Newton City Councilor Hopeful Bryan Barash To Kick Off Campaign

NEWTON, MA — Newton Ward-2 resident Bryan Barash is running to replace Newton City Councilor Jake Auchincloss as he moves into his new role in Congress this January.

Barash declared his intent to run Tuesday on his website.

"At a time when so much of our politics are divisive, when we’ve just been through the most grueling election of our lifetime, we need to come together as a community to meet the needs of our city and be an example of collaborative government for all," he said in a statement.

This race comes as Newton is navigating the pandemic and its impact on schools and small businesses, and as the city works to overhaul its zoning and is rethinking its police department amid nationwide calls for racial justice.

Newton City Clerk said he expected the special election to happen early next year.

"I expect that it will be during the first quarter of 2021, but no date has been set yet," he said Tuesday. "Given timeframes to get everything in place for an election, it won’t happen before the end of this year."

Barash ran against Ward 2 City Councilor Emily Norton in 2019 for the ward councilor seat and lost by fewer than 100 votes. Now it appears he may be running against Tarik Lucas for the seat that Auchincloss leaves. Lucas has said he will run, but has not made an official announcement.

Barash lives in Newtonville with his wife Claudia and their two mini dachshunds Shotzy and Seven. For the past six years he's worked as General Counsel to State Senate President Emerita Harriette Chandler. Before that he ran his own small business and worked for the campaigns of President Barack Obama and Senator Tom Udall. He's also served on the Newton Human Rights Commission and the city's Charter Commission

Barash received his B.A. State University of New York at Stony Brook and his J.D. Boston College Law School.

On Sunday, City Council President Susan Albright, School Committee Member Tamika Olszewski, Ward-7 City Councilor Holly Ryan, environmental leader Marcia Cooper are set to join an online rally where Barash kicks off his campaign.

Read more about what's happening in Newton:

• Newton Veterans Day 2020: What To Know
• Newton City Councilor Jay Ciccone Dies Unexpectedly At 55
• Newton Votes To Change Columbus Day To Indigenous Peoples' Day
• Race To Replace Newton City Councilor Takes Shape

Jenna Fisher is a news reporter for Patch. Got a tip? She can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna). Have a something you'd like posted on the Patch? Here's how .