What’s Really at Stake This Election

The Townie is an opinion website. The views expressed in this piece belong solely to the author, do not represent those held by The Townie, and should not be interpreted as objective or reported fact.

This election isn’t just about sidewalks and parking—it’s about survival.

Quite a few candidate endorsements are pouring into The Townie these days, focused on the usual local concerns. But I want to talk about something bigger. I’m not going to weigh in on who I think the better candidates are, but instead ask my fellow voters to think hard about what really matters regarding leadership to ensure the strength of our community, and by extension, our state and country.  

We should all do our homework to decide who we feel will best lead the city. I’ve read about and heard the city council and mayoral candidates speak on the issues and projects they find vital to the city’s future. Something I haven’t heard enough about is what a small city in a “blue” state does when the federal government is being dismantled day by day, and a state such as Massachusetts finds itself vulnerable regarding federal funding for infrastructure projects. Trump is even threatening to move the World Cup games from the Boston area over utterly fabricated safety concerns, when in fact, he really doesn’t like Boston Mayor Wu’s criticism. 

Trump wants people like us to feel maximum discomfort, not just the 8,811 Newburyporters who voted for Harris in 2024, but the 3,278 voters who supported him. Why he would alienate his own voters by targeting blue areas is beyond me, considering no place is truly blue or red. People in every state want clean drinking water, safe roads and bridges, education for their children, and affordable health insurance. 

So, as you cast your ballots this time around, I hope you will ask yourself who on the school committee, the city council, and in the mayor’s office recognizes the unprecedented threat to our everyday health and happiness posed by the federal government. Who do you believe is ready to do as much as can be done to create a bulwark against the cynical dismantling of federal agencies that exist to support the American people where they live? 

We need leaders who will protect our drinking water, no matter if Washington pulls the plug on vital environmental regulation, and fund infrastructure and clean energy to stave off the consequences of global warming to coastal communities. Our leaders need to ensure our schools have the money and courage to teach accurate history and the scientific method — the skills future adults need to navigate a post-truth era dominated by AI. We need leaders who make Newburyport a place people of various income levels can live, including a generation of 20 and 30-somethings who currently can’t imagine being able to afford to return to their hometown to set down roots. And we need leaders who truly represent their constituents’ interests by amplifying the voices of the residents of Newburyport, even the voters who disagree with them — while promoting equality in our community by taking a stand for human decency and human rights. 

This will require a vigilant partnership with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and other New England states, which will have to bypass the federal government that isn’t serving our state. And it will mean going it alone here in Newburyport to envision and develop policy that is protective against the anti-democratic tactics in Washington.

I want to know that my representatives wake up every morning and look carefully at the conditions right here in Newburyport in relation to what’s happening in Washington. Perhaps we didn’t have to worry about this a decade ago, but we do now. We need our leaders to know if we are losing our autonomy, if our quality of life is slipping away as a result of the bullying and vindictive politics that surround us. 

In these high-stakes times, we must have leaders with the vision and fortitude to move us forward against the cynicism that threatens our future. So before you vote, ask every candidate: What will you do when federal funding disappears? How will you protect our water when the EPA won’t? What’s your plan for the challenges Washington is creating right here in Newburyport?

John Giordano
Newburyport resident

Passionate about a local issue? We want to hear from you. Check out our submission guidelines.