Former MA League Of Women Voters Head To Run For City Council

NEWTON, MA—Meryl Kessler, former executive director of the Massachusetts League of Women Voters, announced Wednesday she is running for Newton City Council.

Kessler, who has lived in West Newton for 26 years, will be running for a Ward 3 at-large seat in the November election.

"I’m running for a simple reason: to ensure that Newton continues to be a great place to live, work, and raise a family," she said in a statement, saying that after the challenges of the past year, the city needs to build back better than before.

"We must ensure that we are well positioned not only to recover in the short term, but to thrive well into the future," she said.

In addition to her work as a non-profit leader, educator and lawyer, she has been a volunteer for a wide range of Newton community organizations. She's on the Newton Sustainable Materials Management Commission. She serves as Clerk of Newton Community Pride and is a member of the Finance Committee of Temple Shalom of Newton.

She's also been a co-chair of the Newton North School Council, Pierce School PTO treasurer and membership chair, and a founding member of the Global Education Leadership Fund at Newton North High School. And was co-founder of the Newton Halloween Window Painting Contest.

Kessler holds a Bachelors degree in public and international affairs from Princeton University, a masters degree in Government from Harvard University, and a law degree from Harvard Law School.

She plans to focus on four priorities if elected: rebuilding the City’s economy following the pandemic, increasing the City’s fiscal health and transparency, promoting community building, and ensuring a sustainable future.

"I will do my best during this campaign to meet as many voters as possible—whether distantly in person or via Zoom—so that I can find out what’s on their minds," she said.

Her campaign said she will be kicking off her campaign with a distanced outdoor event with her supporters this spring.