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2024-2025 Cambridge City Council

Click on the elected candidates' pictures below to read their full responses to CNC's city council candidate survey, as well as a list of campaign priorities identified on their website. Several candidates recorded statements with CCTV, which can be viewed by clicking on the hyperlinked names.
Burhan Azeem
incumbent
Sumbul Siddiqui
​incumbent
Ayesha M. Wilson
SC incumbent
Marc McGovern
incumbent
Denise Simmons
​incumbent
Patricia Nolan
​incumbent
Jivan Sobrinho-Wheeler
Joan Pickett
Paul Toner
​incumbent
Use the chart below to compare the candidates' yes/no responses to CNC's questions, which are listed on each candidates' individual page.

We asked candidates questions related to...
 - experience with nonprofits
 - valuing nonprofit expertise
 - limiting application of Anti-Aid Amendment
 - attending to nonprofit workforce challenges
 - ARPA investment in nonprofits
Candidate
Experience with Nonprofits
Valuing Nonprofit Expertise
Limiting Application of Anti-Aid Amendment
Attending to Nonprofit Workforce Challenges
ARPA Investment in Nonprofits
​Burhan Azeem (incumbent)
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Marc McGovern (incumbent)
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Patty Nolan (incumbent)
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Joan Pickett
Yes
Yes
Yes
I don't know
Yes
​Sumbul Siddiqui (incumbent)
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
E. Denise Simmons (incumbent)
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Jivan Sobrinho-Wheeler
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
​Paul Toner (incumbent)
No
Yes
Yes
I don't know
Yes
​Ayesha M. Wilson (SC incumbent)
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

2023 Cambridge City Council Election 

​Cambridge Nonprofit Coalition received answers from 21 of 24 2023 Cambridge City Council candidates as a means to both help us understand their positions, values, and beliefs, and educate our membership, as well as the larger nonprofit field in Cambridge. Our survey was shaped by our deep commitment to advancing equity, strengthening our sector and promoting cross sector partnership, and includes input from our member organizations. Our questions are organized around issues that are relevant and meaningful to the Cambridge nonprofit community broadly.

Our Takeaways:
  1. Every candidate committed to the "incorporating the expertise of nonprofit leaders in planning around current City priorities." As a sector, we should hold the next Council to this promise. 
  2. All incumbents and most candidates support limiting the Anti-Aid Amendment, which hampers municipalities' ability to directly fund nonprofits in Massachusetts. (Six candidates said they didn't know enough to answer.) We should build on this momentum to educate leaders and advocate for a more flexible interpretation. 
  3. With one exception, candidates either supported or didn't know about having the City help with nonprofit workforce challenges. This represents an opportunity to advocate for some of the workforce ideas candidates suggested — or our own. 
  4. Except for a few answering "I don't know," all councilors committed to help expedite and increase transparency around the City's release of ARPA funds to nonprofits
Past Candidate Forums
  • Cambridge Citizen's Coalition & various neighborhood associations Forum — Video (2hrs 32mins).
  • A Better Cambridge Forum (Housing focus) — Video (1hr 54mins)
  • CEOC & Cambridge YWCA Forum — Video (1hr 7mins)
  • Create Cambridge Forum — Video not yet available.
  • Porter Square Neighborhood Association Forum — Video not yet available.
  • My Brother's Keeper Forum — Video not yet available. 
  • CCTV & Cambridge Day Forum — Video (1hr 58mins)
Election Day was Tuesday, November 7th.