Weekly Featured Profile – Denise Provost

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Denise Provost has served on the Board of Alderman in Somerville, Massachusetts since 1999 and since 2006 as Democratic State Representative for the 27th District. Though a State Rep., Provost has an extensive relationship with Democratic Socialists of America, the largest socialist organization in the US. In August 2001, Boston Democratic Socialists of America endorsed her and Kevin Tarpley for re-election to Somerville’’s Board of Aldermen and Felix Arroyo for an At-Large seat on the Boston City Council. Boston DSA hosts an annual awards ceremony honoring Eugene V. Debs, Norman Thomas, Julius Bernstein and Michael Harrington. Provost served alongside State Reps Jim Marzilli, Byron Rushing and Frank I. Smizik and other DSA members on the awards committee for the 2002 ceremony. In 2005, Boston DSA once again endorsed Provost and Felix Arroyo for City Council positions stating, “Both have been consistent and creative advocates for social and economic justice.” Taking credit for Provost’s victory, Boston DSA stated, “[We] supported (on our own) the successful City Council re-election races.” Provost attended the 2006 Debs-Thomas-Bernstein ceremony, where the award was presented to Director of Massachusetts Neighbor to Neighbor, Harris Gruman. When she ran for State Representative, “Somerville DSAers were mobilized with a campaign mailing and follow up phone calls, and several were active members of Denise’s campaign committee.”

Provost has been active in other Socialist circles also. In 2006, alongside State Reps Anne Paulsen, Carl Sciortino, Alice Wolf and others, she sponsored a fundraiser at the home of Dick Bauer and Roberta Bauer to help Congressman Bernie Sanders in his quest to become the next U.S. Senator from Vermont. In a write-up of the fundraiser, DSA‘s magazine, Democratic Left referred to Provost as a “long-time ally.” In late 2009, Provost was one of more than 1,000 state legislators to sign a letter entitled “State Legislators for Progressive Health Care Reform.” The letter was a project of the Progressive States Network and was developed in consultation with national health care reform advocates, including the AFL-CIO, AFSCME, Northeast Action, SEIU, and others.

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