In the lead-up to Cambridge’s local elections, postcards promoting candidate groups show up in just about every mailbox. Yard signs pop up all over town, while social media ads flood people’s feeds.
All of this is paid for by funds raised by Independent Expenditure Political Action Committees – or “super PACs” as they’re commonly called – throughout the year.
The city’s three super PACs – Cambridge Citizens Coalition, A Better Cambridge, and Cambridge Bicycle Safety – have become the biggest names you won’t see on the ballot. Over the past six years, their fundraising and endorsements have shaped debates on some key issues.
“95 percent of the work we do is not on housing or bike lanes, but those are the two issues that are really quite important to residents,” Burhan Azeem, a current city councilor, said. “Those are the two areas where Cambridge has to take a stance – and then all these PACs form around, almost entirely.”
While they can’t coordinate spending directly with candidates, super PACs can raise and spend unlimited amounts. Together, Cambridge’s three super PACs raised and spent more than $60,000 in the last election.
You can really feel their influence. Every sitting city councilor got at least one endorsement from these three big super PACs.
But these groups aren’t just about raising money for campaigns. They take hot-button topics, mix them with a unique election system and unlimited funds, then turn it into competing political identities across town.
Endorsements Make or Break Elections
Cambridge has used ranked-choice voting for municipal elections since 1939. Because candidates need support beyond their core base under this system, many now lean on super PAC backing to connect with voters.
The city has long had several Political Action Committees that work closely with candidates and accept individual donations capped at $500 per year.
The three super PACs operate differently though. Since they don’t have limits on contributions, they hold more spending power during elections-but they can’t give money directly to candidates.
No matter what limits exist though, current and former Councilors say having an endorsement from a super PAC helps candidates by giving voters a clear slate to back when voting day comes around.
“There’s actually very few people who win who are not on either of the slates,” Azeem said.
The current council really shows how much weight these endorsements carry – along with some clear ideological splits too.
Councilors Patricia M. “Patty” Nolan ’80, Paul F. Toner, and Catherine “Cathie” Zusy all accepted CCC endorsements in the last race; their voting often lines up with CCC’s concerns about big housing reform plans in town.
On the flip side, Azeem, Sumbul Siddiqui, Jivan G. Sobrinho-Wheeler, Vice Mayor Marc C. Mc Govern and Mayor E. Denise Simmons were all backed by ABC – pushing for more housing development during their time in office. Ayesha M. Wilson stands out as she took endorsements from both sides.
Cambridge Bike Safety endorses anyone who signs its pledge-adding Azeem, Mc Govern, Nolan, Siddiqui, and Sobrinho-Wheeler to their 2023 list.
Some former candidates recall Quinton Y. Zondervan (Council 2018-2023) as probably the last person to win without being fully tied to one side-though he did get an endorsement plus $35 from Cambridge Bicycle Safety in 2021-and even declined CCC’s official nod but still received $500 from them during his campaign.
With most candidates seeing thousands spent on them by these super PACs, Zondervan thinks newcomers face tough challenges breaking through without endorsement backing:“I think for new candidates, it was definitely impossible to get elected without being endorsed by one or the other,” Zondervan said, talking about CCC and ABC, the big housing-focused PACs.
A Tale of Two Camps
The rise of super PACS dominating local races also highlights sharp divides that helped spark their creation in first place.
The 2019 election centered largely around debate over Affordable Housing Overlay (AHO)-a policy which stirred strong feelings among residents, fueling formation of pro- and anti-development groups.
The AHO passed Council in 2020 lets developers sidestep zoning rules so they can build developments fully affordable at higher densities & heights than usual allowed.
After this, A lot of locals formed CCC’s group in 2021 aiming to voice worries about how fast development was moving across town. At same time ABC created theirs, to boost pro-housing voices even stronger.
Since then, both CCC & ABC run questionnaires each election cycle, and endorse sets of nine+ hopefuls based mainly on answers. They publicly share where nominees stand, on key issues like building projects & zoning changes.
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“There were people that were willing to go out and talk to residents at their doorsteps about why they were supporting such a pro-housing candidate slate and actually how to vote,” Alanna M. Mallon, a former three-term Councilor, says.
</ However, some say these rival groups make politics too divisive here. As ABC & CCC battle for votes,Ilan Levy, a four-time candidate, calls it “treating everything binary”-either black or white, on your side or against you. The way he sees it, the two slates act like “two political parties” representing longtime locals versus newer arrivals drawn here professionally & academically.
“Old Cambridge wants its money and has a certain agenda, and it’s rooted in a much more conservative frame of mind, in general,” he says.“On other side, new folks live here, enjoy quality life, and want that chance kept alive.”
Though Zondervan feels super PACS add “complexity& richness”to conversations by spelling out different resident views clearly, Mv C Mc Govern worries they’ve made debates nastier.
“Unfortunately, even locally politics gets kinda dirty sometimes,”Mc Govern admits.“We’re all locals trying best interest, but disagree sometimes. Nobody bad. But sometimes groups paint folks badly.”
The Money Trail
This growing influence relies heavily on fundraising power, to push slates & shape ideas about Cambridge’s future.
Collectively since 2021 election cycle, Cambridge’s three major super PACS raised/spent well over $150K, total, drawing support near/far alike.
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The CCC mainly raises cash from West Cambridge neighborhoods; ABC draws donors citywide plus nationwide. According to Levy, this fits given CCC’s focus against rapid local development:
“It started West Cam cause folks there worried bout growth. And realized community action key.”
“ABC was among earliest successful pro-housing efforts nationally. Sometimes members shared our wins& urged donations.”
This spending nearly matches what groups bring in. Since Feb21′, CCC shelled out ~70K; ABC nearly34K; Bike Safety close40K out ~$53K collected.
“Democracy is living thing. So rules we’ve set allow what’s driven highest =the PACS,” Levy sums up.
Correction: September 24 , 2025
An earlier chart showed wrong expense numbers for Cambridge Citizens Coalition.
Correction : September 29 , 2025
Previous version wrongly claimed Quinton Y. Zondervan was last City Council winner without any city ‘ super PAC support. Actually , Zondervan had backing from Cambridge Bicycle Safety plus received $500 from Citizens Coalition though declined formal endorsement.
– Staff writer Stephanie Dragoi can be reached at [email protected].
– Staff writer Jack B. Reardon can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on X @Jack BReardon.
– Staff writer Laurel M. Shugart can be reached at [email protected]. Follow them on X @laurelmshugart
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