As reported in the Boston Globe ("Former tech-group leader Tom Hopcroft drops state Senate bid"), I've ended my campaign for State Senate. My commitment to Massachusetts' future hasn't ended with it. Read on to see how I'm continuing that work through the Commonwealth Innovation Promise.
A NEW CONVERSATION ABOUT MASSACHUSETTS' FUTURE
Commonwealth Innovation Promise
While my campaign has ended, I remain committed to advancing my agenda supporting innovation and economic opportunity for all.
I sat down with each of the remaining candidates for the Second Middlesex to discuss the issues that animated my campaign and invite their participation. I asked each to name Massachusetts' biggest opportunity and obstacle, share how they'd lead across six policy areas, and describe what success would look like by 2040.
Since Winchester is split between the Second and Fifth Middlesex districts, I extended the same invitation to the Fifth Middlesex candidates. Two have responded so far, and I've left a placeholder for the third who has committed to responding.
The Commonwealth Innovation Promise provides voters with a clear look at how each candidate will lead, how they will prepare Massachusetts for the future, and how they will measure progress.
Left to right: Former candidate Tom Hopcroft with Second Middlesex candidates Burhan Azeem, Christine Barber, Matt McLaughlin, and Erika Uyterhoeven
MEET TOM:
Fresh Perspective. Proven Results.
Ready to Deliver for
the Second Middlesex
Democrat for Massachusetts State Senate
Massachusetts is ranked number one in the nation for education, innovation, and quality of life. So why are so many families being priced out of communities they love? Why are housing costs crushing young people before they can get started? Why do we keep talking about the same challenges year after year without solving them? The answer isn't a lack of good values on Beacon Hill. It's a lack of future-focused thinking and accountability. Massachusetts built its advantages by preparing early for what came next, and it will only keep them by doing the same now. Tom Hopcroft is a registered Democrat with an outsider's perspective and a proven record of results. A coalition builder who has spent his career creating opportunity, from expanding college access on the state Board of Higher Education to accelerating climate solutions to building the coalitions behind Massachusetts' innovation economy, Tom brings people together across business, government, academia, and nonprofits to deliver tangible change. It's time to close the gap between what Massachusetts could be and what Beacon Hill is delivering.
MY STORY
From immigrant family roots to public service leadership
Tom's grandfather immigrated from England and worked as a janitor to build a better life for his family. Growing up, Tom helped his parents resettle Cambodian refugee families. These experiences taught him that opportunity isn't guaranteed -- it requires commitment, hard work, and leaders who fight to expand access for everyone.
HOW I LEAD
Systems thinking, coalition building, & delivering results
Tom brings people together to solve problems no single stakeholder could solve alone. Whether expanding financial aid for college students, building coalitions for social justice, or creating communities of corporate sustainability leaders, he's proven he can bridge divides and deliver tangible results that create opportunity.
WHY I'M RUNNING
Massachusetts is #1.
Beacon Hill should be too.
We live in the best state in the country by almost every measure, yet families are being priced out, young people can't get started, and Beacon Hill keeps recycling the same problems year after year. Fresh perspective isn't just nice, it's a must-have. Tom is running because closing that gap will take someone who thinks differently about how to get things done.
Get
Involved!
The Kickoff Was Only The Beginning
Supporters from Somerville, Medford, Cambridge, Winchester, and beyond packed the room, and the energy in this race has only grown since. Tom is running because Massachusetts ranks dead last in legislative effectiveness, and decades of inaction on Beacon Hill have left families across this district with a housing crisis, shortages of mental health workers and specialists, and crumbling infrastructure.
He's also running as something none of the other candidates can claim: the only person in this race who has raised school-aged children in our public schools, and fought alongside parents for special education, mental health support, and the resources every kid deserves. That lived experience isn't a talking point. It's why he's in this race.
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Let's send Tom to fight for us on Beacon Hill! Request a yard sign, get involved, or make a contribution.
WHAT I'LL FIGHT FOR
Creating opportunity, ensuring affordability, climate action
I'll fight to ensure Massachusetts creates good jobs that pay enough to actually live here, in skilled trades, clean energy, tech innovation, and the service industries that keep our communities running, with career pathways for everyone to participate in our economy. I'll work to make housing, healthcare, education, and childcare affordable so families can build lives in the communities they love, young people can start careers here, and seniors can age in place with dignity. And I'll stand firm on our climate commitments even as Washington interferes, accelerating local solutions and creating neighborhoods that are green, safe, and accessible for everyone.
PROVEN RESULTS
Delivering tangible results that create opportunity
I've delivered tangible results across Massachusetts. As President of the Mass Tech Leadership Council, I championed immigrants as innovators, commissioned research cited by Supreme Court justices, and helped our economy add tens of thousands of jobs. I founded the Net Zero Institute and built a vibrant community of corporate sustainability leaders while championing Winchester's first net-zero building. On the Board of Higher Education, I helped create the state's Early College program, enabling students to take college courses for free while in high school. Today, roughly 10,000 students are enrolled, and 66% immediately enroll in higher education after graduating.
SERVING THE SECOND MIDDLESEX
The Second Middlesex Senate District, including portions of Cambridge, all of Medford and Somerville, and part of Winchester, is home to approximately 175,000 residents across a diversity of urban and suburban residential, commercial, and mixed-use neighborhoods.
From Cambridge's innovation economy to Somerville's vibrant culture, Medford's family-friendly neighborhoods to Winchester's suburban charm, this district represents the best of Massachusetts. What connects us is a commitment to opportunity, affordability, climate action, and quality of life.
I'm running to represent all of us.
CAMPAIGN NEWS
Former tech-group leader Tom Hopcroft drops state Senate bid
As the former head of a prominent statewide tech group, Tom Hopcroft thought he had the ideas — and the connections — to be a credible candidate for state Senate. But the former CEO of the Mass Technology Leadership Council found that raising enough money wasn’t as easy as he thought it would be. Hopcroft is announcing this week that he’s dropping out.... [More]
Hopcroft still pushing to bring ideas to Senate floor
After ending his campaign to replace state Sen. Patricia Jehlen in the 2nd Middlesex district, Tom Hopcroft said he thought it was the best way to continue to advance his ideas....
Hopcroft did say he has plans to meet with the other candidates in the race to discuss their approaches to major issues like innovation, transparency and more.... [More]
Winchester resident Tom Hopcroft ends Senate campaign, will remain on ballot
Tom Hopcroft has ended his campaign for the Second Middlesex state Senate seat after eight months, saying he did not have the money or the campaign organization to stay competitive and that he could do more for his priorities by stepping aside before the Sept. 1 Democratic primary.... [More]
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