Getting to Know Each Other

One of the bigger challenges a first-time candidate faces is finding a way to let the voters get to know him or her.  In my case, I’m running as a challenger for a Ward 5 – Alderman At Large seat against two established incumbents.  I have held a few appointed and volunteer positions across the City, but still have very little in the way of name recognition as compared to my competitors.

As a result, welcome to installment 1 of my campaign blog.  Through this, I intend to give you the chance to learn a little about me, what makes me tick, and what made me decide to run in the first place.  For the moment, I will start by telling you I’m a serial volunteer, a local activist, a small business owner, a husband, and a dad to two kids (one at Angier, and one entering Newton South).

I care deeply about our schools, our village centers, our open spaces.  I want to make sure that Newton remains a place where people of different economic and social backgrounds can come together.  I want to make sure that the City remains economically stable over time.  I also want to make sure that we continue to celebrate this City of Villages.  Moreover, I not only care about these things – I have acted on them in the ten years I and my family have been in this City. 

Another of the great challenges is to get out and get to know as much about the voters as possible.  No, there’s really no way to get to meet everyone, but I know that my experience of living and working in Newton is not the same as everyone else’s.  It’s been a year and a half since I made the decision to run, and I have spoken with a good number of people across the City, but I’m still looking forward to talking with others who can share their vision of what they want their community – this City of Newton – to be.

I promise you I will use this space over the coming months to discuss more of what I feel are some of the most pressing issues facing our City.  Moreover, I hope to give you more of an idea of what I believe, and what I as an Alderman would propose to do.  Some of my language may be a little flip, and some of it may seem tangential, but I think it’s all in keeping with the spirit of a blog like this.

I usually end just about every note with an open offer, and I will do the same here.  I’d love to chance to talk with you directly.  Please feel free to reach out to me directly if you would like.  Please take a look over at www.steele4newton.org to learn more about me and also to drop me a line.

I look forward to talking with you more very soon.