Get ready to vote next Tuesday!

Support candidates who prioritize high-quality early education and care.

Want to learn more about the election? Check out the Strategies for Children election webpage. It has information on the candidates and the ballot questions as well as resources on early education. All 200 state legislators are up for re-election, as is the case every two years. Our election page also has information on local races for state representatives and senators.

This year, Massachusetts is having a gubernatorial election. Jay Gonzalez, a Democrat, is challenging Governor Charlie Baker, a Republican. They have debated each other twice so far — and talked about early education. Click on the video above for a recap of the second debate. (The early education discussion starts at 22:31.) The final debate is tonight, Thursday, at 7pm on WCVB-TV.

The Boston Globe profiles both candidates here, noting of the two candidates:

Baker is seen as a “wonkish star” who “started his career after graduating from Harvard College. He worked as communications director for two business-backed groups, first the New England Council, then the Massachusetts High Technology Council. After getting his MBA from Northwestern University, Baker worked as a consultant for the company that is now Deloitte. He then helped found and lead the economically conservative Pioneer Institute think tank. Governor William F. Weld brought Baker into state government in 1991, and the young policy aide quickly hopscotched up the ranks to eventually lead the health and human services and then budget bureaucracies.”

Gonzalez is the “son of an Ohio-born woman and Spain-born man who met when she was on a foreign exchange program, Gonzalez grew up in Ohio, went to Dartmouth College, and, after stints as a private sector bond lawyer, joined the administration of Governor Deval Patrick. He first served as a deputy in the state budget office before being promoted to the state’s most powerful unelected executive branch position: secretary of the Executive Office for Administration and Finance.”

This article also profiles the candidates for Lieutenant Governor, Republican Karyn Polito and Democrat Quentin Palfrey.

The Massachusetts ballot also includes races for U.S. Senate, U.S. House, and state attorney general, treasurer and auditor, as well as three ballot questions.

National public radio station WBUR has its guide to prominent statewide races in Massachusetts posted here.

Want to vote early? Check out Secretary of State Bill Galvin’s website. Galvin, a democrat, is up for re-election as well, facing challengers Anthony Amore, a Republican, and Juan Sanchez, of the Green-Rainbow party.

Of course, voting is just a start.

Once Election Day is over, contact the winners, congratulate them, and tell them how important it is to support early education and care. Ask newly elected officials questions. Write letters to the editor of your local newspaper. Submit op-eds that make the case for early education. Post on Facebook. Tweet!

Keep the conversation going. Your voices, letters, and social media posts should be heard throughout the year.