What a wild ride this campaign has been, and while the end of this journey did not go as I had hoped, I am proud of what I accomplished, especially with no political organization, team or staff. 

In November 2022 I put up a social media post after voting of my ballot , the ballot had my name written in for State Representative & State Senator with the quote “voted for the best person for the job that I could think of” 

And no matter the outcome of the election, I still feel this is the case…as do 7,645 of you who took the time to learn more about me, to vote for me…but more importantly took the time to actually learn about, and realize what your current State Rep. has been up to over his 17-year career.

This was an uphill battle from the beginning, an uphill battle I was fully aware of, but one I felt was needed. Paul has skated by for far too long on the guy who grew up here act. An act that many voters have let him get away with year after year. Frequenting the senior centers to dole out ice cream, discounted movie tickets and free popcorn. He shows up in a suit, schmoozes with the best of them…and tells you exactly what you want to hear (including taking credit for formula based local and educational aid).

However, on the back end, quietly and very consistently he is a rubber stamp for the agenda of his party, an agenda that has led to the majority of the issues and concerns for the exact same people who vote for him.

– The abuse of, and unchecked spending, in relation to the state’s right to the shelter system which has a direct effect on Dedham

– The MBTA’s Communities Act, driving more density to Dedham

–  Supporting sanctuary cities/towns, and against ICE Detainers (literally supporting criminals from other countries over US citizens) 

– Increasing existing/enacting new taxes

–  Increased energy costs due to an overzealous and political driven schedule to eliminate natural gas (wait till you see the 30% increase in your gas bill this winter).

– And most egregious (as this is a large block of his voters)…he voted against measures that would have increased eligibility for senior citizen tax relief, and provided increased rebates on prescription drugs. 

Never mind, he has made NO effort to introduce or pass legislation that would provide a full or majority tax exemption for seniors (which some other states have).   

But hey…who cares about all of that when you get some free popcorn and a discounted move ticket from a nice guy in a suit who grew up in Dedham…or…who you blindly voted for because he has a (D) after his name.

If you paid attention during my campaign, you would have saw this this was never about me…it was about trying to bring the truth to you, my fellow neighbors, on what our “representation” is really representing up on Beacon Hill…and to show that we (Dedham/Westwood/Walpole P8), need more and could have been the start of the transformation that is desperately needed in Massachusetts politics. 

But unfortunately, as I stated in my final appeal…it appears for many of you that some “perceived” pain of change…is still greater than the actual pain we are feeling. So that means I have more work to do. 

I am grateful for the opportunity to meet so many residents over the past several months, learn about their day-to day lives, answer their questions and most importantly…actually listen to their concerns. 

This campaign has brought me so much closer to the people who make up our district, to our neighborhoods, and to our shared values. And that is why I am so disappointed to have the ending that we have, as my platform truly is, and was, developed from you, the long time and new residents of our district. 

Someday, we will move past voting for someone because where they are from, what their last name is, or old political ploys…but the vote shows that is not today. And while I adamantly disagree with much of what Paul has voted for over the past few years…that feeling is not greater than how committed I feel (especially more than ever) to making our district and Massachusetts, as a whole, a better place for all. 

So, to our newly re-elected State Rep…there is an open offer from me, to work with you, to help bring about positive change in our district. There is still a good number of your district that feels they are not getting what they need, are you open to fixing that? 

Thank you to all I have met along the way and those who supported me, this is not a goodbye, this is a start.

Drew Pepoli