Anna Callahan

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Anna Callahan

Democratic Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

September 1, 2020

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign X

Campaign Instagram

Campaign YouTube

Anna Callahan (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Massachusetts House of Representatives to represent the 34th Middlesex District. She lost in the Democratic primary on September 1, 2020.

Callahan completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Click here to read the survey answers.

Elections

2020

See also: Massachusetts House of Representatives elections, 2020

General election

General election for Massachusetts House of Representatives 34th Middlesex District

Incumbent Christine Barber won election in the general election for Massachusetts House of Representatives 34th Middlesex District on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Christine Barber (D)	98.6	17,668
		Other/Write-in votes	1.4	259

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 17,927
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Massachusetts House of Representatives 34th Middlesex District

Incumbent Christine Barber defeated Anna Callahan in the Democratic primary for Massachusetts House of Representatives 34th Middlesex District on September 1, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Christine Barber	58.0	6,051
		Anna Callahan	41.9	4,370
		Other/Write-in votes	0.2	16

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 10,437
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Campaign themes

2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Anna Callahan completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Callahan's responses.

Expand All

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I'm a software engineer and mom.

I am running to lead the fight for good government and transparency in the State House, champion a Massachusetts Green New Deal, and change the conservation around housing as a human right. Not only will these be legislative priorities, but I plan to build coalitions and grassroots movements around these issues.

In 2016 (while living briefly on the west coast) I helped elect a slate of candidates for both city council and mayor in Berkeley, CA, as well as a public financing of elections ballot measure. I was appointed to the Open Government and Fair Campaign Practices Commissions where I helped finalize and implement those laws. I then founded The Incorruptibles and worked with Mayor Gayle McLaughlin, union organizer Jane McAlevey, and others to create workshops that empower people to achieve bold progressive change through movement-building local electoral work. I have trained people in dozens of cities in person, and many more online.

I served on the board of Mass Alliance for over a year. I run a podcast on state politics, Incorruptible Massachusetts, where I interview some of the most progressive State Reps, as well as organizations involved in the progressive movement.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• We need more than progressive values from our state rep; we need progressive action. Transparency is the #1 reason why we cannot get progressive policy passed through the Massachusetts State House. On most bills, there is no way for people to know how their own state rep is voting, so they cannot hold them accountable.
• The Massachusetts State House has rules, financial incentives, and a culture that breeds an undemocratic concentration of power in the hands of the Speaker. State reps should be accountable to their constituents, not the Speaker. The constituents of the 34th Middlesex deserve a representative who will fight for them and their values; not play politics and contribute to a system of corrupt inaction.
• We will not get bold action on climate change, single-payer health care, or criminal justice reform without getting a lot more people engaged in politics. Elected officials have a duty to seek out communities who are disengaged, going to them and not waiting for them to come to office hours, and empowering them to take action in bringing about the change we all want. We must build coalitions of under-served communities.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Transparency at the State House, bold climate action, criminal justice overhaul, housing as a right.

The Massachusetts State House is rated very poorly on good government. Transparency is a basic necessity of good government that allows us to hold elected officials accountable. We must make all votes public, allow legislators and constituents enough time to read and mobilize around bills, and reign in the power of the Speaker so that popular bills can move forward.

Climate Action: Every time we turn around, scientists say they got it wrong - climate change is even worse than we thought. We must take urgent action, and residents of MA are ready. However, our legislature cannot even commit to 100% renewables by 2050 because of the power the Speaker has in the State House.

Criminal Justice Overhaul: Massachusetts can lead the nation in moving toward restorative justice, with a goal of healing communities not punishment for punishment's sake. I will work with members of the Black community and other communities of color to push forward the legislation most important to them.

Housing: The extreme cost of housing drives people to leave Massachusetts, forces residents to spend upwards of 50% of their income on rent, and all too often leads to homelessness. I will push for big-picture changes like social housing and community land trusts, and fight for housing justice - bills that can slow gentrification and allow our communities to remain intact.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

See also

2020 Elections

What's on the ballot? U.S. President U.S. Congress U.S. Congress special elections State executives State legislatures State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards Election analysis hub

Government

Who represents me? U.S. CongressState executivesState legislators State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards

Newsletters

Coronavirus Weekly Updates Documenting America's Path to Recovery The Heart of the Primaries The Daily Brew The Weekly Brew The Ballot Bulletin Checks and Balances Economy and Society Hall Pass Number of the Day Robe & Gavel Union Station

External links

• Search Google News for this topic

Footnotes

[show]

Current members of the Massachusetts House of Representatives

Leadership

Speaker of the House:Ronald Mariano

Majority Leader:Michael Moran

Representatives

Barnstable, Dukes, and Nantucket District

Thomas Moakley (D)

1st Barnstable District

Chris Flanagan (D)

1st Berkshire District

John Barrett (D)

1st Bristol District

Michael Chaisson (R)

1st Essex District

Dawne Shand (D)

1st Franklin District

Vacant

1st Hampden District

Todd Smola (R)

1st Hampshire District

Lindsay Sabadosa (D)

1st Middlesex District

Margaret Scarsdale (D)

1st Norfolk District

Bruce Ayers (D)

1st Plymouth District

Michelle Badger (D)

1st Suffolk District

Adrian Madaro (D)

1st Worcester District

Kimberly Ferguson (R)

2nd Barnstable District

Kip Diggs (D)

2nd Berkshire District

Tricia Farley-Bouvier (D)

2nd Bristol District

James Hawkins (D)

2nd Essex District

Kristin Kassner (D)

2nd Franklin District

Susannah Whipps (U)

2nd Hampden District

Brian Ashe (D)

2nd Hampshire District

Homar Gomez (D)

2nd Middlesex District

James Arciero (D)

2nd Norfolk District

Tackey Chan (D)

2nd Plymouth District

John Gaskey (R)

2nd Suffolk District

Daniel Ryan (D)

2nd Worcester District

Jonathan Zlotnik (D)

3rd Barnstable District

David Vieira (R)

3rd Berkshire District

Leigh Davis (D)

3rd Bristol District

Lisa Field (D)

3rd Essex District

Andy Vargas (D)

3rd Hampden District

Nicholas Boldyga (R)

3rd Hampshire District

Mindy Domb (D)

3rd Middlesex District

Kate Hogan (D)

3rd Norfolk District

Ronald Mariano (D)

3rd Plymouth District

Joan Meschino (D)

3rd Suffolk District

Aaron Michlewitz (D)

3rd Worcester District

Michael Kushmerek (D)

4th Barnstable District

Hadley Luddy (D)

4th Bristol District

Steven Howitt (R)

4th Essex District

Estela Reyes (D)

4th Hampden District

Kelly Pease (R)

4th Middlesex District

Danielle Gregoire (D)

4th Norfolk District

James Murphy (D)

4th Plymouth District

Patrick Joseph Kearney (D)

4th Suffolk District

David Biele (D)

4th Worcester District

Natalie Higgins (D)

5th Barnstable District

Steven Xiarhos (R)

5th Bristol District

Justin Thurber (R)

5th Essex District

Andrew Tarr (D)

5th Hampden District

Patricia Duffy (D)

5th Middlesex District

David Linsky (D)

5th Norfolk District

Mark Cusack (D)

5th Plymouth District

David DeCoste (R)

5th Suffolk District

Christopher Worrell (D)

5th Worcester District

Donald Berthiaume (R)

6th Bristol District

Carole Fiola (D)

6th Essex District

Hannah Bowen (D)

6th Hampden District

Michael Finn (D)

6th Middlesex District

Priscila Sousa (D)

6th Norfolk District

William Galvin (D)

6th Plymouth District

Kenneth Sweezey (R)

6th Suffolk District

Russell Holmes (D)

6th Worcester District

John Marsi (R)

7th Bristol District

Alan Silvia (D)

7th Essex District

Manny Cruz (D)

7th Hampden District

Aaron Saunders (D)

7th Middlesex District

Jack Lewis (D)

7th Norfolk District

Richard Wells (D)

7th Plymouth District

Alyson Sullivan-Almeida (R)

7th Suffolk District

Chynah Tyler (D)

7th Worcester District

Paul Frost (R)

8th Bristol District

Steven Ouellette (D)

8th Essex District

Jenny Armini (D)

8th Hampden District

Shirley Arriaga (D)

8th Middlesex District

James Arena-DeRosa (D)

8th Norfolk District

Edward Philips (D)

8th Plymouth District

Dennis Gallagher (D)

8th Suffolk District

Jay Livingstone (D)

8th Worcester District

Michael Soter (R)

9th Bristol District

Christopher Markey (D)

9th Essex District

Donald Wong (R)

9th Hampden District

Orlando Ramos (D)

9th Middlesex District

Thomas Stanley (D)

9th Norfolk District

Marcus Vaughn (R)

9th Plymouth District

Bridget Plouffe (D)

9th Suffolk District

John Moran (D)

9th Worcester District

David Muradian (R)

10th Bristol District

Mark Sylvia (D)

10th Essex District

Dan Cahill (D)

10th Hampden District

Carlos Gonzalez (D)

10th Middlesex District

John Lawn (D)

10th Norfolk District

Jeffrey Roy (D)

10th Plymouth District

Michelle DuBois (D)

10th Suffolk District

Bill MacGregor (D)

10th Worcester District

Brian Murray (D)

11th Bristol District

Christopher Hendricks (D)

11th Essex District

Sean Reid (D)

11th Hampden District

Bud Williams (D)

11th Middlesex District

Amy Sangiolo (D)

11th Norfolk District

Paul McMurtry (D)

11th Plymouth District

Rita Mendes (D)

11th Suffolk District

Judith García (D)

11th Worcester District

Hannah Kane (R)

12th Bristol District

Norman Orrall (R)

12th Essex District

Thomas Walsh (D)

12th Hampden District

Angelo Puppolo (D)

12th Middlesex District

Greg Schwartz (D)

12th Norfolk District

John Rogers (D)

12th Plymouth District

Kathleen LaNatra (D)

12th Suffolk District

Brandy Fluker-Reid (D)

12th Worcester District

Meghan Kilcoyne (D)

13th Bristol District

Antonio Cabral (D)

13th Essex District

Sally Kerans (D)

13th Middlesex District

Carmine Gentile (D)

13th Norfolk District

Joshua Tarsky (D)

13th Suffolk District

Daniel Hunt (D)

13th Worcester District

John Mahoney (D)

14th Bristol District

Adam Scanlon (D)

14th Essex District

Adrianne Ramos (D)

14th Middlesex District

Simon Cataldo (D)

14th Norfolk District

Alice Peisch (D)

14th Suffolk District

Rob Consalvo (D)

14th Worcester District

James O'Day (D)

15th Essex District

Ryan Hamilton (D)

15th Middlesex District

Michelle Ciccolo (D)

15th Norfolk District

Tommy Vitolo (D)

15th Suffolk District

Sam Montaño (D)

15th Worcester District

Mary Keefe (D)

16th Essex District

Francisco Paulino (D)

16th Middlesex District

Rodney Elliott (D)

16th Suffolk District

Jessica Giannino (D)

16th Worcester District

Daniel Donahue (D)

17th Essex District

Frank Moran (D)

17th Middlesex District

Vacant

17th Suffolk District

Kevin Honan (D)

17th Worcester District

David LeBoeuf (D)

18th Essex District

Tram Nguyen (D)

18th Middlesex District

Tara Hong (D)

18th Suffolk District

Michael Moran (D)

18th Worcester District

Joseph McKenna (R)

19th Middlesex District

David Allen Robertson (D)

19th Suffolk District

Jeffrey Turco (D)

19th Worcester District

Kate Donaghue (D)

20th Middlesex District

Bradley Jones (R)

21st Middlesex District

Kenneth Gordon (D)

22nd Middlesex District

Marc Lombardo (R)

23rd Middlesex District

Sean Garballey (D)

24th Middlesex District

David Rogers (D)

25th Middlesex District

Marjorie Decker (D)

26th Middlesex District

Mike Connolly (D)

27th Middlesex District

Erika Uyterhoeven (D)

28th Middlesex District

Joseph McGonagle (D)

29th Middlesex District

Steven Owens (D)

30th Middlesex District

Richard Haggerty (D)

31st Middlesex District

Michael Day (D)

32nd Middlesex District

Kate Lipper-Garabedian (D)

33rd Middlesex District

Steven Ultrino (D)

34th Middlesex District

Christine Barber (D)

35th Middlesex District

Paul Donato (D)

36th Middlesex District

Colleen Garry (D)

37th Middlesex District

Danillo Sena (D)

Democratic Party (132)

Republican Party (25)

Unenrolled (1)

Vacancies (2)

Capital: Boston

Massachusetts

Elections

What's on my ballot? • Elections in 2026 • How to vote • How to run for office • Ballot measures

Government

Who represents me? • U.S. President • U.S. Congress • Federal courts • State executives • State legislature • State and local courts • Counties • Cities • School districts • Public policy