Fighting for us, a decade of delivering results.
Erika is a daughter of immigrants, an antitrust economist, and a fearless fighter for a transparent Beacon Hill that works for all of us.
What Inspired Me to Run
I grew up in a union household, raised by a single mother who immigrated from post-war Japan for a better life. As a flight attendant for TWA, my mom and her union got attacked by greedy investors chasing profit. I learned firsthand, we don't win by asking nicely, we win by fighting and organizing together.
The Massachusetts State House is one of the least transparent legislatures in the country, where votes were taken behind closed doors. For decades, our community's priorities took a back seat to fast-tracked corporate handouts. During Trump's first presidency, Beacon Hill didn't pass a single bill to protect immigrants from ICE, stalled meaningful climate policy, while multiple tax breaks for the world's largest corporations sailed through without a recorded vote.
That's why I led the fight to make all votes publicly available, which we won last year! I co-founded Act on Mass, a statewide grassroots organization building a movement for legislative transparency. Even though many legislators on Beacon Hill said, "it can't be done," we built up the political pressure so powerful people can't tell us no.
In addition to making all votes publicly available, with more transparency and working in a coalition with a small group of legislators on the inside, and unions, community organizations, and residents like you, we successfully blocked a corporate tax break that had been slipped into the budget, and helped secure $1.5 billion for public schools.
What We Have Delivered
With the accountability from more transparency, and when we organize and demand better, we win. Now that all votes are on the record, we built up the political pressure for the Massachusetts State House to take action to protect immigrants from ICE. This past spring, we advanced two pieces of legislation that will put up significant barriers to stop ICE from terrorizing our communities.
We blocked a bill that would have let utility giants hike up our electricity and gas bills for their profits, while pulling back all of our state's climate commitments. This was possible thanks to transparency and pressure from our statewide climate justice movements.
What Is Next
I'm running for State Senate because our community cannot afford business-as-usual. Together, we can build a State House that finally tackles the crushing cost of living, protects our neighbors, and reins in unregulated AI.
What we have delivered. Not promises. Results.
Forced Beacon Hill Into the Open
Erika fought to end voting behind closed doors and put every vote on the public record. That is how we built the political pressure to move our priorities forward and stop corporations from raising your utility bills.
Stopped utility giants from hiking up your bills
Erika led the fight to stop utilities from profiting off of our monthly bills and pulling back our climate commitments. She successfully advanced the climate justice movement's priorities into the latest version of the bill: stopping rate hikes, holding for-profit utilities accountable, and investing in a clean transition.
Ended the Predatory Practice of Forced Broker Fees
Erika wrote and passed the bill to save renters money by ending the practice of charging renters for a broker they did not hire.
Helped pass immigrant protections and advance privacy protections against ICE
During Trump's first term, all bills to protect immigrants from ICE quietly died in committee. By building up grassroots political pressure through more transparency, and laying out concretely what the State House can do to get ICE out of Massachusetts, two bills to protect immigrants moved forward this year.
Doubled funding for local affordable housing investments
Erika led the campaign and won, doubling funding for affordable housing and green space by $3M to $6M a year in Somerville.
Worked to usher in $1.5 billion in new school funding
Erika led the inside outside organizing alongside educators and labor unions to win $1.5 billion in new public school funding for special education, English language learners, and low-income students.
Blocked tax breaks benefiting corporations and the ultra wealthy
When tax breaks for large corporations and the wealthy were slipped into bills, Erika mobilized a coalition of legislators on the inside and unions and community organizations on the outside to block them, helping invest over $100 million back into our communities.
Advanced the blueprint for fare-free buses and secured funding for repairs
Erika filed legislation and successfully pushed the MBTA to lay out a plan and estimate the cost for fare-free buses across the entire network. She fought for and won $850 million to fix the MBTA's backlog of repairs and deferred maintenance, helping eliminate slow zones across the system.