Page 8 THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, August 28, 2026 Malden Rallies Around Carey McDonald in State Senate Primary City Councillor Carey McDonald is shown with his family and supporters as he announces his candidacy for State Senate. (Courtesy photo) Special to the Advocate T he Malden community has rallied support around Carey McDonald in the 5th Middlesex state senate race, heading into the September 1 Democratic primary. McDonald, a Malden Councillor-at-Large and parent of two Malden Public Schools students, has secured the most endorsements in the primary from Malden elected and community leaders. McDonald also has earned the support of Malden Firefighters Union Local 902, Chinese Progressive Political Action, Mystic Valley Progressives and unions with strong Malden membership, including Service Employees International Union 509 and United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1445, who represent Stop & Shop employees. A “Malden for McDonald” unity event last week showcased broad community support. City Councillors Steve Winslow, Chris Simonelli and Jadeane Sica, as well as School Committee Member Peter Piazza, joined Mayor Gary Christenson in cohosting the event. “This is the chance to get a Malden voice in the state senate, who understands our diverse community and will be a champion for us,” said McDonald. “I am a progressive, pro-audit candidate who has built relationships across this city as a Councilor At Large. I’ve fought to protect our neighbors against the Trump administration’s attacks, and to get our community the resources we need. Now I’m ready to fight for Malden on Beacon Hill!” Mayor Gary Christenson said, “There is no one on the Malden City Council who has worked harder to address the number one issue facing our city, the state education funding formula. At the local level, Carey has demonstrated persistence, a deep understanding of how state policy affects local communities, and the ability to deliver results. They have led the charge to lower utility bills with more clean energy through the Malden Community Electricity Program. I am confident they will bring the same leadership and effectiveness to the State Senate.” Malden Firefighters Union Local 902 said, “As a City Councillor, Carey has always held the values and needs of the fire department in high regard and has sought better staffing and resources for our department. We endorse Carey to further the goals of ensuring safe communities, adequate funding, and stable jobs from Beacon Hill.” “Working families in Massachusetts are struggling to keep up with rising costs. Carey has a vision for how to make our state more affordable, a plan to deliver it, and the determination to fight for it every day,” said Irene Jor, who is with Chinese Progressive Political Action. “Carey’s progressive vision and collaborative leadership style that [is] successful in Malden will also lead to success in the State Senate,” said Ward 6 Councillor Steve Winslow. McDonald has served three terms as a Councillor-at-Large and is currently Finance Chair. Their campaign has highlighted the need for more help from Beacon Hill to fix the local budget crisis that is impacting communities across the district. For years, they had proposed changes to the Chapter 70 school funding formula, drawing on their professional experience as an education policy professional. McDonald joined the contest for the open state senate seat following the defeat of Malden’s proposed tax override at the ballot in March, which they were the only candidate in the race to publicly support. “As Finance Chair, I’ve seen first hand how the broken system of funding for our schools and local governments is punishing our communities,” said McDonald. “It’s not just Malden - Melrose, Stoneham, Winchester and now Reading have all had to ask for overrides this year. This is not how it should work. We need more solutions and more urgency from Beacon Hill, and that’s a big part of what pushed me to get into this race.” McDonald also consolidated the most progressive endorsements of candidates in the 5th Middlesex race. McDonald has been endorsed by: • Progressive Mass • Massachusetts Working Families Party • Chinese Progressive Political Action • Service Employees International Union 509 • Service Employees International Union 32BJ • 350 Mass Action • Clean Water Action • Lead Locally • Boston Teachers’ Union • United Food and Commercial Workers 1445 • Malden Firefighters Union IAFF Local 902 • Mystic Valley Progressives • Mass Alliance
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