Justin Tseng Enters Race For Medford City Council

MEDFORD, MA — A recent Medford high school graduate and valedictorian of the Class of 2018 will seek to join the City Council this November. Justin Tseng is a lifelong Medford resident and first-generation Taiwanese American.

Raised in Wellington, Tseng attended the McGlynn Elementary and Middle Schools and Medford High School, where he was vice president of his class. He continued on to Harvard University, where he majors in social studies – politics, economics and history – and East Asian Studies.

"I'm running for Medford City Council because it's time we had a dignified city government that pursues progress, not the status quo," Tseng said in a release. "A diverse and representative city government that leads and listens."

As one of the original members of the Center for Citizenship and Social Responsibility (CCSR),
Tseng and his fellow students raised awareness about prejudice and bigotry in Medford.

Tseng served on the Site Council in high school, where he helped draft two Improvement Plans
for the Medford Public Schools. He worked with the Council to address the vaping epidemic,
necessary infrastructure repairs and a review of school policies that laid the groundwork for more
transparent classrooms.

"Justin is well positioned to provide the sort of vision and leadership Medford needs to navigate the current economic and political challenges," Elisabetta Daneau, a social studies teacher at Medford High School, said in a release. "He is approachable, astute and extremely committed to issues of equity and justice. I was honored to teach him at MHS and to work on several local initiatives related to Medford's youth and school community with him."

Following his work on the Site Council, Tseng was chosen to serve as the Student Representative to the School Committee, which gave him a spot on the Superintendent Search Committee. In this role, Tseng regularly attended meetings where he gave Medford High students a voice in city government. He also spent hours with community stakeholders interviewing superintendent candidates and helped select Medford's first school superintendent of color.

"Justin Tseng was an outstanding representative on our School Committee," School Committee member Melanie McLaughlin said in a release. "As a Medford High School valedictorian, Harvard undergrad and a proud Asian American resident of our city, Justin brings a level of intellect that will serve to strengthen the diversity and future of our city. Justin has my vote for Medford City Council!"

Tseng has worked on several policy commissions at Harvard's Institute of Politics, addressing national security concerns, gun violence and trauma in education and rising tuition costs. Last year, Tseng served as the chair of the Harvard Public Opinion Project, America's premier youth public opinion research group.

Tseng is deeply committed to ensuring that Medford is prepared to meet local, domestic and
global challenges in the coming years.

"Faced with the pandemic, a warming climate, significant cuts to schools and our centuries-long
fight against racism, we need leaders who realize that meaningful, structural change starts here at
home," Tseng said.

To learn more about Justin Tseng's campaign, visit www.justin4medford.com.