Candidate Forum Recap

Candidate Forum Recap

For those who missed the League of Women Voters' candidate forum, here are my opening and closing remarks. 

Opening -- Who I Am, Why I'm Running

Thank you.  My name is Jim Gammill and let me tell you a bit about myself.  As you can tell, I stutter.  It doesn't bother me, I hope it won't bother you.

This is my birthday.  This is my home of 26 years, Belmont.  This is Susan, my wife of 33 years, and these are our four kids, including Margaret, also known as Ms. Gammill of Room 101 at the Winn Brook School.  

Susan supported me while I earned my PhD at MIT.  I taught at Harvard Business School and then worked in the finance and technology worlds.    

Recently I served as the chief-of-staff of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts.  And right out of college I worked for Jimmy Carter as a senior member of his campaign and White House staffs -- so I am not naive about what I'm getting into.

Here I am on my 59th birthday, and I know I am a very lucky person.  

Why stir up a good thing and run for State Rep?

Well, first it's a privilege to serve you.  Second, we need some true Independents, and after 35 years as a party activist I was fed up with what partisanship had done to our political life.

I have reached out to thousands of you, and you feel the same way too.

You know that 40 years of one-party rule has destroyed any sense of balance and competition and legislative due process.

This is your chance to send someone to Beacon Hill unchained from all the nonsense that goes with old-school, back-room politics.

I can pull this off, because I'm a nice, smart, funny, (modest!), collegial guy.  I'll be there as a servant for you, and as an honest witness to all the messy, gnarly problems we have to start solving now.

That's what you want.  Believe me, if I win, your voice will be heard throughout the state.

Closing -- The Game Changer

Thank you to the league, to all of you here, to those at home, and thank you to my supporters.

Last May, I was considered ….. a long shot.  Today, we are the game-changers.

Voting for me, free of both political parties, is the fastest way to send a message  that you, the voters, have figured out how to fix a system that no longer works.

With new strength, we can tackle our biggest challenge -- our long term financial viability.  We must take this on now, to protect our future.

I will work full time for you.  I will be your messenger, but this will be your message. 

Vote for me, Jim Gammill, the Independent, for Representative to the General Court, and bring the full force of Open Innovative Government to the people of Massachusetts.