Jason Lewis is being challenged by Women's Commission Chair and Melrose Democratic City Chair, Sam Hammar.
She must have big bucks, if she can afford to leave her full time job to run for State Senate. What does her husband do?
All the local politicians praise Senator Lewis. It will be interesting to see who will support her candidacy.

Lewis is a big phony and should face challengers. Not sure this one is anything more than a female empty suit, but perhaps she's got more grit than L. The local dem party is full of empty suits, sadly.

For the love of God! From bad to much worse.

SH is a pushy self promoter who will mow down anyone or anything not in her personal interest. The Mel Dems have many stories to share about the way she ran the group after she took over. She divides and pitts people against each other behind the scenes. She gives women politicians a bad name.

Both of them are phoney as can be. It will be fun to see them running against each other though.

Tell the stories. If you can't/won't, don't go vagueposting in an anonymous group about it. I personally think you don't know anything special, and just want to talk BS while appealing to some anonymous authority. Prove me wrong.

Is Hammar the same loser that tried to get people to donate to a Kickstarter campaign to get paid to go to political school?

Yes.

Just researched Hammar's address. House was bought in August 2015 for $875.000 when she moved to Melrose. A "Family Trust" was created in April 2017 for $100. Her Campaign Website claims "child care poor" but she is leaving her job to run full time for the State Senate? Also, just found her webpage requesting family and friends fund her participation in the Emerge Political Training. It doesn't "add up" !!!!! Show us the $, Sam!

Check out her profile on LinkedIn. Her employment history is revealing.

What’s wrong with her employment history?

Many jobs/short stints may mean political patronage/political hacking?
Or, Sam is more talk than action and is moved along ?????

Thank you. More of the same with the Women's Commission - one and done.

Received an email from Lewis for Senate today. His campaign kickoff in May lists his "Honorary Chairs". Very interesting that Paul Brodeur's name is conspicuously absent. They are joined at the hip on policy initiatives, community appearances and co-chair legislative committees. "Hammar TIme" must be chasing him. I have always voted for PB. If he supports Sam H. and throws Jason Lewis under the bus, his reputation with others on Beacon Hill will be permanently harmed. Sam Hammar is an opportunist!

Jason Lewis has issues that make him completely unendorsable in a contested primary. Dems will support him in the general if he wins but stuff is on the verge of coming out on him that makes Dems nervous to take his side with him getting challenged in a primary, especially from a woman.

The State Representatives from Malden and Stoneham have endorsed Lewis. The Mayors of Malden and Melrose have endorsed Lewis. The State Senate Leader, Harriet Chandler and the incoming State Senate Leader Karen Spilka have endorsed Lewis. Congresswoman Katherine Clark has been named as an Honory Chair of the campaign to re-elect Jason Lewis. Brodeur has not taken a stand which I agree with the previous poster is curious unless he wants Hammar to win and Lewis to lose. PB seems afraid to publicly back SH knowing how politics works on Beacon Hill.

PB is always a weanie on any issue that might matter. He only steps out when it's totally safe and he has zero qualms, always spineless. No medals of courage ever from this one. Have you ever heard his voice when it mattered?

Sam is running for The Melrose Democrats "Outreach" Position. Isn't this a "Conflict of Interest"? Her interest like all her outreach activities is about self promotion. She is pushy, narcissistic and looking for votes!

"Hammar Time" claimed in a tweet that the City of Melrose has "shifted priorities" since Manisha, Kate and Jen were elected. NOW, the Melrose Community is represented. Sam continually shows her divisive ways and means. Melrose has elected men and women (serving currently and in the past) who supported families, children and the schools (were mothers and fathers of young children themselves AND/OR were single/married people w/out children who care/cared too!). In fact "shifted" resources and tax dollars given to the school budget impacted/neglected other departments and the City infrastructure. Sam is loose with the truth and hurts the very issues she claims to advocate. Still wonder about her finances. Claims to be a "struggling" working mom. How can her husband be the stay at home parent while she quit her job to run for Senate? How could she have bought a house in 2015 which cost almost 900K? Sam Hammar is not good for Melrose, the State Senate or Women Politicians.

I agree. The VERY last thing we need is a self-absorbed, self-promoting carpetbagger who plays fast and loose with the truth running for ANYTHING.

Prediction: Lewis 67%, Hammar 29%, Blanks 4%. Goodbye and good riddance.

The Melrose Human Rights Commission should not promote any candidate for political office. A City Commission is never allowed to endorse a candidate in an election. The MHRC shared a post about their IFTAR dinner ending in a promotion of Sam Hammar “a special guest and great candidate”. This playing favorites is inappropriate and hurts their message.

What message is that? That they, like so many other Melrose "public servants", either have no clue or simply don't care about rules or ethics?

There were many "special guests" from Melrose and beyond. When the MHRC singled out Sam Hammar as a great candidate for political office, they hurt their reputation of promoting "One Community Open to All". They were clearly advertising for her. Legally they can't take sides as a Commission. The post should be taken off the Human Rights Facebook page and the Melrose Community Facebook Page. The Women's Commission had problems recently during the Ward 5 Alderman appointment when one of their Commissioners publicly trashed one candidate and supported another. City of Melrose Board and Commission members need to be reminded of State Ethics Laws, Open meeting Laws and how they can participate in political elections.

What did you expect? It's just another so-called "Commission" made up almost entirely of people with an agenda. If you're a woman or a "minority", whatever that is, you are treated differently than if you are just another male caucasian. Sen. Lewis should complain.

What does the human rights commission do to assert or protect human rights?

Nothing. It's essentially another Dolan misdirection. It was created so a bunch of whiners could feel better about themselves, while at the same time giving Dolan the benefit of not having to deal with their complaints constantly. The women's Commission is essentially the same thing. All show, no substance.

The problem here is that they have taken to "endorsing" candidates for office, and appear to be still doing it. As an official local government entity, they are clearly not supposed to be doing that. By welcoming their "special guest" Hammar, and stating what a "fine candidate" she is they broke the rules, and should be sanctioned. Sen. Lewis, who was also in attendance if I'm not mistaken, is the incumbent in that contest, and he received no such endorsement.

Instead of voting for one of these two Democrat candidates who are total failures - vote for the Republican candidate Erin Calvo-Bacci to tell the Democratic machine that they can't dictate to the electorate!

Republican? Is that a joke? You seriously would vote for someone whose party doesn't have the moral fabric to stand up to the psychopath in the White House? He's done more damage to this country in a little over a year than the Germans and Japanese did in WWII, or the Russians ever did - and before you start tossing numbers of war dead at me, consider how many around the world will die because of him if he isn't stopped.

Are the Dems any better? Not a whole hell of a lot. We are in serious trouble, folks, You are living the end of America as you knew it.

You know, in spite of how far-fetched that may sound at first, the more I think about it the more sense it's starting to make. The longer we go the crazier the man is revealed to be. And it's true the Repugs don't have the stones to put a stop to it. We're screwed. I can't think of one person, Dem or Repug, that I would vote for.

Sam Hammar should prove she is worthy of a vote. She needs to ask the MHRC to remove their illegal endorsement of her candidacy.

He SPOKE at the thing, for goodness sakes! Settle down and get your facts straight before you spout your false outrage.

Don't you worry; the Islamists are coming. There are only a few now.

Sad that there are questions about Sam's character. Sadder that the naiviety of some MHRC folks have hurt the IFTAR dinner's peace message. Hopefully, the post naming Hammar's presence as SPECIAL and that she is a GREAT CANDIDATE will be deleted. City Commissions cannot get involved in political elections. The MHRC needs to acknowledge their mistake. Ms. Hammar needs to show voters that she is about the greater good not just her own ego and agenda.

I love Hindu-trash like Apu here, hailing as she does from a country with an open racist as Prime Minister, on an American message board mocking fellow citizens (if she is one) as trash. You want Modi here to deal with your "Muslim problem", desi?

Why is her campaign playing dirty tricks?
Lewis, Brodeur and Zwirko should watch out.

What does this even mean?

She’s Lewis’s opponent so I assume he has been watching out. Brodeur seems to be staying out of it. Zwirko has endorsed and publicly supported her.

And from another thread on here it sounds like she should be the one watching out if he is connected to her campaign.