack River 3. Pushing for Massachusetts to become a leader in clean, renewable energy

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

As the product of public schools and the mother of 3 children, I'm passionate about public education. I've volunteered in the schools, I've been a substitute teacher, and I've seen how important a good education is for our children. I'm also passionate about the environment. Again, as a mother, I want to provide my children -- and everyone's children -- with clean air and clean water. And I don't want to lose our coastal communities to a rise in sea level due to climate change.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

I've been an active volunteer for many years, and there have been many dedicated volunteers who inspire me. The people who give their precious time to school boards, to environmental causes, to children's charities, all inspire me to match their commitment.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

It's most important for an elected official to listen to their constitutents, understand their needs and concerns, and act to address them.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I work hard. I will find a way to attack a problem, and I won't give up till that problem is solved.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

1. Improve government so that it serves the people and protects the most vulnerable. 2. Identify the needs of their constituency, and address those needs.

What legacy would you like to leave?

1. Strengthening public education for all types of learners. 2. Playing a role in fixing our healthcare system. 3. Leaving a cleaner, healthier planet to our children and our children's children.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

I grew up in the era of the Vietnam War. Nixon resigned when I was about 10.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

I worked at Burger King for $2.90 an hour. It was supposed to be a summer job but I kept working there for a year because I liked the income. (My parents did not give me an allowance.) I then moved on to work at Friendly's, where I got to earn tips.

What is your favorite book? Why?

When I was young I loved a book called Rebecca's War by Ann Finlayson. It's historical fiction about a young woman in occupied Philadelphia during the Revolutionary War. She finds a way to fight, right under the noses of the British.

What is your favorite thing in your home or apartment? Why?

My favorite thing in my home is my family.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Brynn Elliott's "Might Not Like Me"

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

When I first went out to LA to work in the entertainment industry, I had to struggle to get my first job. I did any work I could find, including telemarketing -- I hated telemarketing. I was thrilled to get my first job as a production assistant, and worked 7 days a week for my first month on that job. My boss was pretty demanding, but I was willing to do the work.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

I think our forefathers set up our government so that people of all backgrounds/life experiences could serve in government.

What do you perceive to be your state’s greatest challenges over the next decade?

It's all tied together: transportation, clean environment, housing. We need an overall plan to increase mass transportation, create housing with access to mass transportation -- and that can help cut down on the emissions that are polluting our air -- as well as improve the economy.

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and the state legislature?

I think they should work together well.

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.

It's essential to build relationships with other legislators. It's the only way to foster agreement on issues and get things done.

If you are not a current legislator, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

Education, Transportation, and Ways and Means

Is there a particular legislator, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

I admire current reps Lori Ehrlich and Marjorie Decker, because they fight for important legislation.

Are you interested in running for a different political office (for example, the U.S. Congress or governor) in the future?

No.

Both sitting legislators and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

For the past 3 months, several locked-out gasworkers have been working on my campaign. National Grid locked them out and cut off their health insurance on July 1. They've told me stories about health issues that would break your heart. They've also told me about safety violations that the replacement workers are committing. They are good at what they do, and they are chomping at the bit to get back to work. It makes me want to fight even harder for them.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Ballotpedia biographical submission form

The candidate completed Ballotpedia's biographical information submission form:

What is your political philosophy?

I chose to run for State Representative because I want to use my knowledge and experience to serve our district. I plan to emphasize public education funding, including Circuit Breaker and regional school transportation; to pursue a more robust clean energy bill; and to take on the high cost of healthcare and of higher education.[2]

—Christina Eckert[1]

See also


External links

Footnotes

  1. 1.0 1.1 Information submitted on Ballotpedia’s biographical information submission form on August 19, 2018
  2. 2.0 2.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.


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