4/8/2014
WickedLocal.com

Read the original article here.

Stoneham resident and father of three Michael Day announced his candidacy for State Representative of the 31st Middlesex District (Stoneham and Winchester) on Friday, April 4.
“After speaking with, and receiving support from my family, neighbors, friends, and leaders in both communities, I am excited to begin this campaign,” Day said. “I want to give back to these neighborhoods that have given me so much, and I want to make sure that others receive the same opportunities to succeed that I have had.”

Day is the first candidate to announce for the open State Representative seat that Jason Lewis will be vacating. Lewis was elected to the State Senate on Tuesday, April 1, and the primary election for his replacement will be held on Sept. 9, with the general election taking place on Nov. 4.

Day cited the importance of more state responsiveness to local needs and the fair treatment of Stoneham and Winchester as motivators for his candidacy.

“The shared values, resources and attractions of our two towns are the envy of Massachusetts, but too often our voices are ignored on Beacon Hill and we are left with the short end of the stick,” Day said, pointing to the outdated education funding formula as a prime example. “I want to finish the work Representative Jason Lewis began in the State House with his efforts to reform the Chapter 70 funding formula for our public schools – our students and parents deserve better.”

Day also stated his belief that the work of a State Representative does not end at the doors of the State House.

“Our representative can, and should, have a very immediate and real impact on our lives, whether that happens by helping a student apply for a scholarship, a constituent find work, or a senior get access to existing services,” Day said. “Our representative should be a resource and an advocate for all of us, and that is the type of State Representative I plan to be.”

Day, 41, grew up in neighboring Woburn, and he and his wife Megan moved to Stoneham more than a decade ago where they are raising their three sons. Day coaches in the Stoneham youth hockey program, and Megan serves on the Stoneham Conservation Commission. Day is a graduate of Phillips Academy Andover and the University of Massachusetts Amherst. After college, he moved to Washington, D.C. where he worked as a law clerk for the United Mine Workers International Union while attending law school at nights at the Georgetown University Law Center.

Two years ago, after working at a large law firm and also serving as a Special Assistant District Attorney in Middlesex County, Day joined two other attorneys in opening their own law practice, where Day says he has experienced first-hand the challenges that small businesses must overcome to succeed.

Day pledged to work tirelessly for Stoneham and Winchester and said his campaign will serve as a model for the office he hopes to hold.

“This is going to be a campaign where you will see me in your neighborhoods all the time,” Day said. “I will welcome discussion with everyone in the district regardless of their views or their address, and I will be walking door to door to introduce myself, listening to people’s concerns and, hopefully, earning their vote.”