Former Congressman Barney Frank Endorses Brookline Rep. Tommy Vitolo

BROOKLINE, MA — Former Congressman Barney Frank has endorsed Rep. Tommy Vitolo's re-election to the Massachusetts House of Representatives.

Frank represented the Massachusetts Fourth Congressional District, including Brookline, from 1981 until his retirement from public office in 2013.

"Tommy Vitolo is an effective advocate for the values that should govern our society,” Frank said in a statement. "I endorse him for reelection because his commitments to economic fairness, environmental sustainability, and social justice combine with his understanding of how to achieve legislative results to make him a valuable asset in the ongoing effort to advance progressive goals.”

Frank was voted "brainiest," "funniest," and "most eloquent" member of the US House of Representatives in both 2004 and 2006 and was described as "one of the brightest and most energetic defenders of civil rights issues" by Democratic speechwriter Josh Gottheimer.

"For decades, Barney Frank represented Brookline and the rest of 4th Congressional district where he lead on civil rights, reproductive freedom, financial reform, and housing,” Vitolo said in a statement. "He worked collaboratively with colleagues to enact those values into law and our society is better because of it. Congressman Frank is a giant in Massachusetts Democratic politics and in the progressive movement and I’m honored to have his endorsement.”

In addition to former Congressman Barney Frank, Vitolo has been endorsed by 80 percent of the Select Board, 80 percent of all town-wide elected officials including all elected chairs, and 75 percent of Town Meeting Members.

He has also been endorsed by former Governor Mike Dukakis, philanthropist Chobee Hoy, Senior Center Board of Directors President Betsy Pollock, Climate Action Brookline Co-chairs Susan Martin and John Harris, over two dozen former Select Board and School Committee Members, three former Brookline State Representatives, four former Brookline principals, Brookline PAX, the Environmental League of Massachusetts Action Fund, the Boston Teachers Union, Iron Workers Local 7, the Mass Organization of State Engineers and Scientists, and the Massachusetts Voters for Animals.