On Thursday, Feb. 26, Brandeis alum Ravi Simon ’19 hosted a kickoff for his campaign as state representative. Simon, who is currently aide to State Representative Carmine Gentile, is running to replace Gentile after he announced that he would not be running for re-election this year. Though Gentile was unable to attend the event, he was spoken of fondly by many of the night’s speakers. The kickoff was held inside the First Parish of Sudbury in a crowded room filled with dozens of supporters. Dark blue posters with the words “Ravi Simon for State Rep” decorated every table and across each wall. The Democratic Representative for the Middlesex and Worcester district, Jamie Eldridge, introduced Simon to the crowd. Eldridge spoke about Simon’s many years of service and accomplishments, describing him as an individual who is “passionate about service and committed to 

moving these progressive values forward.” 

Simon offered his own remarks and began by thanking Carmine Gentile for all he had learned during his time as an intern. He then segued into a discussion about his platform and more contentious issues that affect Massachusetts citizens. Simon criticized efforts to scapegoat diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives as well as immigrants and transgender kids rather than focusing on the many issues that plague the state. Simon also challenged members of his own party, asserting that “we see defenders of a broken status quo.” Simon’s progressive platform represents a new wave of Democratic policy, and his approach is emblematic of many of the young politicians on the left who have begun taking matters into their own hands after feeling as though the politics of the older generation weren’t addressing their needs.

Simon’s platform focuses on current pressing issues that he believes he can bring his generation’s unique perspective to, including affordability, the climate crisis and immigration. He is running to represent the 13th Middlesex district which is composed of Lincoln, Sudbury, Concord, Wayland and Marlborough. 

In a Feb. 1 interview with The Justice, Simon expanded on his platform’s goals, as well as the role Brandeis had in influencing his path. When he first arrived at Brandeis, Simon shared, he was interested in many different career paths and decided to pursue a triple major in Politics, History and Philosophy. While on campus, he was inspired by the University’s engagement with social justice culture, which pushed him towards a career in public service. Following the 2016 election, campus activism grew more prevalent which inspired him to become directly involved with the Politics and Legal Studies departments, helping him explore state-level policy. In particular, he spoke about his positive experience in the course Advocacy for Policy Change taught by Prof. Melissa Stimell (LGLS). The class required students to pick a bill and advocate for it in the state house. Simon said that he expected his bill — Automatic Voter Registration — to be easy to pass as it only included small changes to voter registration forms. He quickly realized how difficult it was to get a bill passed, in a state where, even though the legislature was largely progressive, the political system did not always function the way he believed it should. He continued, “How can we make sure that on the state level, Massachusetts is doing everything that …  people take for granted that we are doing already?” The legal studies course ultimately caused him to think more critically about how politicians can do more to advocate for legislative change.

In addition to his coursework, Simon was also very active in the Brandeis community. He was a writer for both The Justice and the Brandeis International Journal, now known as the Brandeis Journal of Politics. Simon was most involved in debate and said that it helped him practice “public speaking and confidently presenting ideas.” He credited all these extracurriculars with helping him in different ways. Simon also mentioned the influences of some of his professors, including Prof. Stimell who led the advocacy course that made such an impression on him. The uniquely hands-on nature of the course gave him a realistic sense of what working at the state house would eventually be like. The second was the late Prof. Andreas Teuber (PHIL) who Simon found to be both a great professor and mentor. Teuber helped him more deeply think about ethical and moral questions that often intersect with his current work in politics. 

When asked about his immediate plans if he won, Simon jokingly responded that he wanted to focus on being “a good state rep.” He added that the election was very far off and for now, his main focus was on campaigning and engaging with the voters. However, he encouraged students to think about how they can get involved in local and state politics, emphasizing that citizens often make the largest impact at the local level. Simon also said that reaching out to state representatives or other local officials is the best way to start becoming civically engaged, as it also inspired him to become involved with the political process and has since evolved into a hopeful career in Massachusetts state politics.