Why I'm Running
Because someone has to show up. And I was raised to step forward.
The Law as a Tool for Justice
As a lawyer, I believe the law is a powerful tool for justice — one that can be protective rather than punitive. In the right hands, it can open doors instead of closing them and give a voice to those the system was designed to ignore. My career has been defined by one principle: nobody should face the power of the system alone.
Making a difference doesn't always require big gestures. Sometimes it starts with small, consistent actions that bring people together — in the courtroom, in the community, and in the halls of power.
"I was sitting across from a client — a single mother who had lived in this country for over twenty years, raised her children here, and built a life here — telling her that the government was trying to deport her."
The system didn't care that she wasn't a threat — that she was a mother, a worker, and a neighbor. In that moment, I learned something I have never forgotten: systems don't change on their own. They change when people decide to fight.
In the courtroom, I have spent the past 13 years fighting for asylum seekers, accused who cannot afford bail, hardworking residents applying for citizenship, and loving families navigating guardianship proceedings. Anyone who needed someone in their corner — I've strived to be that person.
In my community, I serve on the Harbor Commission and Warrant Advisory Committee, collaborating on municipal decisions that shape the lives of real people every single day. When the Trump administration targeted immigrant communities, I didn't step back. I stepped forward — advising immigrant rights organizations and filing federal lawsuits to protect due process.
I didn't do any of that because it was easy. I did it because it was right. Because someone has to show up, and I was raised to step forward.
Three Ways I Show Up
In the courtroom, in the community, and in the halls of power.
In the Courtroom
13 years fighting for asylum seekers, families navigating guardianship, residents seeking citizenship, and those who couldn't afford bail. Nobody faces the system alone.
In the Community
Serving on the Harbor Commission and Warrant Advisory Committee. Filing federal lawsuits to protect immigrant communities. Showing up when it matters most.
In the State House
Bringing that same relentless commitment to Beacon Hill — fighting for housing, healthcare, education, climate, and justice for every family in First Essex.
This Is My Home. These Are My Neighbors.
I am running for State Representative to bring my fight to the halls of power. The people of the 1st Essex District deserve someone who shows up and steps forward to fight. Someone who has seen the system from the inside and knows how to fight it.
Someone who understands that housing, healthcare, education, climate, and justice are not abstract policy debates — they are the daily realities of real people in our communities.
Join the Fight for First Essex
Stand with Stephen and help build a stronger, fairer community for everyone.
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