It is no secret that most people move to Sudbury for the high-achieving school system. For this reason, we, the members of The Forum, are choosing to endorse two candidates who we feel will work to make our system better. A member of the Select Board is responsible for overseeing town operations and implementing decisions made by the Town Meeting. Therefore, endorsing candidates who are dedicated to making our schools better is necessary. These members of the Select Board are the ones who will represent our town in its decisions; it is important to select candidates who will fight for each member of Sudbury to have the best quality of life, regardless of ethnicity, religion, gender, or any other identities one may have.

In no particular order, the first candidate we endorse is Lisa Kouchakdjian. Kouchakdjian served as a member of the school committee for two terms. She does not believe in running a government in the same way a business is run, which allows her to truly think of the people being affected by her decisions. She promises to promote acceptance and denounce discrimination, which are core values held deeply by both Sudbury and LS. 

The next candidate we endorse is Radha Gargeya. As a chair of the Sudbury 250 Committee, Gargeya notes the importance of Sudbury’s history and uses this as inspiration for his environmental work. Gargeya believes in fiscal responsibility and will ensure that Sudbury is on a financially sustainable and efficient track. He is also a strong proponent of complete openness and making community members feel supported and safe. It is the job of elected officials to stand up for the people they are representing; Kouchakdjian and Gargeya’s strong belief in inclusivity will allow them to do just that. 

While we, the members of The Forum, agree with many of the ideas outlined in Kevin Mathews’ agenda, we also believe that our newspaper, dedicated to making everyone feel heard, can not endorse a candidate who, when asked by members of our staff, failed to comment on any questions concerning people of the LGBTQ+ community. We want a candidate who speaks freely on all issues and does not hide his true feelings on such important matters. We support those who are not just allies but upstanders, willing to voice their support of accepting everyone, no matter their gender, race, sexuality, and more.

We encourage those eligible to take to the polls on March 31st. Remember to stay educated on the officials you are electing, as they will be representing us all as a town.