Melissa Smith (Massachusetts)
From Ballotpedia
This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.
Melissa Smith (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Massachusetts House of Representatives to represent the 4th Norfolk District. She lost in the Democratic primary on September 1, 2020.
Smith completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Melissa Smith earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Georgia in 1996. She earned a master's degree from Northern Arizona University in 2005. She earned a Ph.D. from Georgia State University in 2010. Smith's career experience includes working as a retail consultant.[1]
Elections
2020
See also: Massachusetts House of Representatives elections, 2020
General election
General election for Massachusetts House of Representatives 4th Norfolk District
Incumbent James Murphy defeated Paul Rotondo and Dominic Giannone III in the general election for Massachusetts House of Representatives 4th Norfolk District on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | James Murphy (D) | 64.7 | 16,257 |
| Paul Rotondo (R) | 30.3 | 7,622 | ||
 | Dominic Giannone III (Workers Party) | 5.0 | 1,247 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 20 | ||
| Total votes: 25,146 | |||
 = 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 4th Norfolk District
Incumbent James Murphy defeated Melissa Smith in the Democratic primary for Massachusetts House of Representatives 4th Norfolk District on September 1, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | James Murphy | 67.4 | 6,401 |
 | Melissa Smith | 32.5 | 3,082 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 8 | ||
| Total votes: 9,491 | |||
| = 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 4th Norfolk District
Paul Rotondo advanced from the Republican primary for Massachusetts House of Representatives 4th Norfolk District on September 1, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Paul Rotondo | 99.2 | 2,049 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.8 | 17 | ||
| Total votes: 2,066 | |||
| = 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
Melissa Smith completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Smith's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
| Collapse all
I'm a mom, an active member of many civic organizations, a PhD, a Democrat, and a former consultant. I am running to bring transparency, accountability, and accessibility to the State House, and to help pass common sense legislation which ensures that everyone has the opportunity to thrive. I am keenly interested in women's health, education, the environment, housing, transportation, and civil rights. I believe that government should prioritize the health and well-being of people above all else, and I believe that a government for the people brings people to the table to help solve our most pressing problems. The people of 4th Norfolk deserve to have a voice on Beacon Hill, and I intend to make room for all of us to be heard.
- I'm running to make your voice heard on Beacon Hill.
- I believe the government should prioritize the health and well-being of people above all else.
- Government officials should be transparent, easily accessible, willing to talk, and care deeply about those they serve.
If there is anything this pandemic has shown us, it's that we must look out for each other in a coordinated, consistent, and reliable way. For ourselves, our children, and our future, we have all the building blocks of a stronger society in the Commonwealth right now. We have the wherewithal to build a social safety net that includes full healthcare coverage for all. We have the education and experience to address climate change. We know what it will take to ensure the trains run on time, that people are paid fair wages, and that homes are available and affordable to everyone. Massachusetts can make real progress toward a better day if we just try.
I'm friendly, approachable, do my utmost to be transparent about my motivations and opinions, and I am a tireless advocate on behalf of people. I am willing to sit down with most anyone and talk through problems, solutions, legislation, and all else.
Elected officials must recognize that they serve at the will of the people, and be willing to engage with all their constituents, whether they agree with them or not. An elected official must be an advocate for, and not just a sponsor of, legislation. Controversy is ok. Shrinking to avoid public discussion is not.
I remember going with my grandparents to vote for Jimmy Carter in 1980. I was still in kindergarten, but I remember feeling like we were doing something incredibly important. And I remember the next day when my parents and grandparents pretended like the world would be ok with Reagan as president. When Trump was elected 4 years ago, I tried to convince my 5-year-old of the same thing.
Twain's Innocents Abroad is useful in about a million ways in understanding who we are and why we're here and what we need to fix.
Guns N Roses's Paradise City was just on the radio. It's one I had on a cassingle and listened to over and over as a teenager. I'm still up for a trip to Paradise City.
It's beneficial for state legislators to have lobbied or testified or closely followed the legislative process, but I don't think it's necessary that they hold office before running for a state seat. The processes aren't rocket science, and the usual argument that having established relationships is necessary for anything to get done is empty. In Mass, we have few challenges to incumbents ever, which means that there are many long-standing relationships, and still, we can't pass common sense legislation like The Healthy Youth Act, which would guarantee that public school students learn sex ed from a scientifically-accurate curriculum. A background rich in civics education is important for incoming legislators, but a prior office is not. Passing meaningful legislation requires a willingness to engage the public and bring them to the table to find solutions.
We're up against environmental crises, healthcare crises, housing crises, transportation crises, education crises, and more. The greatest challenge will be in bringing people together to solve these problems, and the unwillingness of our state legislature to be transparent and accessible makes such challenges almost insurmountable. I'd say our greatest challenge will be convincing legislators to talk to the people, invite their criticism, engage with them even when they disagree, and do their utmost to find a common ground. Unless we have the public on our side, coming together over a common solution, meeting the major challenges of the 21st century will be impossible.
I've talked to a lot of voters over the past year who feel incredibly disenfranchised and disconnected from what goes on in state government. It's too hard to follow what is happening on Beacon Hill, it's nearly impossible to feel like you have a voice in the process, and it's not worth the time spent lobbying members if they're just going to ignore your efforts. Too few voters know what is possible at the state level, and many feel like Mass is helpless as long as Trump is the president. Yesterday, I talked to a guy who pleaded with me to just do anything progressive when I get there. In a state as blue as Mass, he wondered, why haven't we separated healthcare from employment yet? This, for him, is the most critical issue, especially given all that the pandemic has revealed about the flaws in the current system. As people lose their jobs, why aren't we stepping in to ensure that people have health coverage regardless of their employment status? The urgency in his voice deepened my commitment on this issue. We must regard healthcare as a human right, and take legislative action to ensure that no one avoids seeing a doctor for a financial reason. Right now it's clearer than ever that this is a critical move.
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.
See also
2020 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on July 21, 2020
Current members of the Massachusetts House of Representatives
Leadership
Speaker of the House:Ronald Mariano
Majority Leader:Michael Moran
Representatives
Barnstable, Dukes, and Nantucket District
Thomas Moakley (D)
1st Barnstable District
Chris Flanagan (D)
1st Berkshire District
John Barrett (D)
1st Bristol District
Michael Chaisson (R)
1st Essex District
Dawne Shand (D)
1st Franklin District
Natalie Blais (D)
1st Hampden District
Todd Smola (R)
1st Hampshire District
Lindsay Sabadosa (D)
1st Middlesex District
1st Norfolk District
Bruce Ayers (D)
1st Plymouth District
Michelle Badger (D)
1st Suffolk District
Adrian Madaro (D)
1st Worcester District
2nd Barnstable District
Kip Diggs (D)
2nd Berkshire District
2nd Bristol District
James Hawkins (D)
2nd Essex District
Kristin Kassner (D)
2nd Franklin District
Susannah Whipps (U)
2nd Hampden District
Brian Ashe (D)
2nd Hampshire District
Homar Gomez (D)
2nd Middlesex District
James Arciero (D)
2nd Norfolk District
Tackey Chan (D)
2nd Plymouth District
John Gaskey (R)
2nd Suffolk District
Daniel Ryan (D)
2nd Worcester District
Jonathan Zlotnik (D)
3rd Barnstable District
David Vieira (R)
3rd Berkshire District
Leigh Davis (D)
3rd Bristol District
Lisa Field (D)
3rd Essex District
Andy Vargas (D)
3rd Hampden District
Nicholas Boldyga (R)
3rd Hampshire District
Mindy Domb (D)
3rd Middlesex District
Kate Hogan (D)
3rd Norfolk District
Ronald Mariano (D)
3rd Plymouth District
Joan Meschino (D)
3rd Suffolk District
Aaron Michlewitz (D)
3rd Worcester District
4th Barnstable District
Hadley Luddy (D)
4th Bristol District
Steven Howitt (R)
4th Essex District
Estela Reyes (D)
4th Hampden District
Kelly Pease (R)
4th Middlesex District
4th Norfolk District
James Murphy (D)
4th Plymouth District
4th Suffolk District
David Biele (D)
4th Worcester District
Natalie Higgins (D)
5th Barnstable District
Steven Xiarhos (R)
5th Bristol District
Justin Thurber (R)
5th Essex District
5th Hampden District
Patricia Duffy (D)
5th Middlesex District
David Linsky (D)
5th Norfolk District
Mark Cusack (D)
5th Plymouth District
David DeCoste (R)
5th Suffolk District
5th Worcester District
6th Bristol District
Carole Fiola (D)
6th Essex District
Hannah Bowen (D)
6th Hampden District
Michael Finn (D)
6th Middlesex District
Priscila Sousa (D)
6th Norfolk District
William Galvin (D)
6th Plymouth District
Kenneth Sweezey (R)
6th Suffolk District
Russell Holmes (D)
6th Worcester District
John Marsi (R)
7th Bristol District
Alan Silvia (D)
7th Essex District
Manny Cruz (D)
7th Hampden District
Aaron Saunders (D)
7th Middlesex District
Jack Lewis (D)
7th Norfolk District
Richard Wells (D)
7th Plymouth District
Alyson Sullivan (R)
7th Suffolk District
Chynah Tyler (D)
7th Worcester District
Paul Frost (R)
8th Bristol District
Steven Ouellette (D)
8th Essex District
Jenny Armini (D)
8th Hampden District
Shirley Arriaga (D)
8th Middlesex District
8th Norfolk District
Edward Philips (D)
8th Plymouth District
Dennis Gallagher (D)
8th Suffolk District
Jay Livingstone (D)
8th Worcester District
Michael Soter (R)
9th Bristol District
9th Essex District
Donald Wong (R)
9th Hampden District
Orlando Ramos (D)
9th Middlesex District
Thomas Stanley (D)
9th Norfolk District
Marcus Vaughn (R)
9th Plymouth District
Bridget Plouffe (D)
9th Suffolk District
John Moran (D)
9th Worcester District
David Muradian (R)
10th Bristol District
Mark Sylvia (D)
10th Essex District
Dan Cahill (D)
10th Hampden District
Carlos Gonzalez (D)
10th Middlesex District
John Lawn (D)
10th Norfolk District
Jeffrey Roy (D)
10th Plymouth District
Michelle DuBois (D)
10th Suffolk District
Bill MacGregor (D)
10th Worcester District
Brian Murray (D)
11th Bristol District
11th Essex District
Sean Reid (D)
11th Hampden District
Bud Williams (D)
11th Middlesex District
Amy Sangiolo (D)
11th Norfolk District
Paul McMurtry (D)
11th Plymouth District
Rita Mendes (D)
11th Suffolk District
Judith García (D)
11th Worcester District
Hannah Kane (R)
12th Bristol District
Norman Orrall (R)
12th Essex District
Thomas Walsh (D)
12th Hampden District
Angelo Puppolo (D)
12th Middlesex District
Greg Schwartz (D)
12th Norfolk District
John Rogers (D)
12th Plymouth District
Kathleen LaNatra (D)
12th Suffolk District
Brandy Oakley (D)
12th Worcester District
Meghan Kilcoyne (D)
13th Bristol District
Antonio Cabral (D)
13th Essex District
Sally Kerans (D)
13th Middlesex District
Carmine Gentile (D)
13th Norfolk District
Joshua Tarsky (D)
13th Suffolk District
Daniel Hunt (D)
13th Worcester District
John Mahoney (D)
14th Bristol District
Adam Scanlon (D)
14th Essex District
Adrianne Ramos (D)
14th Middlesex District
Simon Cataldo (D)
14th Norfolk District
Alice Peisch (D)
14th Suffolk District
Rob Consalvo (D)
14th Worcester District
James O'Day (D)
15th Essex District
Ryan Hamilton (D)
15th Middlesex District
Michelle Ciccolo (D)
15th Norfolk District
Tommy Vitolo (D)
15th Suffolk District
Sam Montaño (D)
15th Worcester District
Mary Keefe (D)
16th Essex District
16th Middlesex District
Rodney Elliott (D)
16th Suffolk District
Jessica Giannino (D)
16th Worcester District
Daniel Donahue (D)
17th Essex District
Frank Moran (D)
17th Middlesex District
Vanna Howard (D)
17th Suffolk District
Kevin Honan (D)
17th Worcester District
David LeBoeuf (D)
18th Essex District
Tram Nguyen (D)
18th Middlesex District
Tara Hong (D)
18th Suffolk District
Michael Moran (D)
18th Worcester District
Joseph McKenna (R)
19th Middlesex District
19th Suffolk District
Jeffrey Turco (D)
19th Worcester District
Kate Donaghue (D)
20th Middlesex District
Bradley Jones (R)
21st Middlesex District
Kenneth Gordon (D)
22nd Middlesex District
Marc Lombardo (R)
23rd Middlesex District
Sean Garballey (D)
24th Middlesex District
David Rogers (D)
25th Middlesex District
Marjorie Decker (D)
26th Middlesex District
Mike Connolly (D)
27th Middlesex District
28th Middlesex District
Joseph McGonagle (D)
29th Middlesex District
Steven Owens (D)
30th Middlesex District
Richard Haggerty (D)
31st Middlesex District
Michael Day (D)
32nd Middlesex District
33rd Middlesex District
Steven Ultrino (D)
34th Middlesex District
Christine Barber (D)
35th Middlesex District
Paul Donato (D)
36th Middlesex District
Colleen Garry (D)
37th Middlesex District
Danillo Sena (D)
Democratic Party (134)
Republican Party (25)
Unenrolled (1)
