This month, in the run-up to the preliminary elections on September 12th, the Quincy Dems blog is featuring a series of profiles of the Democratic candidates for the Councillor At-Large positions. To give voters a better sense of who the candidates are and what their visions are for the city of Quincy, we sent a questionnaire to each candidate in which we asked them to help us craft a portrait of who they are as both candidates and residents of Quincy. We will be publishing these profiles as we receive responses from each of the candidates.

Quincy School Committee member, Anne Mahoney, is a Democrat running for one of the three Councillor At-Large positions in Quincy. Mahoney, who grew up in Quincy and attended Quincy public schools, is running because "I believe in the city of Quincy." Mahoney's Quincy roots run deep: her father, Joseph Mulligan, grew up in Quincy, and when she and her husband, Kevin, chose their first home, they made the choice to live in Quincy. "I felt honored and fortunate that it was my great-grandparents' home right down the street from my parents who still live in the house my dad grew up in," she says. She and her husband have raised their three children, Maggie, Liam, and Rory, in the city and are proud of the excellent education that Quincy's public schools have given them. For Mahoney, Quincy is clearly more than just an address -- it is a part of who she is.

In running for Councillor At-Large, Mahoney wants to provide representation for the people she considers her neighbors and her community. "People want representation in our city," she says. "They want their councillors to hold developers accountable, they want their government to be efficient, and they want their representatives to be trustworthy." Mahoney promises that, if elected, she will not become a "rubber stamp" for any proposal that comes through the City Council. "[The people of Quincy] want accountability and they want to believe that the people they elect into office are working for their best interest, their neighbors best interest and for the city as a whole," she says. "I am that independent voice and I hope to represent them on the Council."

One of Mahoney's goals as Councillor At-Large is to work alongside Quincy's residents to help plan for the future. "The fact is," she notes, "if we want Quincy to be great we need our residents to believe in the direction we are guiding it in." There are several issues that Mahoney sees facing the city -- such as rising taxes, overdevelopment, traffic, lack of a clear economic plan, and a need for government transparency -- and she believes that the city's health depends on its residents having faith in the people they elected to manage it.  For fifteen years Mahoney operated a small business in Quincy with her husband, Kevin, called Cyclone Design. Mahoney now works as a project marketing manager in a private company outside of Quincy, a position which she argues allows her to make decisions for the city that won't be compromised by any perceived conflicts of interest. "I feel this gives me a better perspective and connection with the people we are chosen to represent," she says.

Mahoney, who, in addition to her experience as a marketing manager, has a degree in finance from Suffolk University, argues that the city would benefit from her focused combination of marketing and finance skills. "I know how to market our city. I know how to analyze a budget," she says. "I know how to create efficiencies and how to prioritize projects so they not only meet the needs and expectations of set goals but they are also on time and in budget." She believes that Quincy's residents need the portfolio of skills that she will bring to the city.

In addition to running for Councillor At-Large, Mahoney has served for the past twelve years as a member of the Quincy School Committee. "I have been a strong advocate for parents and the taxpayers in the City of Quincy," she says. "I have a proven track record of asking important questions and demanding answers that provide better solutions and policies for our city."

Mahoney is particularly proud to be a Democrat, and she believes that empathy towards others is a cornerstone of the Quincy Democratic Party, which she currently serves as the Vice-President of the Quincy Democratic City Committee. "Being a Democrat in Quincy means celebrating our rich history and ensuring we recognize and celebrate our diversity so we can truly move this city forward," she says. "It means coming together to help one another in times of tragedy as well as celebration." She credits her support for the working men and women in part to her own childhood growing up in a strong union household. "I was taught at a young age that to make things better, you must be involved and take a stand when you see things are wrong and/or people are not being treated fairly," she says. Mahoney sees being a Democrat as a core part of her belief that, "while we may not all be the same, we are stronger together."

Being a Democrat, Mahoney argues, is about courage. To Mahoney, courage as a Democrat means respecting the courageous sacrifices veterans make for our country, as well as having the personal courage to honestly evaluate and engage in the issues facing Quincy, the state, and the nation. "Maybe most of all," she says, "it means having the courage to take a stand, and vote independently when it's not always the popular thing to do ... but it's the right thing to do."

In our questionnaires, we asked each candidate how we, as Democrats, can help them in their candidacy. To conclude these profiles, we’ll end with each candidate’s response to that question. Here is Anne Mahoney's:

My campaign for Councillor-At-Large is a grass roots campaign. We need you to talk to your family, friends and neighbors. You can share your thoughts and support on social media, at the coffee shop, the gym, the grocery story, and the park. Your conversations bring a level of civic responsibly back to the voter by encouraging people to be involved

I believe I have the right combination of skills, experience and determination to truly represent you, and if you believe as I do – that Quincy needs better representation – then I respectfully ask for 1 of your 3 votes on September 12th and on November 7th for City Councillor-at-Large. Other ways you can help are to volunteer on VoteMahoney.com.

You can also provide support by putting a sticker on your car, placing a sign on your lawn, calling a friend, and having conversations on social media. You can also help me at the polls on election day. All of these small things add up and help a fellow proud democrat build momentum for her campaign.

To learn more about Anne Mahoney, or to get in touch with her campaign, you can send her an email, visit her website, or check her out on Facebook or Twitter (@AnneMahoney).