In an effort to help Cambridge voters make informed choices in the upcoming city council election, ABC is pleased to announce our 2015 city council candidate ratings. These ratings are based on a comprehensive questionnaire distributed to all 23 candidates to measure their level of agreement with key ABC priorities and goals. Higher rated candidates demonstrate a strong understanding of the complex housing and development challenges facing Cambridge today. They are best prepared to make Cambridge a more affordable and livable city for all residents, especially low-income families.

With a total maximum score of 45 points, the ABC candidate ratings are:

Leland Cheung 45 Marc McGovern 41 David Maher 40 Denise Simmons 40 Dennis Benzan 37 Craig Kelley 30 John Sanzone * 30 Tim Toomey 30 Mariko Davidson 29 Gregg Moree 16 Nadeem Mazen 13 Minka vanBeuzekom 12 Jan Devereux 8 Romaine Waite 3 James Williamson 2 Paul Mahoney 1 Mike Connolly -3 Kim Courtney -4 Gary Mello -5 Plinio Degoes -8 Click the image below to view a table summarizing details of the candidate ratings: Click the image below to view each candidate's full responses to our questionnaire, including ABC's analysis and a description of our methodology:

Candidates not listed above did not respond to the ABC candidate survey.

* As of October 26th, John Sanzone has withdrawn as a candidate for City Council.

The next City Council will make important decisions that will impact the future of growth in Cambridge, and could help stem the rising cost of housing for working families, young adults, and retirees in Cambridge.

We believe a better Cambridge is a Cambridge that grows smart and sustainably - that takes advantage of our robust public and alternate transportation system to expand housing choices for Cambridge families, particularly those with low- and middle - incomes, and a sustainable future for our whole community. See the full ABC mission and vision at http://www.abettercambridge.org/our_mission

While ABC does not intend these ratings as an endorsement of any individual or slate of candidates, we do encourage all voters to consider which candidates are best prepared to make decisions on the Council that help strengthen Cambridge’s diverse, vibrant neighborhoods and squares.

The candidate questionnaire and analysis is intended to give information about how the various candidates stand on the issues that ABC has focused on. It is not intended to be an exhaustive analysis of their stance on every issue currently facing Cambridge.

Remember: In Cambridge we don't just vote for one City Council candidate, we rank multiple candidates in order of preference. The system is called Proportional Representation (you can read more about it here) and the goal is to rank the candidates in order of your preference for seeing them elected to the council. #1 is your top candidate, #2 is your second choice, and so forth -- try to rank at least 4!

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And most importantly...don't forget to VOTE on TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3RD. Don't know where to vote? Visit wheredoivotema.com to find out.