2026 State Election Candidate Questionnaire

August 4, 2026

Dear Union Square Friends, Neighbors, and Voters,

Building on our six years of work representing the small business community through questionnaires for candidates for office in Somerville, this year we are publishing our first questionnaire for candidates for State Office. Our goal remains to help voters, many of whom own, work at, or rely on local businesses, to better understand where each candidate stands on the economic, cultural, and policy matters that shape daily life in our city and its neighborhoods.

This questionnaire was prepared by Union Square Main Streets in conjunction with East Somerville Main Streets, the Somerville Chamber of Commerce, and the Davis Square Merchant Association. We drew directly from our city’s robust business community, the Union Square Main Streets board of directors, and staff and representatives of all four organizations.

This state focused questionnaire broadens our focus to include questions that highlight complexities that impact our business districts like the overlapping authority (e.g. federal, state, city, MBTA) of our transportation infrastructure and the importance of cross municipality collaboration. As always, the questions we’ve included represent the issues that affect the small business community and what our elected officials can do to impact them. The 2026 edition reflects current conditions, new priorities, and feedback from our partners citywide.

Sincerely,

Zachary Baum
Union Square Main Streets Board President