(As part of our continued efforts to bring you the most comprehensive local election coverage around, we invited each of the candidates vying for the Democratic Party nomination in the 16th, 17th and 18th Middlesex Districts to submit their “closing statement” as the campaign winds down. Below is the statement submitted, in its entirety, by the candidate)
Tara Hong (18th Middlesex District)
Two years ago, I asked the people of the 18th Middlesex District to put their trust in me and give me the opportunity to serve as their State Representative.
I made a simple promise: I will show up, listen, work hard, and put people before politics.
Over my first term, I have worked every day to keep that promise.
Being your State Representative has never been about having a title or using the office as a stepping stone to another opportunity. For me, public service is about answering the phone when someone needs help, it is about responding to an email from a family struggling with housing, helping someone navigate unemployment or state government—it is about supporting our local organizations, knocking on doors and listening directly to residents.
Most importantly, being your State Representative is about making sure the people of our district know that I am accessible and working for them.
I am proud of what we have accomplished together during my first term. We strengthened constituent services and built a more open line of communication between our community and the State House. We brought funding and resources back to Lowell for our schools, neighborhoods, nonprofits, infrastructure, and community programs.
I have also worked to make sure our district has a voice on the issues that affect people’s everyday lives—from housing and education, to transportation, healthcare, public safety, workers’ rights, and the rising cost of living.
One of my proudest moments was helping pass the PROTECT Act, standing with immigrant families and affirming that everyone in our Commonwealth deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. Lowell is a city built by generations of immigrants, and I will never stop standing up for the families who make our community stronger.
I know our work is far from finished.
Families are still struggling with the cost of housing, groceries, childcare, utilities, and everyday expenses. Our schools need continued investment. We need to create more affordable housing, strengthen public transportation, support small businesses, protect workers, and make sure state resources reach the people and organizations that need them most.
That is why I am running for re-election. I am not asking for your vote because I believe the work is done or that I have all the answers. I am asking for your vote because I believe in the work we have started, and I know how much more we can accomplish together.
I will continue to be the representative who shows up. I will keep knocking on doors. I will keep answering the phone. I will keep listening, even when we disagree. And I will keep fighting to ensure the 18th Middlesex District receives the attention, resources, and representation it deserves.
This campaign has never been about one person or one issue. It is about our community and what we can accomplish when we work together.
To everyone who has shared your concerns with me, invited me into your home or organization, stopped me on the street, called my office, challenged me, encouraged me, or trusted me to help: thank you. Those conversations are what guide my work.
On September 1, I am asking for your vote to re-elect me as your State Representative for the 18th Middlesex District.
You gave me the opportunity to get to work. Now I am asking for the opportunity to keep going.
Thank you,
Tara Hong
State Representative
18th Middlesex District
