Denise Simmons
2025 Candidate for Cambridge City Council

Home address:
188 Harvard Street #4B
Cambridge, MA 02139

Contact information:
Tel: 617-491-7435
website: www.denise-simmons.com/
e-mail: councilorsimmons1@gmail.com 
Facebook: facebook.com/SimmonsDenise/
Twitter: @E_DeniseSimmons

Send contributions to:
Committee to Elect Denise Simmons
P.O. Box 390602
Cambridge, MA 02139
OR donate online at https://secure.actblue.com/donate/denisesimmons

Candidate Statement for Mayor E. Denise Simmons – 2025 Cambridge Municipal Election

I have spent my life opening doors — sometimes literally, by welcoming residents into City Hall for town halls and listening sessions, and sometimes figuratively, by breaking barriers as the nation’s first Black, openly lesbian mayor. Now in my 12th term on the Cambridge City Council and third as mayor, I bring decades of leadership: from directing the Civic Unity Committee in the 1980s, to serving on the School Committee in the 1990s, to advancing landmark housing and equity reforms in City Hall today. My approach is simple: listen closely, work collaboratively, and deliver results that make Cambridge more inclusive, affordable, and fair.

Delivering on Housing and Affordability
Cambridge’s housing shortage demands bold action. I led efforts to triple developer linkage fees and double the inclusionary housing requirement to 20%, generating millions for the Affordable Housing Trust. I championed the Affordable Housing Overlay, pressed for major new city investments in housing creation and preservation, and supported eliminating single-family zoning to open more neighborhoods to multi-unit housing. I will ensure these reforms are implemented responsibly — prioritizing affordability, protecting tenants, and safeguarding neighborhood character and green space.

Public Safety that Works for Everyone
As co-chair of the Task Force to Reimagine Public Safety, I helped create the Department of Community Safety, which ultimately secured $2.8 million to launch unarmed crisis-response teams. These programs keep mental-health and homelessness calls out of the criminal-justice pipeline and connect residents to services. My “Safe Streets, Safe City” meetings bring together police, faith leaders, business owners, and residents to reduce violence and strengthen trust.

Standing with Workers and Small Businesses
I have always stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Cambridge’s workforce — supporting building cleaners, hospitality staff, healthcare workers, and union members across the city. My advocacy over the years has earned endorsements from Sheet Metal Workers Local 17, IBEW Local 2222, Ironworkers Local 7, Operating Engineers Local 4, and the Greater Boston Labor Council. As a small-business owner, I understand the stakes: I’ve expanded networking opportunities, strengthened job-training programs, and backed wage-equity measures to ensure fair pay.

Inclusive City for Our Seniors
I created the Senior Advisory Committee, hosted Senior Town Halls, and launched a Senior Service Providers Fair to connect residents with resources. I have advocated that the City strive to seek a more balanced approach to how we continue building our necessary bicycle safety infrastructure, to take into account the needs and concerns of our seniors and those with mobility impediments. And I’ve sought to connect those living in our senior residential buildings with the technology support to allow these individuals to more easily and more robustly participate in our City Council meetings.

Building an Equitable Future
I am committed to confronting structural racism through initiatives like the American Freedmen Commission, equitable cannabis licensing, and the Cambridge Museum of History and Culture. I continue to mentor young women through the Cambridge Girls Leadership Group and provide residents with practical tools like the Affordable Housing Search Guide.

The Road Ahead
Cambridge faces pressing challenges — housing affordability, climate resilience, public-safety reform, and economic recovery. I will continue working alongside my colleagues to:

• Implement zoning reform to create climate-resilient, inclusive housing.
• Fully fund unarmed crisis-response programs.
• Invest millions more in affordable housing creation and tenant protections.
• Strengthen small businesses, encourage more living-wage jobs, and equitable procurement practices.
• Advance racial justice, strengthen immigrant protections, as well as our Sanctuary City commitment.

I invite all residents to join me in this work. Together, we can ensure Cambridge remains a city where everyone can thrive. I respectfully ask for your #1 vote on Tuesday, November 4, 2025.

2023 Candidate Page     CCTV candidate video (2023)     2021 Candidate Page     CCTV candidate video (2021)

2019 Candidate Page     CCTV candidate video (2019)     2017 Candidate Page     CCTV candidate video (2017)

2015 Candidate Page     2013 Candidate Page     2011 Candidate page     2009 Candidate page     2007 Candidate Page