NORWOOD – With fewer than 100 days remaining before the September 1st Democratic primary, the race for the Norfolk and Suffolk State Senate seat is heating up. Challenger Persis Yu officially called on long-time incumbent Senator Mike Rush to face her in a series of at least three public debates, taking aim at the incumbent’s decade-long streak without a primary opponent.
In a formal letter sent to Rush on Monday, Yu framed the debates as a necessity for a healthy local democracy, pointing out that the district’s residents have not had a competitive primary choice—or a town hall meeting with their senator—in years.
“With the election fewer than 100 days away and urgent issues facing families in the Norfolk and Suffolk district, we have an obligation to educate and inform the people of our district about our positions on the issues that affect their everyday lives,” Yu wrote in the letter. “I’m sure that you will agree that robust and informed engagement is critical to a vibrant and healthy democracy.”
In response to Inside Norwood’s request Rush’s public relations team, headed by Adam Webster of Castle Point Partners, offered a generic response that read in part “Residents of Norwood and every other community in the Norfolk & Suffolk district are incredibly supportive of Senator Rush’s proven record of advocacy while serving in the State Senate — both in our towns and on major policy impacting Massachusetts.”
The senate seat they’re fighting for spans a diverse footprint, encompassing portions of Boston (including Hyde Park) alongside the suburban communities of Dedham, Norwood, Walpole, and Westwood.
According to her website, Yu is running on a platform centered on economic fairness for working families. Yu’s background includes high-profile legal battles against major banks, tech companies, debt collectors, and the Trump Administration.
Now, Yu is looking to unseat Rush in a Democrat Primary in September. Senator Rush was first elected to the State Senate in 2010 after serving in the Massachusetts House of Representatives. He has enjoyed several comfortable, unchallenged re-election cycles.
In her letter, Yu is insisting that the debate forums include open, unvetted questions directly from district residents.
“To that end, I am writing to invite you to participate in no fewer than 3 debates over the next few months,” Yu stated, challenging the Senator to give voters a side-by-side comparison of the two candidates.
The Rush campaign has not publicly responded to the debate invitation or indicated whether the Senator will agree to Yu’s proposal other than to say “He looks forward to numerous conversations with voters and his opponent about how to make Massachusetts work for us all.”
Rush’s campaign office has yet to respond to our followup request for comment. -RD
The full text of Yu’s letter to Senator Rush can be viewed below.