State Senate Candidate Forum on May 19

Print More

All four candidates running for the 2nd Suffolk District state senate seat are scheduled to attend JP Progressives' candidate forum on May 19.

The four Democratic Party candidates are current state Reps. Nika Elugardo (D-15th Suffolk) and Liz Miranda (D-5th Suffolk), Miniard Culpepper, and Dianne Wilkerson.

Elugardo was first elected to the State House in 2018 after defeating incumbent Jeffrey Sanchez. Elugardo is the sponsor for bills to create rent control, has filed legislation to help incarcerated individuals and to reduce recidivism, and more.

Miranda was first elected the same year as Elugardo.

Culpepper is the pastor of Pleasant Hill Baptist Church in Dorchester, which was founded by his grandfather.He was the Boston regional counsel for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), chief of staff to U.S. Rep. Barbara-Rose Collins (D-Mich.); staff director and chief legal counsel to Washington, D.C., City Councilor John Ray; and more, according to his interview with Brandeis.edu.

Wilkerson represented the 2nd Suffolk District from 1993 to 2008. Wilkerson resigned from the position in 2008 after being arrested on public corruption charges by the FBI for accepting $23,500 of bribes, according to Wikipedia. She pled guilty in 2010 to eight felony counts of attempted extortion, and was disbarred from practicing law in Massachusetts the same year.

The seat is being vacated by Sonia Chang-Díaz, who is running for governor.

Please click here to register for the forum via Zoom. The forum starts at 7 pm and will be moderated by Yawu Miller of the Bay State Banner and Saraya Wintersmith of GBH.

2,049 Views