Jamie Eldridge
Encyclopedia
James B. "Jamie" Eldridge (born August 11, 1973) is a Massachusetts State Senator
from the Middlesex and Worcester District. He was a candidate in Massachusetts's 5th congressional district special election, 2007
, finishing third in the five-way election. Eldridge previously served three terms in the Massachusetts House of Representatives
, where he sat on the Joint Committee on Community Development and Small Business, the Joint Committee on Election Laws, and the Joint Committee on Public Service. Eldridge is an Acton
native and the son of a public school kindergarten teacher and electrical engineer.
in 1991. He was one of the original founders of the school’s community service group, Acton Boxborough Community Outreach. He attended Johns Hopkins University
in Baltimore
, majoring in Political Science. While there, he was a member of Sigma Alpha Mu
, and volunteered in the 1992 Presidential Election
, and was elected student body President. During his time at Johns Hopkins, he interned for Congressman Marty Meehan
(D-Lowell). He started studies at Boston College Law School
in 1997 and graduated in 2000.
’s successful re-election campaign in 1998. During this campaign, he worked on the historic Massachusetts Clean Elections
bill, which provided public financing to political candidates willing to accept campaign spending limits and the prohibition of accepting of special interest and large financial contributions. After the bill passed by voter referendum, Jamie was appointed as the Middlesex-Worcester Senate District Coordinator.
In the same year, he also became Vice-president of the re-energized Acton Conservation Trust. He completed a summer internship as a student Prosecutor for the Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office. He worked as a prosecutor in the towns of Natick and Framingham, and assisted on the District Attorney’s Community-Based Justice (CBJ) program in the city of Lowell. In his final year of law school, Eldridge was elected chair of the Acton Democratic Town Committee.
Eldridge worked for Merrimack Valley Legal Services in Lowell, a non-profit organization that provides free legal services to the poor and the elderly
. He worked as a public interest lawyer in the fields of housing, Social Security disability, and unemployment law.
He received the National Association for Public Interest Law (NAPIL) Equal Justice Fellowship; a national two-year fellowship that allows recent law graduates to create their dream public interest project to help the less fortunate. The fellowship allowed him to create the Community Development Justice Project (CDJP), which allowed him to practice Community Economic Development (CED) law in Lowell, to help build affordable housing, start new businesses, and create non-profits to address local problems. Unfortunately, he had to leave his fellowship early to devote his full energies to run for the 37th Middlesex District open seat.
Eldridge was elected to serve as State Representative on November 5, 2002. Upon his election to the state legislature, Eldridge became the first elected official in the history of Massachusetts to be elected as a Clean Elections candidate. To date, he remains the only such elected official, as the Massachusetts Clean Elections law was repealed a little over a year later. He was first sworn in as State Representative on January 1, 2003, when he cast his first vote in the Speaker of the House election for Byron Rushing
over Thomas Finneran
. The district includes the towns of Acton
(precincts 3, 4, & 5), Boxborough
, Harvard
, Lancaster
(precinct 1), Lunenburg
, and Shirley
. As a result of the represented towns in this new district, Rep. Eldridge represents many of the residents of the Devens community, a former U.S. military base now run by the state.
In 2007, Eldridge was a candidate in the Democratic primary for a special election
to replace Marty Meehan
as US Representative
in Massachusetts's 5th congressional district
. He lost the five-way Democratic primary to Niki Tsongas
, whom he then endorsed. The Lowell Sun
called Eldridge's third place finish a "sign of a bright future".
Eldridge had endorsed Barack Obama
for President, and was elected to be a pledged delegate for Obama at the 2008 Democratic National Convention
.
Eldridge assumed the Massachusetts Senate
seat fomally held by Pam Resor
(District of Middlesex
and Worcester
) on January 1, 2009.
Eldrige won re-election to the state senate by 57% to 43% on November 2, 2010.
Eldridge is an extremely active state senator. He has proposed a variety of legislation on the environment, economic justice, and a variety of other issues in his legislative career. He was the lead sponsor of bullying-prevention legislation, a version of which was passed by the Legislature and signed into law in 2010.
In his next term in the state senate, Senator Eldridge has promised to fight for single-payer healthcare.
Massachusetts Senate
The Massachusetts Senate is the upper house of the Massachusetts General Court, the bicameral state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Senate comprises 40 elected members from 40 single-member senatorial districts in the state...
from the Middlesex and Worcester District. He was a candidate in Massachusetts's 5th congressional district special election, 2007
Massachusetts's 5th congressional district special election, 2007
Massachusetts held a special election to fill a vacancy in Massachusetts's 5th congressional district on October 16, 2007. Democrat Niki Tsongas won election to congress defeating Republican Jim Ogonowski in an election that was closer than expected....
, finishing third in the five-way election. Eldridge previously served three terms in the Massachusetts House of Representatives
Massachusetts House of Representatives
The Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from single-member electoral districts across the Commonwealth. Representatives serve two-year terms...
, where he sat on the Joint Committee on Community Development and Small Business, the Joint Committee on Election Laws, and the Joint Committee on Public Service. Eldridge is an Acton
Acton, Massachusetts
Acton is a suburban town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States about twenty-one miles west-northwest of Boston along Route 2 west of Concord and about ten miles southwest of Lowell. The population was 21,924 at the 2010 census...
native and the son of a public school kindergarten teacher and electrical engineer.
Education
Eldridge attended the Acton Public Schools and graduated from Acton-Boxborough Regional High SchoolActon-Boxborough Regional High School
Acton-Boxborough Regional High School is an open enrollment high school in Acton, Massachusetts. It serves the Massachusetts towns of Acton and Boxborough, with roughly 500 students per grade level in grades 9 through 12. ABRHS has consistently ranked among the top secondary schools in Massachusetts...
in 1991. He was one of the original founders of the school’s community service group, Acton Boxborough Community Outreach. He attended Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
in Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
, majoring in Political Science. While there, he was a member of Sigma Alpha Mu
Sigma Alpha Mu
Sigma Alpha Mu , also known as "Sammy", is a college fraternity founded at the City College of New York in 1909. Originally only for Jewish men, Sigma Alpha Mu remained so until 1953, when members from all backgrounds were accepted. Originally headquartered in New York, Sigma Alpha Mu has...
, and volunteered in the 1992 Presidential Election
United States presidential election, 1992
The United States presidential election of 1992 had three major candidates: Incumbent Republican President George Bush; Democratic Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton, and independent Texas businessman Ross Perot....
, and was elected student body President. During his time at Johns Hopkins, he interned for Congressman Marty Meehan
Marty Meehan
Martin Thomas "Marty" Meehan is an American attorney and politician from the state of Massachusetts. He is the current Chancellor of the University of Massachusetts Lowell, a position he assumed on July 1, 2007...
(D-Lowell). He started studies at Boston College Law School
Boston College Law School
Boston College Law School is one of the six professional graduate schools at Boston College. Located approximately 1.5 miles from the main Boston College campus in Chestnut Hill, Boston College Law School is situated on a wooded campus in Newton, Massachusetts.With approximately 800 students and...
in 1997 and graduated in 2000.
Career
In his second year of law school, Eldridge managed then-State Representative Pam ResorPam Resor
Pamela P. Resor was the Massachusetts State Senator for the Middlesex & Worcester District from her election in 1999 to her retirement in 2008.Resor attended Smith College in the 1960s...
’s successful re-election campaign in 1998. During this campaign, he worked on the historic Massachusetts Clean Elections
Clean elections
"Clean Elections" is a term used to describe a particular system of government financing of political campaigns, in which the government provides a grant to candidates who agree to limit their and private fundraising efforts and limit their campaign-spending.- In the United States :Clean Election...
bill, which provided public financing to political candidates willing to accept campaign spending limits and the prohibition of accepting of special interest and large financial contributions. After the bill passed by voter referendum, Jamie was appointed as the Middlesex-Worcester Senate District Coordinator.
In the same year, he also became Vice-president of the re-energized Acton Conservation Trust. He completed a summer internship as a student Prosecutor for the Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office. He worked as a prosecutor in the towns of Natick and Framingham, and assisted on the District Attorney’s Community-Based Justice (CBJ) program in the city of Lowell. In his final year of law school, Eldridge was elected chair of the Acton Democratic Town Committee.
Eldridge worked for Merrimack Valley Legal Services in Lowell, a non-profit organization that provides free legal services to the poor and the elderly
Legal aid
Legal aid is the provision of assistance to people otherwise unable to afford legal representation and access to the court system. Legal aid is regarded as central in providing access to justice by ensuring equality before the law, the right to counsel and the right to a fair trial.A number of...
. He worked as a public interest lawyer in the fields of housing, Social Security disability, and unemployment law.
He received the National Association for Public Interest Law (NAPIL) Equal Justice Fellowship; a national two-year fellowship that allows recent law graduates to create their dream public interest project to help the less fortunate. The fellowship allowed him to create the Community Development Justice Project (CDJP), which allowed him to practice Community Economic Development (CED) law in Lowell, to help build affordable housing, start new businesses, and create non-profits to address local problems. Unfortunately, he had to leave his fellowship early to devote his full energies to run for the 37th Middlesex District open seat.
Eldridge was elected to serve as State Representative on November 5, 2002. Upon his election to the state legislature, Eldridge became the first elected official in the history of Massachusetts to be elected as a Clean Elections candidate. To date, he remains the only such elected official, as the Massachusetts Clean Elections law was repealed a little over a year later. He was first sworn in as State Representative on January 1, 2003, when he cast his first vote in the Speaker of the House election for Byron Rushing
Byron Rushing
Byron Rushing serves the Ninth Suffolk district in the Massachusetts House of Representatives. A Democrat, first elected in 1982, Representative Rushing, serves as the Second Assistant Majority Leader...
over Thomas Finneran
Thomas Finneran
Thomas M. Finneran , is a radio talk host and former Massachusetts Democratic politician who served as Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives from April 1996 to September 2004...
. The district includes the towns of Acton
Acton, Massachusetts
Acton is a suburban town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States about twenty-one miles west-northwest of Boston along Route 2 west of Concord and about ten miles southwest of Lowell. The population was 21,924 at the 2010 census...
(precincts 3, 4, & 5), Boxborough
Boxborough, Massachusetts
Boxborough is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 4,996 at the 2010 census. The town name is often spelled "Boxboro" on highway signs and official documents, but the correct spelling is, in fact, Boxborough....
, Harvard
Harvard, Massachusetts
Harvard is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. A farming community settled in 1658 and incorporated in 1732, it has been home to several non-traditional communities, such as Harvard Shaker Village and the utopian Transcendentalist center Fruitlands...
, Lancaster
Lancaster, Massachusetts
Lancaster is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, in the United States. Incorporated in 1653, Lancaster is the oldest town in Worcester County...
(precinct 1), Lunenburg
Lunenburg, Massachusetts
Lunenburg is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 10,086 at the 2010 census.For geographic and demographic information on the census-designated place Lunenburg, please see the article Lunenburg , Massachusetts....
, and Shirley
Shirley, Massachusetts
-Demographics:This article describes the town of Shirley as a whole. Additional demographic detail is available which describes only the central settlement or village within the town, although that detail is included in the aggregate values reported here...
. As a result of the represented towns in this new district, Rep. Eldridge represents many of the residents of the Devens community, a former U.S. military base now run by the state.
In 2007, Eldridge was a candidate in the Democratic primary for a special election
Massachusetts's 5th congressional district special election, 2007
Massachusetts held a special election to fill a vacancy in Massachusetts's 5th congressional district on October 16, 2007. Democrat Niki Tsongas won election to congress defeating Republican Jim Ogonowski in an election that was closer than expected....
to replace Marty Meehan
Marty Meehan
Martin Thomas "Marty" Meehan is an American attorney and politician from the state of Massachusetts. He is the current Chancellor of the University of Massachusetts Lowell, a position he assumed on July 1, 2007...
as US Representative
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
in Massachusetts's 5th congressional district
Massachusetts's 5th congressional district
Massachusetts's 5th congressional district is a congressional district in northeastern Massachusetts. It contains the cities of Lowell, Lawrence, Haverhill, and Methuen...
. He lost the five-way Democratic primary to Niki Tsongas
Niki Tsongas
Nicola Dickson "Niki" Sauvage Tsongas is the U.S. Representative for , serving since a special election in 2007. She is a member of the Democratic Party.She is the widow of U.S. Senator Paul Tsongas, who represented the 5th district in the 1970s...
, whom he then endorsed. The Lowell Sun
Lowell Sun
The Sun is a daily newspaper based in Lowell, Massachusetts, United States, serving towns in Massachusetts and New Hampshire in the Greater Lowell area and beyond. Its circulation is about 50,000...
called Eldridge's third place finish a "sign of a bright future".
Eldridge had endorsed Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
for President, and was elected to be a pledged delegate for Obama at the 2008 Democratic National Convention
2008 Democratic National Convention
The United States 2008 Democratic National Convention was a quadrennial presidential nominating convention of the Democratic Party where it adopted its national platform and officially nominated its candidates for President and Vice President of the United States. The convention was held in Denver,...
.
Eldridge assumed the Massachusetts Senate
Massachusetts Senate
The Massachusetts Senate is the upper house of the Massachusetts General Court, the bicameral state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Senate comprises 40 elected members from 40 single-member senatorial districts in the state...
seat fomally held by Pam Resor
Pam Resor
Pamela P. Resor was the Massachusetts State Senator for the Middlesex & Worcester District from her election in 1999 to her retirement in 2008.Resor attended Smith College in the 1960s...
(District of Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
and Worcester
Worcester
The City of Worcester, commonly known as Worcester, , is a city and county town of Worcestershire in the West Midlands of England. Worcester is situated some southwest of Birmingham and north of Gloucester, and has an approximate population of 94,000 people. The River Severn runs through the...
) on January 1, 2009.
Eldrige won re-election to the state senate by 57% to 43% on November 2, 2010.
Eldridge is an extremely active state senator. He has proposed a variety of legislation on the environment, economic justice, and a variety of other issues in his legislative career. He was the lead sponsor of bullying-prevention legislation, a version of which was passed by the Legislature and signed into law in 2010.
In his next term in the state senate, Senator Eldridge has promised to fight for single-payer healthcare.
External links
- State Representative James Eldridge – Official Website
- Massachusetts General Court – State Representative James B. Eldridge – Official MA House Website
- Project Vote Smart – Representative James B. Eldridge (MA) – Profile
- Jamie Eldridge's State Senate Website – State Senate Website
- Follow the Money – James B Eldridge