Natalia Linos Endorses Brookline’s Raul Fernandez For State Rep.

BROOKLINE, MA — Natalia Linos, the current chair of Brookline’s Advisory Council on Public Health, has endorsed former Select Board Vice Chair Raul Fernandez for State Representative in Brookline’s 15th Norfolk District.

Linos was a candidate in the 2020 Democratic primary for Massachusetts’ 4th Congressional District, which includes Brookline.

“In the midst of a pandemic and as we grapple with nationwide attacks on reproductive health, we need a public health champion on Beacon Hill,” Linos said in a statement. "Raul Fernandez will be that champion. He deeply understands the ways in which health inequities are shaped by poor policy-decisions and structural discrimination at the intersections of race, gender, income, and more.”

“Raul's leadership in Brookline on the Task Force to Reimagine Policing outlined a vision for the town that places mental health and community safety first, and his work to strengthen safety nets during the COVID-19 pandemic enabled vulnerable neighbors to access support and care,” she continued. "Raul is the equity-driven leader we need on Beacon Hill, and I’m proud to endorse his campaign.”

At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Fernandez worked with other members of the Select Board to implement public health measures such as an extension of sidewalk space to allow for social distancing and a temporary vaccine mandate in restaurants and other public spaces.

“I’m honored to receive Natalia’s endorsement,” Fernandez said in a statement. "I deeply admire the work she’s done at the intersection of racial justice and public health, and I’m looking forward to partnering with her on Beacon Hill to create a more equitable public health landscape in our state. Many of our state’s biggest challenges demand public health responses, from addiction to mental health to the ongoing pandemic, and I’ll fight for the health infrastructure we need on Beacon Hill.”

In addition to Linos, Fernandez is also being endorsed by Pat Maher, who served as the chair of Brookline’s Advisory Council on Public Health before Linos, Boston’s former Chief of Health and Human Services Marty Martinez, and Jesse Mermell, one of Linos’ opponents in the 2020 Democratic Congressional primary

Other endorsements from leaders in Town government include Select Board Member Miriam Aschkenasy and School Committee members Mariah Nobrega and Suzanne Federspiel.