Monday, October 5, 2026

Franklin Democratic Town Committee Backs Slate of Democratic Candidates Ahead of 2026 Elections

The Franklin Democratic Town Committee (FDTC), the official Democratic Party organization in Franklin, Massachusetts, today announced its support for a full slate of Democratic candidates on the ballot who represent Franklin residents at the federal and state level: U.S. Senator Ed Markey, Governor Maura Healey, Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll, Attorney General Andrea Campbell, Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin, Treasurer Deborah Goldberg, Auditor Diana DiZoglio, U.S. Representative Jake Auchincloss, Norfolk District Attorney Djuna Perkins, Norfolk County Register of Probate Colleen Brierley, Norfolk County Treasurer Michael Bellotti, Norfolk County Commissioner Peter Collins, Governor's Councillor Tamisha Civil, State Senator Becca Rausch, and State Representatives Tom Melville and Jeffrey Roy. 

Franklin Democratic Town Committee Backs Slate of Democratic Candidates Ahead of 2026 Elections
The committee is made up of 35 members elected by Franklin voters on the Democratic presidential primary ballot, along with a broader roster of associate members open to any registered Democrat in town, and works to elect Democrats at the municipal, state, and federal levels while engaging Franklin residents on issues including affordable health care, public education, reproductive rights, economic opportunity, and climate action. The FDTC typically meets on the second Monday of each month at 7 p.m. at the Franklin TV studio, 23 Hutchinson Street, and welcomes all Franklin residents to attend.

The slate includes incumbents and challengers on the upcoming Democratic primary and general election ballots, and the committee encourages all registered Democrats and unenrolled voters in Franklin to confirm their registration status, review early voting options, and make a plan to vote.

"Franklin voters have a real choice this year, and Democrats up and down the ballot are the ones showing up with real plans to lower costs, protect our rights, and make government work for working families," said Rachel Plukas, Chair of the Franklin Democratic Town Committee. "This slate reflects the values Franklin cares about: affordability, honest government, and standing up for the people who've been left behind. We're proud to introduce these candidates to our neighbors and encourage every Franklin Democrat to get involved."

Below is an overview of each candidate and the priorities driving their campaign, drawn from their official campaign materials.


U.S. Senate: Ed Markey

Markey is running for a third full term, centering his campaign on lowering costs for working families through prescription drug and health care savings, expanding affordable housing and public transit, and continuing his long record on climate action, gun safety, and consumer protection. He has also emphasized regulating emerging technologies like artificial intelligence to prevent data exploitation and inequality.


Governor: Maura Healey

Healey is running for a second term alongside Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll on a platform focused on lowering costs, building on her first-term housing and transportation record, and opposing Trump administration policies affecting Massachusetts families. Her campaign points to the elimination of renters' broker fees, a commitment to build 100,000 new homes, and reforms to the MBTA as first-term accomplishments, with a second term aimed at defending health care and abortion rights, expanding vaccine access, and continuing to lower costs statewide.


Lieutenant Governor: Kim Driscoll

Driscoll is running for a second term as part of the Healey-Driscoll ticket, the nation's first all-women governor and lieutenant governor team. The campaign's shared platform centers on affordability, housing production, transportation improvements, and standing up to federal actions that threaten health care, reproductive rights, and immigrant families in Massachusetts.


Attorney General: Andrea Campbell

Campbell, the first Black woman elected to statewide office in Massachusetts, is seeking a second term built around consumer protection, affordability, and continued legal challenges to the Trump administration's policies. Her campaign highlights first-term initiatives on reproductive justice, gun violence prevention, elder protection, and police accountability, alongside efforts to expand housing access. Campbell has described her own path through foster care as part of why she prioritizes reducing poverty and widening access to opportunity across the Commonwealth.


Secretary of the Commonwealth: William Galvin

Galvin is seeking a record ninth term, saying his main motivation is concern over potential federal interference in future elections and in the next decennial census count. He has pledged to keep Massachusetts elections accessible and secure, and to push back against redistricting or ballot-access efforts he sees as politically motivated. Galvin also continues to back a ballot measure that would allow voters to register and cast a ballot on Election Day, an idea the state Democratic Party has already endorsed.


Treasurer: Deborah Goldberg

Goldberg, the longest-serving treasurer in state history, is seeking a fourth term built around economic stability and opportunity for Massachusetts families. Her priorities include expanding retirement savings access for nonprofit employees, protecting the state's pension fund and overall financial standing, and continuing the work of the Office of Economic Empowerment she created to advance financial education and wage equity.


Auditor: Diana DiZoglio

DiZoglio is running for a second term centered on her ongoing effort to audit the state Legislature, an authority voters granted her office through a 2024 ballot question. Her campaign emphasizes transparency and accountability across state government, building on her office's completed audits of every executive branch department during her first term.

U.S. Representative, 4th District: Jake Auchincloss

Auchincloss, chair of Majority Democrats, a coalition of younger House Democrats focused on renewing the party's message, is seeking re-election representing the district that includes Franklin. His campaign has centered on health care access, clean energy, and gun violence prevention, alongside his committee work on transportation infrastructure and strategic competition with China.


District Attorney, Norfolk District: Djuna Perkins

Perkins, a longtime prosecutor and civil attorney making her first run for elected office, is campaigning on restoring professionalism and public trust in the Norfolk DA's office following years of controversy under the previous administration. Her stated priorities include a top-to-bottom review of office practices, stronger support for crime victims, and a commitment to holding everyone accountable regardless of position or relationships.


Register of Probate, Norfolk County: Colleen Brierley

Brierley, an attorney and the incumbent register, is running on her record modernizing the Probate and Family Court's services for Norfolk County families. Her priorities include continued support for programs such as Lawyer of the Day, Attorneys Representing Children, and Domestic Violence Ended, along with reducing delays for residents navigating divorce, guardianship, adoption, and estate matters.


County Treasurer, Norfolk County: Michael Bellotti

Bellotti, the incumbent treasurer and a former Norfolk County sheriff, oversees the county's debt, cash management, and retirement system as chair of the county retirement board. His campaign emphasizes continued sound financial stewardship of the county's finances and pension system on behalf of Norfolk County towns, including Franklin.


County Commissioner, Norfolk County: Peter Collins

Collins, one of three members of the Norfolk County Commission, oversees shared county services and facilities on behalf of member towns, including the Registry of Deeds, the Norfolk County Agricultural High School, and county roads and bridges. His campaign centers on continuing that work with an emphasis on fiscal responsibility and maintaining service levels for Franklin and other Norfolk County communities.


Governor's Council, District 2: Tamisha Civil

Civil, the first woman of color elected to the District 2 seat since the Governor's Council was established in 1780, is running on a criminal justice reform platform. A former associate probation officer and victim-witness advocate, she has said her work is personally motivated by her cousin's wrongful 27-year imprisonment before his exoneration in 2021. Her stated priorities include appointing judges who are pro-choice, who take a public health approach to substance use rather than defaulting to incarceration, and who understand the impact of dismantling systemic injustice across Massachusetts.


State Senate, Norfolk, Worcester and Middlesex District: Becca Rausch

Rausch, whose district includes Franklin, is running for re-election on a broad platform she describes as rooted in intersectional social justice and equity. Her priorities include reproductive health care access, universal and affordable health care, public health infrastructure, climate action, election and voting rights reform, transparent and accountable government, and expanded public transportation. Her legislative record includes bills on youth mental health supports in schools, ranked-choice voting, plastics reduction, and modernizing the state's voter rolls.


State Representative, 9th Norfolk District: Tom Melville

Melville, a longtime journalist and attorney making his first run for elected office, is campaigning on a message of civility, transparency, and problem-solving for a neighboring district that includes Wrentham, Norfolk, Plainville, and parts of Medfield, Walpole, and Millis, though it does not include Franklin. A former executive news director at WBUR and news director at NECN, he has pledged to serve as a full-time, responsive representative available to all constituents regardless of party. His stated priorities include healthcare access, education, housing affordability, civil rights, and climate action, along with support for auditing the state legislature and strengthening government transparency.


State Representative, 10th Norfolk District: Jeffrey Roy

Roy, who represents Franklin in its entirety along with parts of Medway, is seeking re-election on a platform centered on constituent accessibility and results. His campaign emphasizes economic development, education, and public safety as his core priorities, along with a call for greater civility in government and productive, bipartisan compromise on Beacon Hill. Roy points to his prior service on Franklin's Town Council and as chair of the town's Master Plan Committee, and to his House record on clean energy and climate legislation, as evidence of his effectiveness in the district.


For more information, interview requests, or to get involved with the Franklin Democratic Town Committee, please contact Rachel Plukas, Chair, at chair@franklindemocrats.org.