Written by Maureen Dahill
The race for the First Suffolk Senate seat is underway and as a candidate, I know I can prove to voters that I am the right person for the job. I am a lifelong South Boston resident who has contributed to the welfare and well-being of my neighborhood. I am a political outsider and the work I have done for my neighborhood and this city has been for the purest of reasons. I did not enter this race to advance my political career. I entered this race because I believe I can make a difference for all of the people in the district. The dedication and passion I have demonstrated in my work in the community transcends neighborhood boundaries. Ultimately, we are all people who want to live in a safe and vibrant community.
In the three short days since announcing my candidacy, this race for the Senate seat seems to be heading toward an “us” versus “them” confrontation. We are lucky to live in a wonderfully diverse district that needs a senator that will not let us be defined by our differences, but rather united by our common challenges. We need a senator that will bridge our divides and lead us to face those challenges together, such as ensuring safe neighborhoods with clean parks and playgrounds and providing excellent schools where our children’s needs are met. We need a senator that will work with the community to insist on a good quality of life for our elderly citizens and make sure local businesses flourish.
I have received a generous outpouring of support and encouragement from many circles. I have also been pressured by some not to run for the seat held so successfully by Jack Hart, someone I admire. Maybe it’s because I am a woman with no political background or I could split a neighborhood vote. What I do know is those reasons give me conviction to charge forward and compete for the seat. Local media would also have us believe that Dorchester can’t wait to “take” the seat from Southie further provoking a divide. I have talked to voters in South Boston, Dorchester and Mattapan and they are excited about my candidacy. Boston has changed. The district has changed and our neighborhoods have changed. The district now includes Mattapan and Hyde Park, making it an extremely diverse community that reflects the amazing city that is Boston.
I am a working mother married to a Boston Firefighter and we understand the challenges of raising a family in the city. We have a teenage daughter at Boston Latin School and two sons in Catholic school. I did not take my decision to enter this race lightly. I am leaving a full-time job in the private sector, to pursue a career as a public servant because I believe I can make difference. I have a strong work ethic instilled in me by my father, a retired State Trooper, that challenges me to work hard and give my best effort every day. After graduating from Mount St. Joseph Academy in Brighton, I continued my education down the road at Boston College. After my daughter Grace was born, I went back to school and earned an MFA in Creative Writing from Emerson College while opening a vintage clothing store that won Boston Magazine’s Best of Boston Award in 2000. From being a small business owner, I realized the importance of volunteering and being actively involved with the local institutions and charities. I organized and supported numerous successful fundraisers for organizations including Julie’s Family Learning Program, The Laboure and Saint Peter Academy. In 2009, I founded the online neighborhood magazine, Caught in Southie, which has become a popular resource for the community as well as a vehicle for promoting small independent businesses. In 2010, I won the South Boston Citizens’ Association Jimmy Kelly Shamrock Award for my “dedication, leadership and steadfast commitment” to the community. Anyone that knows me or has worked with me in the community, understands that my commitment is tireless. These life experiences will help me navigate the political landscape of the First Suffolk District.
Before you pledge your vote or support to anyone, ask them what they have to offer the First Suffolk District. Do they face the same problems you and I do everyday? First in is not first to win. I look forward to meeting all of you in your neighborhoods and the opportunity to hear your concerns and ideas. From Mattapan Square, to Lower Mills, to Neponset, to Fields Corner, to Uphams Corner, to Savin Hill, to Andrew Square, to Fort Point, to the Waterfront to City Point, we all want the same from our elected officials; to move our communities forward. I urge voters in the First Suffolk District to vote for the candidate that you believe will best represent you and your families. It would be my honor and privilege to serve you.
24 Comments
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Absolutley! The other candidates have not sent us any press releases to this date. But we absolutley welcome them to use Caught in Southie as a neighborhood resource to get their message out as well! We have alway been fair and unbaised in all things politically related and offer all candidates the same opportunities.
Thanks for your question!
What a shame! Who knew a sense of humor was not allowed in politics? Perhaps the above commenter never watched the St. Patrick’s Day Breakfast. But, don’t vote for Dahill because she is a good dancer. Vote for her because she is the best candidate.
I do not believe we see half the comments that are sent in to this site. Going forward I think we will see a lot less.
The good, the bad, and the ugly.
aahhh just another reasonfor people to laugh at south boston!
good luck!
Are you running on a platform of reform or will you be yet another wind-up toy for the Senate President to tell how to vote?
That’s a lie. I have seen some pretty ugly comments you have allowed, and shouldn’t have, but I know I have posted comments before that magically didn’t appear…
You are thinking about the vast amount of mean comments section of “The rumors are true” This is a different article entitled “Why I am running?” Two separate articles. Still plenty of mean and unfair comments.
I can’t vote for anyone who did that to us.
Hey jj: Can you be more specific? What exactly do you mean by “who did that to us”. Do you have an absolute Political reason to dislike President Obama, or, are you just another Garden Variety Racist?
You said in the paper that you did not support the parade organisers and their Supreme Court win in saying who can and cannot march in their parade. Will you now flip flop and march. You said that it was an easy decision for Rep. Forry cuz she is from Dot. What message does that send to the rest of the Senate district. I can appreciate the fact that you have a family member that is gay. We all do. Its a celabration of heritage not sexual orientaion. Good luck I wish you well.
I had the good fortune of working with Maureen long ago when we were both young mothers in different professions. I had spent many years in the world of banking but shifted out of the rat race when my second child arrived. Like Maureen, I am a native South Bostonian who grew up in Dorchester, went to Latin, graduated from Babson College and got a Masters in Ed from UMass. I have written often in the Boston Globe and Herald mainly about Boston, gentrification, busing and the marks the passage of time has left on the city. Like Maureen my city roots are deep and my hopes are high for its future. Both sets of grandparents were from the Lower End – Bolton and Dresser St.-, and, like true Lithuanians, saved every penny to move to the Point. My family then moved up in the world, as it was considered at the time, by buying a house in Dorchester. Funny how that progression may be viewed by some as exactly opposite of what it is today! The point is, there are those of us with true blue city blood running in our veins that also feel just as comfortable and at home with friends we acquired along the way outside the boundaries of this pennisular. And while it is impossible to keep all of the people happy all of the time, someone with Maureen’s diverse experiences and people skills can do a damn good job keeping most of the people happy most of the time. We all know, as evidenced by some recent reality shows, that there is no one profile of a true Bostonian, despite what Hollywood may think. What a quintessential Bostonian – past or present – does know is this : some of us were poor, some of us not, but we’re all rich. Some of us are educated, some of us aren’t. – but we’re all smart. You don’t judge a book by its cover and you never underestimate the character and caliber of a person. Never. Maureen is made of that stuff and will bring to the Senate that combination of street and book smarts, finesse and fire, sincerity and steel only seen in a few of the best politicians of our time.
Lucky for us that she’s thrown her hat in the ring!
You can fool your newfound yuppie friends, but you can’t fool people that grew up in Southie. You are a fraud promoting a left wing socialist agenda. You crave attention and love playing dress up to get your picture in the paper. Just another empty suit!
If “Left Wing Socialist Agenda” means fighting for equal pay for Woman. If it means fighting for the Prevailing Wage, if it means fighting for good Health Policies, particularlly for Vets and Seniors. If it means protecting the Constitution. If it means Honest and Clean Elections….Call me a “LIberal”! I would suggest you look at your State Representative Nick Collins. He was a “Moderate” while Campaigning, now he’s a “Liberal” seeking broader appeal. That’s what they do.