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"With your support, we can help bridge the old and new, so that we can move forward together with a vision for the future that preserves the best of our past."
"I am running for city council as someone with deep roots in the city and who is invested in its future success.
I benefited from growing up and living in a city where people support one another. My values have been shaped by the people of Cambridge. They are values I hold dear: supporting your neighbors, helping others, and a commitment to public service.
I have given back to my community as a parent, teacher and advocate for working people.
I see running for the city council as an opportunity to use my leadership skills, experience, and knowledge to help Cambridge as we emerge from the pandemic and lead during a time of change.
I am deeply invested in this city and the success of its residents. With your support, we can help bridge the old and new, so that we can move forward together with a vision for the future that preserves the best of our past.
I humbly ask for your #1 vote for Cambridge City Council on November 2nd."
YARD SIGN REQUEST
We are taking requests for yard signs. Once they come in we will have them delivered.
CAMPAIGN UPDATES
WE DID IT! YOUR SUPPORT PUT US OVER THE TOP!!
We did it!!! The official results were certified on November 12th. Thanks to all of the Cambridge voters who came out in support of Paul and our campaign. We had a strong showing with 1,703 #1 votes coming in 4th in the first round and gathering enough transfer voteds to be declared elected in the 13th round of transfers. Paul said, “I am very grateful to my wife Susan, children Grace and Jack, and all my family, friends and the voters of Cambridge who made my campaign a success. I also want to specifically thank Councillor Tim Toomey, former Mayor and Councillor David Maher and state representative David Rogers for their support. I look forward to working with all the other candidates and soon to be new City Council to move our city forward in focusing on the needs of our residents, hiring a new city manager and improving our political discourse in the city.”
Inauguration Day is January 3rd. Paul is excited to get started working on behalf of the citizens of Cambridge. Please feel free to reach out in the days and months ahead to provide your thoughts and input on the issues we are facing as a city and region.
THIS IS IT - WE NEED YOUR #1 VOTE TODAY, NOVEMBER 2, ELECTION DAY!!
It all comes down to TODAY! Thank you for all that you have done to support the campaign so far but this is the day that counts. As you know we only lost by 99 votes in 2017. We need every single # 1 vote to assure that we are successful in crossing the finish line tonight at 8:00PM. We have great momentum but don't let up now. Get out and vote! Drop off your mail in ballots at the Election Commission or drop boxes. Call and text all of your Cambridge friends and family today and ask them to Vote Toner #1!
October 24th - Only 9 days left! Final Visibilities, Phone Banks and
Election day Volunteers!
Over the past month we have continuted to door knock the city and canvass the neighborhoods. We have made thousands of phone calls to our friends, neighbors and voters. We have heve sent multiple mailings and dear friend cards. We have held visibilities in every neighborhood and now we are closing in on the final week. Please remember to vote Toner #! for Cambridge City Council. If you can help out in these final few days and on Election Day, November 2nd, please sign up here!
October 5th - Interviews with Paul
Check out these three interviews with Paul as he discusses his campaign and policy priorities. Share them with your friends and family in Cambridge and ask them to Vote for Toner # 1.
September 20th - Toner receives endorsement of A Better Cambridge and 17 Labor Organizations
I am honored to be endorsed by 17 individual labor organizations and by A Better Cambridge. Working together we can help improve the lives of many of our residents by providing more housing options and creating career opportunites for our students and young adults through union jobs with good pay and benefits.
August 10th - Toner Campaign Hits the Streets - Canvassing, Yard Signs, Visibilities and Meet and Greets!
It has been a very active two weeks. We have been out canvassing in North and West Cambridge and meeting voters throughout the city. Thanks to Ruth and Irving Allen for hosting a meet and greet at Paddy's. Congratulations to my former student Nery Amaya for opening a new business in East Cambridge. We had a great day eating and and shopping at the Inman Eats and Crafts festival. And lastly, thanks to Plumbers and Gasfitters Local 12 for joining us for our first campaign visibility with many more to come. .
August 1st - Toner Campaign Receives Endorsements of Three more Labor Unions
July 18th - Toner Campaign Receives Endorsements of Representative David Rogers, Former Mayor and City Councillor Sheila Russell and three more Labor Unions
The Toner for City Council campaign is proud to announce the endorsements of Massachusetts State Representative for the 24th Middlesex District, David Rogers and former Mayor and City Councillor, Sheila Russell. In addition, Paul has received the support of three more unions: Cambridge Firefighters IAFF Local 30, Sheet Metal Workers Local 17 and United Union of Roofers, Waterproofers & Allied Workers Local 33.
""As a State Representative, I know what it takes to be effective in public office. It requires outreach to constituents, listening to their concerns and doing the hard work to address the issues and find solutions. Paul Toner is someone who will do the work! He will be a progressive and thoughtful elected official who will represent the residents of Cambridge well and will work to make Cambridge an even better city. He will be a problem solver and consensus builder. Paul will bring a balanced and pragmatic approach to the city council. I hope you join me in supporting Paul Toner for Cambridge City Council."
David Rogers, Massachusetts State Representative, 24th Middlesex District
"I have known Paul and his family for many years. Paul knows the city, its neighborhoods, and the challenges we face. He understands municipal and state government and has the right skills and experience to be an excellent city councillor. He deserves your #1 vote!"
Sheila Russell, Former Mayor and City Councillor
July 9th - Toner Campaign turns in Nomination Signatures and Hires Eliot Kime as Campaign Manager
The Toner for City Council campaign announced the election commission has provisionally verified 96 out of 100 nomination signatures. Thanks to all of you who signed our forms to allow Paul's name to be placed on the ballot!
In addition, the campaign has hired Eliot Kime as its Campaign Manager. A native of Rochester, New York, Mr. Kime attended Hobart and William Smith Colleges where he studied political science and public policy. Mr. Kime’s experience includes two terms as a Teacher’s Aide in AmeriCorps, conducting comparative research on campaign messages and structures, and engaging in voter identification and outreach for Democratic campaigns in the Midwest and Georgia.
Paul Toner said “I am incredibly happy to have Eliot join our campaign. He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in the areas of political communications, research, grassroots organizing, and GOTV strategy in mail in voting campaigns. Eliot will play an important role in the success of the campaign.”
Mr. Kime is excited to support Paul in his campaign to engage voters in building a more just and equitable Cambridge that enacts necessary reforms while safeguarding the city’s unique history and culture for the next generation of Cantabrigians.
July 8th - Toner Campaign announces Mass Retiree and Labor Endorsements
The Toner for City Council campaign is proud to announce that Paul has received the endorsement of the Mass Retirees, Pipefitters Local 151, Ironworkers Local 7, SEIU/NAGE, Massachusetts Bricklayers Local 3, and Laborers 151. Paul Toner stated "I am deeply grateful for the friendship and support of so many working women and men and their union leadership. Our city, state and nation are reliant on highly trained, professional union members to get our cities and towns reopened after the COVID-`19 closures We need unions now more than ever as if we are to fight to close income and opportunity gaps in our community. As a councillor, I will continue to work with labor to improve wokers salaries, benefits and working conditions."
Endorsements from David Maher, Tim Toomey and Sean Tierney
I am honored to have received the endorsement of three great friends and Cambridge civic leaders - City Councillor and former Massachusetts State Representative Tim Toomey, former Mayor and City Councillor David Maher and 2017 City Council candidate, Sean Tierney.
“I am proud to endorse and support Paul Toner in his campaign for City Council. I have known Paul for close to 30 years. I have worked with him as a teacher, union leader and community activist and I know he will be a great City Councillor working for the residents and betterment of our city. I hope you’ll join me in supporting Paul during this campaign season with your #1 vote.” - Tim Toomey
“Paul will be an incredibly effective advocate for all of Cambridge. Paul has spent his career bringing people together to make progress towards a vision of shared prefers and a government that works towards equity for everyone. I know he will do the same as Coty Councillor. Please support Paul on November 2 with your #1 vote”. - David Maher
“I first met Paul Toner in 2017 on the campaign trail while we were both running for City Council. During that time Paul was a collaborative and supportive fellow candidate. His commitment to Cambridge and its residents is evident when I hear him talk about growing up in Cambridge, raising his family here, and his deep belief in public service. I am endorsing Paul because I think he brings a collaborative and solutions oriented style of leadership that we need in our public discourse. Paul is someone I trust and admire and I hope you will join me in supporting him.” - Sean Tierney
May 24, 2021
Paul Toner Declares Candidacy for Cambridge City Council
Paul Toner announced his candidacy for Cambridge City Council today.
“I am running for Cambridge City Council as someone with deep roots in the city and who is invested in its future success. Throughout my life and career, I have sought to serve my community. I became a teacher in Cambridge to give back to city which has given so much to me. I earned my law degree while teaching and became an advocate for educators and students. I represented educators, pre-k through higher education at the local, state and national level.”
“I approach this work as a collaborative, solutions-oriented leader who will apply my skills, experience, and knowledge to work with members of the council, city staff and resident to reopen our city and help it thrive again. There are many challenges ahead. Through open and respectful public discourse, which is sorely needed in our political conversations right now, we can make real progress towards addressing the many inequities that existed before the pandemic but are only more glaring today.”
Toner is a lifelong resident of Cambridge who lives in North Cambridge with his wife, Susan Connelly, and children Grace and Jack. An attorney and former Cambridge Public Schools teacher, Paul went on to become President of the Cambridge Teachers Association and one of the most influential public education leaders in the state as President of the 115,000 member Massachusetts Teachers Association.
Paul has also served as a vice president of the Massachusetts AFL-CIO, Labor delegate to the Massachusetts Democratic Party, as a commissioner on the Massachusetts Group Insurance Commission, member of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Board of Directors, the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education and numerous education and labor committees. Most recently, Toner has served as the Senior National Director of Policy and Partnerships for Teach Plus, a nonprofit supporting excellent and effective teachers in policy advocacy and professional development.
Paul has many years of experience in public education, board governance, public policy, as well as labor and government relations. He has worked at the local, state and national level engaging people from across the aisle and with a diversity of opinions to find commonsense solutions in leading change.
“As a leader, I have sought to build consensus to make policy decisions based on open dialogue and data. I am confident that I can bring the same spirit of respect and collaboration to the council. I believe in providing a solutions-oriented leadership necessary to develop and implement a vision for our city that preserves the best of our past and prepares us for the future.”
If you want to learn more about Paul and get involved with his campaign you can visit www.TonerforCambridge.com, connect with the campaign at TonerforCambridge@gmail.com or visit the campaign at our headquarters located at 2322 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02140