Somerville Candidate Profile: Naima Sait For City Council

SOMERVILLE, MA — With the Somerville Municipal Election scheduled for Nov. 7, Patch is profiling the candidates.

Here, we learn more about Naima Sait, who is running to represent Ward 5 on the Somerville City Council. Sait is facing Jack Perenick to fill the seat currently held by Beatriz Gomez Mouakad. Gomez Mouakad has chosen not to run for reelection in order to handle a family health emergency, according to Cambridge Day.

Sait is a teacher who never has held public office.

Candidates were sent questionnaires and filled out the answers.

Name

Naima Sait

How old will you be as of Election Day?

35

Campaign website

https://www.naimaforsomerville...

What city or town do you live in?

Somerville

What office are you seeking?

Ward 5 city councilor

Please give us your party affiliation

Democratic

Education

Master's in Pedagogy and Linguistics

What is your occupation?

10 years experience as a teacher

Family

Husband and 1 child

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

no

Have you ever held a public office, whether appointive or elective?

no

Why are you seeking this office?

In my years teaching, I saw that a lot of the issues playing out in our schools are issues we are dealing with as a broader community: affordable housing, sustainable infrastructure, mental health and language access. I am running because as an educator working in the community for 7 years, I have been seeing and hearing about the daily effects of the housing crisis and the state of the municipal infrastructure on our residents, about how the pandemic and its aftermath have been affecting people's mental health, and I have been hearing from our most vulnerable populations on the importance of having translation and interpretation services.

Please complete this statement: The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is ______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Affordable housing. I will push for a rent stabilization policy that will reduce the number of people who are being pushed out of the area, a real estate transfer fee that will raise the money to build more affordable housing, and increased inclusionary requirements for developers to include more affordable units in new developments.

What are the major differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

A deep understanding of the community's needs as I worked as a teacher at Somerville High School for 7 years. I also have a history of accomplishments through community organizing. As a community organizer and a union member, I secured a 10 percent school budget increase, a 10k pay increase for paraprofessionals and I helped advance climate education, which will help create a workforce to build sustainable infrastructure. As a first-generation immigrant who speaks 4 languages and cares deeply about language justice, I took action for language justice by connecting volunteers with community-based organizations that need interpreters and translators.

What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?

Sustainable infrastructure, mental health, language justice and rodent management.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

I successfully organized to win a 10 percent school budget increase, a 10k pay increase for paraprofessionals and many other work benefits for educators (paid parental leave, sick leave, higher wages etc.). I lead efforts to establish climate education in all schools as a way to prepare our youth for high-skill green jobs and to help build the workforce for a green economy. At the height of the pandemic, I took action for language justice by connecting volunteers with community-based organizations that need interpreters and translators. As an educator in the community for the past 7 years, I have experience working with families.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

Listen to constituents' concerns and ask in order to turn that into policy.

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I am eager to serve the community as a city councilor, where I will have an opportunity to work together with you to build the Somerville we want. We should put our growing prosperity to work for all of us, including long-term residents who want to stay in their home, and new young people and immigrants wishing to settle down here. We should use our naturally close-knit neighborhoods to create a truly livable city, with safe streets, a clean environment and a lively cultural scene.

I believe my commitment to Somerville and my lived experience — as a first-generation immigrant, an educator, a mother and a community member — make me a good candidate for Ward 5 city councilor.