Two Democrats Face Off In September Primary For Melrose’s State Representative

By Ellen Putnam

Melrose voters will see a competitive race in the Democratic primary election for state representative this fall, although the seat will be uncontested in the general election in November.

This spring, Melrose’s longtime state senator Jason Lewis announced his retirement, and the district’s three-term state representative, Kate Lipper-Garabedian, announced that she would be running for the seat he would be vacating. This means that the 32nd Middlesex District, which consists of Melrose and parts of Wakefield and Malden, will have an open seat in the election this fall.

Two Democrats - former Melrose City Council President Leila Migliorelli and Congressional staffer Jay Higgins - will be facing off in the Democratic primary. (Registered Democrats and unenrolled voters are eligible to vote in the Democratic primary.) No Republican or unenrolled candidates for this position have submitted the signatures needed to qualify for the ballot, so the general election for our state representative will be uncontested.

There are a number of similarities between the two Democratic candidates: both have experience working in government; both expressed their intention to stand up to the Trump administration and address issues of affordability; and both expressed their support for the audit of the state legislature.

Migliorelli is supported by several Melrose political figures, including Mayor Jen Grigoraitis, City Council President Brad Freeman, and former state representative and mayor Paul Brodeur, while Higgins has earned the endorsement of Malden’s Mayor Gary Christenson. Higgins also earned the endorsement of the Massachusetts Teachers Association, while Migliorelli gained the endorsement of Reproductive Equity Now.

We spoke with Higgins and Migliorelli about their backgrounds, experience, approach, and goals. You can read our profiles of each candidate below.