Nichole Mossalam Is Running For State Representative In 2020

This Patch article is sponsored by Nichole Mossalam.

Nichole Mossalam is running for the 2020 Massachusetts state representative elections. Learn more about Mossalam's experience, priorities and upcoming events in this exclusive Patch one-on-one:

Patch: Tell us a bit about yourself and your campaign.

Mossalam: My husband, Mohanad, and I came to Malden eight years ago with our first son and since then have had two more children here. We chose to lay down our roots in this community to raise our three children and our two adopted dogs. Like so many of our neighbors, we love being a part of a diverse community, whether their families go back generations or just recently made the city their home, where people share the same concerns and are actively engaged in civic life. We have a passion for working hard and giving back.

I have been involved with interfaith organizing work where Muslim, Christian, Jewish and other faith leaders have come together to support initiatives such as “Malden Unites Against Hate” and a “Fastathon,” which raised $6,000 to pay off student lunch debt for Malden Public School students.

I am a firm believer in rolling up your sleeves and helping make change happen, and I am proud to have served Medford and Malden in many capacities. As the director of the Islamic Cultural Center of Medford, and the Malden Islamic Center previously, I participate in interfaith efforts to build bridges and serve the community. As the chair of the Malden Disability Commission, I led a collaborative process that resulted in many accomplishments including, most recently, securing a state grant to fund a citywide accessibility study that will help us improve the lives of neighbors with disabilities including many of our seniors. I am an elected member of the Democratic State Committee and have served in numerous other leadership, community volunteer and advocacy positions.

My campaign, put simply, is all about our shared concerns and our shared values. To my core, I have always been about serving our community to the best of my ability.

Patch: What makes you different from your opponent?

Mossalam: I am challenging the incumbent Paul Donato, who has held this State House seat for 20 years. I believe we need new leadership to make progress for all of our residents — leadership that is committed to representing all families and our shared concerns. I respect public service and have no doubt Paul Donato cares about this community, as he has served in office since 1972. However, we have important differences in priorities and values.

Patch: What attracted you to the line of work you're in?

Mossalam: My commitment to all the families in our community comes from my own lived experiences and facing adversity throughout my life. I have experienced homelessness as a child as my mother struggled to provide for us on her own. I remember the pain of the blisters on my feet as I walked with her to work because public transportation was sparse and what was available was unreliable. Thankfully, my mother had an employer that allowed her to bring me to work with her, as she could not afford child care. My playground was rows of auto parts. To this day, the scent as I walk into an auto parts store brings back those memories of romping around. I have continued this tradition with my own children, as I too am unable to afford child care. I have experienced crushing medical debt due to managing my disability and filed bankruptcy on over $30,000 of pure medical debt when I was 22, as my mother struggled to access affordable care for me as a child and I went untreated for years.

My whole life, I have struggled and have learned to persevere and work hard, even in the face of impossible odds. I have faced the kind of economic adversity that has challenged too many of our neighbors. These challenges include lack of health care and medical debt, which could be addressed by our legislature with new leadership. I feel fortunate to have overcome these challenges, but I know that we can do so much more, and that drives me every day.

My experiences with poverty have pushed me to make sure people have economic security including access to child care, health care and unemployment benefits (especially with so many people struggling during this pandemic). My experience as a Muslim woman has made me committed to making sure no one faces discrimination of any kind. My experience as an active community member trying to affect public policy has made me more committed to having a state Legislature willing to take real action to address the challenges that people in Medford and Malden and across Massachusetts face every day.

I have run up against and jumped over every hurdle the system has placed in my path and am ready to put that experience into service for our community.

Patch: What's the most satisfying part of your job?

Mossalam: The greatest joy is helping others through the most difficult moments of their lives. I have been blessed with many guardian angels throughout my life who helped me through some of my darkest moments. It brings a deep sense of well-being to pay forward their kindness and generosity. By being there for others, I have seen firsthand the housing crisis here in Medford and Malden and how it has impacted families. By being there for others, I am compelled to push for a universal health care system because I have seen how so many struggle to afford proper access to health care and have their lives derailed by medical debt like myself.

It is from being there for others that I have seen parents, children and teachers struggle with larger class sizes and lack of resources due to years of defunding our education system. How can we expect a brighter future for our children if we aren’t willing to invest in them? This joy in service is the main reason I am running, because helping others avoid what I have gone through myself is one of my biggest drives.

Patch: What projects or endeavors have you worked on in the past that can help show voters how you will tackle this job if elected?

Mossalam: I am driven to prioritize policy issues that have stagnated in the Legislature but affect nearly everyone in our community, such as investing in infrastructure and transportation, increasing access to health care for all and ensuring quality educational opportunities. I am a firm believer that if you want something better, you must be willing to roll up your sleeves and help make it happen. This is why I have stepped up and now serve our community in many capacities. Whether as the director of the Islamic Cultural Center of Medford, the chair of the Malden Disability Commission, a member of the Democratic State Committee (DSC) or in any of my other various community roles, I have always taken a collaborative approach and led with actions. By taking this approach, in my first DSC meeting, I was able to author a resolution that was passed by the DSC immediately and have gone on to author and co-sponsor more resolutions that have been passed and implemented in furtherance of democracy and party reform.

Additionally, I have already begun preparing for work in the State House by building a strong and diverse coalition and am proud to have received endorsements from many of the leading progressive organizations in Massachusetts, including Mass Alliance (a statewide coalition of 28 progressive groups), Sierra Club, Sunrise Movement Boston & Tufts, Run For Something (an organization that recruits and supports young progressives to run), Chinese Progressive Political Action, Progressive Democrats of Massachusetts and Massachusetts Peace Action.

Patch: How can Patch readers learn more about your work and campaign?

Mossalam: They can visit my website. It has information about my campaign, as well as volunteering opportunities. I also have Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. My website is in the process of being translated into seven different languages including Italian, Spanish, Chinese and Haitian Creole. We also have a section dedicated to voting information with links directly to the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s information. We are a grassroots organization; all of our volunteer events are posted daily both on our website and Facebook page. I would highly encourage anyone interested in learning more about me or getting involved in this campaign to reach out on one of those platforms.