Boston — Many run for office for many different reasons. After more than 10 years of working in politics at the federal and local level, I had all the qualifications one needed to run for office. However, the timing never seemed right for me.

That is until that fateful day in September when doctors told me I had a benign tumor at the base of my brain. Thankfully, doctors were able to remove 100 percent of the tumor only weeks later, and not only did they give me a clean bill or health, they gave me a new lease on life. Sitting in a hospital bed faced with that kind of news, you begin to reflect on your life: where it is, where it’s going, including those things you always wanted to do.

I am happiest when I am helping people. Working alongside great politicians like Congressman Joe Moakley, I was able to help hundreds of people in our community and always knew I wanted to serve. Sitting alone in a hospital bed in Brigham and Women’s Hospital, the decision was easy to make. I knew I was going to make it out of the bed this time, but what about the next time? Yes, this was a watershed moment to remind myself the preciousness of life and the importance of going after those things you have always wanted to do. As the old adage says, “Don’t wait for your ship to come in — swim out to it.”

Shortly after recovering from my surgery in early November, I began my campaign. By the second week of December, I had formed a committee and through the generous support of friends and family raised more than $11,000 in three short weeks. A year later, and I have raised more than $70,000; earned more than 45 endorsements from various unions, newspapers, politicians and other organizations; and received more than 24,215 votes in the general election. Although I did not get the votes needed to win, I entered this race with no regrets because the true sin would have been had I not even entered the race in the first place.

By entering the race, I got to put my many years of experience and knowledge to the test — four years down in our nation’s capitol learning the ins and outs of the federal government; two years studying conflict resolution in places such as Belfast and Johannesburg; and five years serving the residents of Boston as an aide to two at-large city councilors. I could not have asked for any better preparation than the time I spent working under so many great teachers. It prepared me for the rigors of the campaign trail.

My days often began at 6:30 a.m. standing outside coffee shops and MBTA stations to meet and greet residents as they started their day, and ended late into the evening as I jetted around the city to attend events in every neighborhood of the city. Every day was an opportunity to introduce myself to as many would-be voters as possible so that when they looked down on that list of names on the ballot they would say things like, “I have met him, he was born here, and he has a clear understanding of what needs to be done.”

I enjoyed traveling around the city to meet and talk with residents from every neighborhood and community (i.e., Chinese, Vietnamese, Russian, LGBT, Haitian, etc.) about the successes our city has had and challenges it faces. Regardless of the neighborhood or community, the issues were always the same: more and better-paying jobs; quality schools; and safe and clean streets. This solidified my belief that we share more in common than that which divides us. It also increased my optimism and hope that we can move forward on some of the city’s tougher and more divisive issues.

Although my work history was a strength, it was also a cause for division. I had worked for both At-Large City Councilor Michael Flaherty and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino. This put me in an awkward position so I chose, out of respect for both candidates, to be neutral. I am proud of the campaigns run by both. It is healthy for our city to discuss our past and our future as well as the work that needs to be done. Although Menino and Flaherty supporters may have agreed on little, I am happy that many of those working for both candidates were able to agree on my candidacy.

Another challenge I had not entirely planned on was getting told there was no room for another white Irish guy on the Boston City Council. As someone who traveled to Northern Ireland to study conflict resolution and work as a peace monitor in an effort to bring people together, this was disheartening. I’ve always believed labels are for jars not people and subscribed to Martin Luther King’s dream that people are “not judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” Needless to say, I did not let such questions deter me since my pursuit of this office was always with the intention to represent not just some of our people, but all of our people.

Running for office is not for the faint of heart. Aside from the relentless schedule, financial setback and the toll it takes on your personal life, campaigns can oftentimes get ugly. Thankfully I could not have been running with a greater more diverse group of people from all over Boston. We were running against one another, but you would never be able to tell that from the camaraderie we all displayed for one another in forums and along the campaign trail. There was a mutual respect exhibited by all the candidates for the achievements and the perspective each of us brought to the table.

If you ask any candidate, there are days when you don’t feel like campaigning or that things aren’t going well. What breaks you out of that negative thinking is when you look around and see so many looking to help you along your path. I am blessed to have such wonderful and caring family, friends, supporters and volunteers. If it weren’t for the generosity of others with their time and their money, I could not have made it nearly as far as I did and for that I am deeply humbled and forever grateful.

Yes, although the effort and time I put into the race did not translate into the result I and my supporters were seeking, I regret nothing. The last thing anyone wants to do is die with regret. I for one will not, and I hope that my story can be an inspiration to others. As for my next steps, I am reminded of the words spoken by the late and great Sen. Ted Kennedy, who upon losing his own presidential bid said, “For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives and the dream shall never die.”

Thank you.

Copyright 2009 West Roxbury Transcript. Some rights reserved

We have one final hurdle to jump, one final mountain to climb, and that is the General Election tomorrow.

We have received many new and diverse endorsements as well as write ups in the paper, but the true power lies in your hands.  With one day before the Election I ask you for three things:

1. Volunteer your time to stand at a poll and hand out literature;
2. Reach out to 10 of your best voting friends to let them know why you are voting for me and why they should too.  You can find your polling place here;
3. Make a donation to give our campaign the resources we need to carry out last minute efforts.

With your help I know we will win this race and together Get Boston Moving again!

Gratefully yours,

ANDREW KENNEALLY
Boston City Council Candidate, At-Large

p.s., After the polls close, join us at the Corrib Pub in West Roxbury for appetizers and a cash bar as we await the Election Results.

In another time, another Boston, Andrew Kenneally would have run for the Boston City Council with both feet firmly planted in the predictable confines of his West Roxbury roots.

But this is a different Boston, a “new Boston.” Four years before he ever thought of running for an at-large council seat, Kenneally migrated across town - leaving Westie to settle in the vibrant ethnic stew that is East Boston.

In the old Boston, a white, Irish kid who cut his teeth in Washington working for the likes of Joe Moakley and Harry Reid, would not opt out of the game to spend two years studying conflict resolution in places such as Belfast and Johannesburg.

But Kenneally, who is 34, was an infant when busing roared across the city and sent many scurrying for the presumed shelter of the ’burbs. He never subscribed to the tribal divisions that defined that Boston.

So, it is ironic that today Andrew Kenneally finds himself laboring under a stereotype that is a new twist on an old theme.

With two white, Irish-Catholic guys - John Connolly and Steve Murphy - presumed to have a lock on two of the four at-large council seats, Kenneally has had to confront a question that seems to apply only to him: Does Boston really need another white Irish guy on the council?

“It’s disheartening,” Kenneally was saying yesterday between campaign stops in Roxbury and Chinatown. “I’ve always believed labels are for jars, not people. I have a great deal of respect for the other people in this race. I know them and I’ve worked with them.”

He was Michael Flaherty’s policy director for three years and Maura Hennigan’s chief of staff for two years before that. So, Kenneally’s path crossed those of Ayanna Pressley, Felix Arroyo Jr. and Tito Jackson. His actual experience in the trench work of constituent service exceeds that of rookie incumbent John Connolly, who topped the primary field.

“The notion of diversity that I’ve always subscribed to,” Kenneally said, “takes in a whole spectrum, not black or white or brown, but more toward those infinite shades of gray.”

Because he has many friends in both mayoral camps, Kenneally has chosen to remain neutral in that race. But it did not diminish the sting of having his former boss, Michael Flaherty, ignore him on a list of at-large endorsements.

“I understand,” Kenneally said. “It was a ‘new Boston’ gesture. Well, I’m a part of that new Boston. And I’ll just go out and work harder.”

Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/news/columnists/view.bg?articleid=1207754

Looking beyond the street level realm that is his strength, Kenneally also brings other worthwhile experience to the table. He holds a Master’s Degree in Ethnic Conflict from Queen’s University in Belfast and once worked for the late Congressman Joe Moakley.

What you will get with Kenneally is a hard-working, energetic councilor who understands the responsibilities the job entails. Having worked behind the scenes for so long, he is ready, willing and able to move to a seat at the table.

“Andrew is an excellent environmentalist with practical ideas on how to further protect our environment, increase smart growth and recycling, reduce Boston’s carbon footprint, and help move and prepare Boston’s residents for the new GREEN economy. The Sierra Club is proud to endorse his candidacy,” said Sierra Club Political Chair Phil Sego.

“As a Sierra Club member, someone who loves nature, recycles, and has worked to protect the environment for over 10 years as a top aide in Congress and on the Boston City Council, I am proud to have the Sierra Club’s endorsement. Being GREEN is not only the right thing to do, it’s the best way for us to be more energy and cost efficient during these difficult economic times,” Kenneally concluded

For a complete list of Kenneally’s endorsements, visit: http://andy09.com.

I am proud of how our campaign received support from all over the city. The network of volunteers and the infrastructure we built over the last year came out in force. But we must expand our network and push our organizing resources even further if we are to be successful again in November. We are so close to victory.

Now the real work begins. As former City Councilor Michael McCormack was quoted as saying in the Boston Herald, “the real race now is between fourth- and fifth-place finishers Pressley and Kenneally.” In 2005, City Councilor Sam Yoon went from 5th in the preliminary to 3rd in the general election, and in 2009, with your help, we can do the same.

With less than 40 days before the final election, I need your help more than ever. Sign up to join our campaign, host a coffee, make a donation, or volunteer a couple hours of your time because every little bit counts.

With your help I know we can be victorious on Tuesday, November 3, 2009 and together we will get Boston moving again!

Thank you again and onto November,

ANDREW KENNEALLY
Boston City Council Candidate, At-Large

Boston, MA | 9/09/2009 – With less than 15 days before the September 22^nd preliminary election, the Kenneally Campaign continues to pick up speed and strength with a new and diverse set of endorsements. 

This latest announcement comes on the heels of Greater Boston Labor Council’s endorsement and reflects Kenneally’s broad and deep support across the city:

• DotOUT
• Haitian American Political Action Committee
• Machinists & Aerospace Workers, Local 1726
• Massachusetts Humane Society
• Sprinkler Fitters, Local 550
• Teamsters, Local 25

“I am humbled by the support I am receiving. I believe it’s because I have a proven track record of helping people – not just some of our people, but all of our people. I know Boston’s best days lie ahead and I look forward to using my knowledge, experience and vision to help Get Boston Moving Again,” said Kenneally.

For a full list of Kenneally’s endorsements, visit: http://andy09.com/endorsements/.

]]> http://www.andrewkenneally.com/2009/09/more-endorsements-for-kenneally/feed/ http://www.andrewkenneally.com/2009/08/kenneally-campaign-temporarily-suspends-activities/ http://www.andrewkenneally.com/2009/08/kenneally-campaign-temporarily-suspends-activities/#comments Thu, 27 Aug 2009 21:34:33 +0000 Andy http://www.andrewkenneally.com/?p=509

Candidate, Staffers Mourn Loss of Massachusetts Senator

Boston, MA – Thursday, August 27, 2009-The campaign to elect Andrew Kenneally announced late Wednesday evening that all campaign activities will be temporarily put on hold in honor of the late Senator Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts.

The Senator’s dedication to public service has always served as a source of inspiration for Kenneally, who says that Senator Kennedy’s courage during his struggle with brain cancer gave him guidance as he faced his own diagnosis of a benign brain tumor eleven months ago.

“Senator Kennedy’s courage to fight until his very last day for the ability of all Americans to lead lives of opportunity is awe-inspiring. I pledge to, like Senator Kennedy did for nearly half a century on behalf of the people of Massachusetts, to advocate tirelessly for the concerns of the people of Boston,” Andrew Kenneally said.

“When I was diagnosed with a brain tumor that turned out to be benign eleven months ago, I remember drawing strength from Senator Kennedy’s ceaseless passion as he went to bat for struggling Americans even as he faced his own personal struggle with cancer,” Kenneally added.

Kenneally campaign activities will resume as scheduled on Monday, August 31, 2009.

For more information on Andrew Kenneally, visit: www.ANDY09.com

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Contact: Michelle Gauthier, Press Secretary—(617)-320-4756

Senator Kennedy was my senator and will be remembered by Bostonians - first and foremost - as a fighter.  For nearly a half-century in the Senate, Kennedy fought to reform our schools, strengthen our civil rights, help seniors and working families, lift up the poor, and to ensure every American has access to quality and affordable health care.

I will most remember him for the eulogy he gave for his brother Bobby in 1968.  The description he gave his brother also sums up what he was to many as someone who “saw wrong and tried to right it, saw suffering and tried to heal it, saw war and tried to stop it.”

I am proud of how our campaign has been working to recruit support from all over the city. The network of volunteers and the infrastructure we are building will give us an enormous opportunity to win.

In the last few weeks our campaign has been busy:

• Opened our first campaign office!  Please stop on in and pick up signs, bumper stickers, make calls or just say hi.  We’re at 258 W. Broadway in South Boston;
• Gained new and major endorsements, including the Greater Boston Labor Council, which represents over 90,000 workers from Boston and surrounding communities;
• Raised a significant amount of money and find ourselves a leader in cash on hand amongst the dozen challengers in the race;
• Knocked on doors and stood out with my supporters holding signs at rotaries from one side of the city to the other;
• Held house parties, coffees, and meet & greets in neighborhoods all across our city.

Because of our progress the Boston Phoenix recently called our campaign a favorite to win!  Now it’s time to expand our network and continue to get the word out to voters.  No matter where you live, our success will depend on your involvement.

Sign up to join our campaign now, host a coffee, make a donation and we’ll make sure you’re aware of all the latest news and opportunities to make a difference.