After years of speech writing and helping others get elected to local and federal governments, Jenny Armini is ready for her return to public service.
“I love this district. It is a microcosm of all that is great about Massachusetts,” said Armini, who is running for the state representative position for the 8th Essex District vacated by Lori Ehrlich.
In her eyes, new immigrants, longtime residents, lobstermen and fishermen, tech and finance entrepreneurs, small businesses, seniors and young people all make the 8th Essex a treasure. However, Armini believes that the COVID-19 pandemic has created new problems, exacerbated old ones, and exposed deep inequities.
“We are at an inflection point,” Armini said. “It is a moment that calls out for leadership and somebody who can bring people together to solve big problems. And I am that person.”
Armini believes she has accumulated the necessary experience and skills throughout her professional career on Capitol Hill and Beacon Hill, and through political grassroots activism in Marblehead, to analyze and write legislation and then bring people together to support it.
Throughout the campaign, Armini has focused on education, affordability, and climate change.
Schools and children need a COVID-19 recovery program that would include a mental health component, more engaging activities, and a revision of the way success is measured in schools, she said.
“We need new resources directed toward children and teachers to bring kids up to grade level, and to build their social and emotional skills that were lost during the pandemic,” Armini said.
Armini plans to address the cost of prescription drugs, housing issues, and transportation access — three issues that very much impact the ability of families and seniors to live in the 8th district, she said.
The state needs to use all the tools that it has to make housing more affordable, she said, which includes Chapter 40B and incentives for transit-oriented housing, to increase the housing stock and bring its cost down.
She is also a supporter of the MBTA rail line electrification and resuming ferry service from Lynn.
“Robust public transportation is vital for people who don’t have another way to get to work. It is really important for our economy and I truly believe that we can make Lynn the hub of our entire area,” said Armini.
To fight climate change, Armini believes that the state needs not only to do everything to meet its net zero greenhouse gas emission goal by 2050, but set a more aggressive goal for 2040.
Following the 2016 presidential election, Armini helped start a grassroots political organization out of Marblehead called ElectBlue. The organization was meant to channel the fear, anger, and frustration that people were feeling toward the ongoing political situation, and bring about positive change.
“We gave each other hope at a moment that felt pretty hopeless,” she said.
Once she became a parent Armini said she realized how hard it was raising a family in American society and that the government plays a big role in that.
“I decided that we have to do better for people,” said Armini. “We cannot have a healthy society without healthy families.”
