Jonathan Paz

Jonathan Paz earned a high school diploma from Mansfield High School and a bachelor's degree from the University of Pennsylvania. His career experience includes working as a political activist. He has also served on the Waltham City Council.[1]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I was born in Boston, raised in Waltham, and I’ve spent much of my life across this district. I’ve lived in Woburn, played soccer in Arlington, and made monthly trips to Malden's Department of Education as a student activist. This district isn’t just where I campaign. This district is where my life took root, where I’ve built relationships, and where I continue to show up.

I’ve dedicated my life to fight for working people – tutoring students, representing union workers, organizing for renters' rights, advocating for legislative policy to protect immigrants refugees, defending residents of Waltham from ICE, increasingly taking on some of the toughest fights in Massachusetts.

I hold a degree in Philosopy Politics Economics.

I was elected to the Waltham City Council, where, for two terms, I worked to ensure that city government served working families, not just the well-connected. Outside of elected office, I’ve focused on building durable coalitions. I founded Fuerza Waltham and helped support LUCE, a statewide emergency hotline for ICE raids, creating a rapid-response system that trained hundreds to document ICE activity, protect neighbors, and support families in crisis. I also founded the Fuerza Interfaith Emergency Fund which provides direct aid to families harmed by immigration enforcement.

I’ve spent years organizing, listening deeply, and learning from people.

What prepares me to serve in U S Congress is not just experience, but accountability to the people.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

I envision a Good Life Economy with higher wages, stronger unions, where everyone lives in a healthy environment, with good housing, good healthcare, and a good education, and still has time with their families.

Right now, the system is designed to favor the billionaire class and fails working people. Too many families in Massachusetts’ 5th District are living paycheck to paycheck while the donor class and big corporations rig the rules in their favor. In the face of increased costs of living, our government has an obligation to provide short-term economic relief and to transform the economy into one in harmony with the environment that sustains all of our people. We need an economy that enables working people to have a good life.When I say “Abolish ICE,” I mean 4 things:

- Abolishing ICE as a federal agency

- Passing a 21st century immigration system, creating a humane pathway to citizenship for our immigrant

neighbors

- Redirecting ICE’s $170 billion budget back to schools, healthcare, and housing

- Investigating and holding ICE agents accountable

ICE is a rogue agency operating outside the law, designed by the Bush administration to apply the logic of the Global War on Terror to immigration enforcement. It cannot be reformed. Unfortunately, the Democratic Party leadership have not only further enabled ICE, they have repeatedly failed to use their Congressional majorities to create a humane pathway to citizenship.No more endless wars.

We can’t bomb our way to peace. As the United States, we need to focus on the root causes to these conflicts, certainly not start wars to plunder resources, facilitate ceasefires in all current conflicts and push for long-term diplomatic solutions. Congress should stop funding the war machine and bring those tax dollars to rebuild our faultering Nation where no one should be unhoused or hungry or denyed medical care. The current U S. Foreign Policies are bankrupting The People. The outsized military and associated industries are making the Planet unsafe and unliveable for all. We need a Peace and Cooperation foreign policy.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I’m running for Congress because our Democratic Party leaders are failing us. The leadership is failing to represent The People, captured by the donor class, corporations, and special interests, they’re not stopping the Trump Administration. They've abandoned being the party for the working class.

We need to rebuild the Democratic party. We need leaders who listen to their constituents and take them seriously. We deserve leaders in Congress who reject money from corporations and foreign lobbies. Leaders who stand with the working class, not the donor class that keeps rigging the system. We need leaders who will fight fight and organize to bring people together and not divide us further.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Massachusetts Peace Action, Courage Candidates

Campaign websitePaz's campaign website stated the following:Good Life EconomyRaise Wages, Protect the right to organize and defend unions, Reign in price-gouging corporations, enhance consumer protections.Medicare for AllA Right to Healthcare. No more deductibles, premiums, or co-pays. Universal coverage that's free at the point of service.Free, High-Quality Child CareI pledge to make free, high-quality childcare a priority. Combined with the costs of housing and groceries, childcare costs are squeezing US families to the breaking point.A Green Energy RevolutionI support a bold federal green jobs program that puts people to work tackling climate change while strengthening our communities. We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to deliver the largest investment in union jobs, wages, and training since the New Deal.Stop Endless WarsPeace with justice. Respect for sovereignty and international law. International cooperation. Standing up for human rights.Housing for People, Not ProfitHousing is a human right - not a privilege. Whether renting, owning or seeking housing, everyone deserves a safe, stable and affordable place to call home. I will work to restore federal funding for towns and cities to build sustainable, attractive public and non-profit housing options.Abolish ICE and Reform ImmigrationLet's pass a 21st century immigration system, creating a humane pathway to citizenship. Redirect ICE's $170 Billion budget to schools, healthcare, and housing. And, investigate and hold ICE agents accountable.Women's & Gender EquityWe deserve a country free from gender violence in all its forms. Women deserve equal pay, reproductive autonomy, full representation, and recognition for their value in every corner of our society.Queer and Trans EquityOur economic system has been especially brutal to working-class women, queer and trans people, and people of color. I believe in defending civil liberties and governing with a lens centered on those most impacted, not those most powerful.Freedom from Gun ViolenceOur youth and working families deserve to live free from the epidemic of gun violence that has shattered too many communities. We support evidence-based, equitably applied reforms championed by young leaders across the country.Universal EducationIt's time for the United States to join most of the developed world in treating higher education as a public good, not a commodity. I will not only fight for public and community colleges to be tuition-free but also to provide student debt relief.True Public SafetyTrue public safety comes from meeting people's basic needs and strengthening our capacity to care for one another – not from punishment, prisons, or surveillance. When communities are housed, healthy, and supported, harm is less likely to occur in the first place.Power Back to the PeopleWe must restore voting rights, end gerrymandering, and modernize our democratic system for the 21st century. Citizens United must be overturned so billionaires and corporations can no longer purchase elections. Democracy should not belong to the highest bidder.Bring Prices Under ControlI will fight to rein in price-gouging corporations, negotiate all prescription drug prices, and support strong antitrust and consumer protection laws. Let's put power back where it belongs: in the hands of consumers, not monopolies.Higher WagesWe need to fast track a raise in wages to a new minimum of $25, but our efforts can't stop there. Congress must act to strengthen and defend unions, protect the right to organize, and make sectoral bargaining the norm again.Hold Big Tech AccountableI pledge to fight Big Tech monopolies, protect our personal data from being harvested for profit and surveillance, rein in AI, stop the data centers and tax the billionaires. We deserve a future in which technology is built for the shared wealth, health and freedom of all people.Disability JusticeRegardless of disability, everyone deserves the right to education, healthcare, and economic stability. I am committed to building a world in which our government empowers people of all abilities to live with dignity and self determination.— Jonathan Paz's campaign website (August 28, 2026)Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.

Jonathan Paz did not complete [the profile publisher]'s 2019 Candidate Connection survey.