Framingham's first mayor is back on the campaign trail, but not for herself

FRAMINGHAM — Yvonne Spicer has fallen back on a familiar routine, greeting residents effusively with hugs and handshakes, slipping campaign literature into outstretched hands and urging voters to turn out to the polls.

This time around, though, the former Framingham mayor isn’t on the ballot.

Since leaving office Jan. 1, Spicer has opened a new chapter in her political career as a champion for women in office. With the Sept. 6 state primary just around the corner, she appeared alongside attorney general candidate Andrea Campbell last Friday during campaign stops at Franklin St. Cafe and Padaria Brasil.

“Never in the history of this state have there been so many women of color on the ballot, running for office, for statewide office,” Spicer said in an interview. “And it’s just phenomenal to me.”

She said she’s leveraging her connections to help some of the women running for state office, including Campbell; secretary of state candidate Tanisha Sullivan; auditor candidate and state Sen. Diana DiZoglio; and gubernatorial candidate and Attorney General Maura Healey.

Related: Maura Healey stops in Framingham, touts plan to enhance mental health care

“There are some amazing women looking to lead in our state, and I’m going to do everything I can to support them in that effort,” said Spicer, who turned 60 in June.

Looking for the next chapter

As the first popularly-elected Black woman to serve as a mayor in Massachusetts, Spicer has some wisdom to impart about being a woman of color in the political spotlight.

From 2017: Yvonne Spicer makes history as Framingham's first mayor

“I knew this job would be challenging, and also as a dear friend once said to me: ‘You may be a glass ceiling breaker, but you’re also the first to get the cuts in the head. So just remember that with the privilege comes the pain, and sometimes a little frustration,’” she said of her time in office. “But overall, there’s nothing but joy that I had the opportunity to be the first mayor of the City of Framingham.”

In the months since leaving City Hall, Spicer has been “resting and rejuvenating” with family and friends, reflecting on the work she did in her four years as mayor.

Previously: History-making Framingham mayor Yvonne Spicer bids farewell as tenure comes to an end

She also taught an online business course to freshmen at Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology this summer, and said she enjoyed the opportunity to return to her roots in education.

“Just getting my hands back into it for a little bit was fun,” Spicer said, adding that she has been asked about teaching the course again in the fall and would be interested in doing so.

“But you know, I’m going to also look and see what’s going to be that next big chapter of my life,” she continued. “The one thing I’m happy about is that I have a lot of options, whether it’s to think about municipal government, education, higher education, nonprofits — I’ve done all of those different things — and leadership roles. I’m keeping an open mind and looking at what’s going to be those next opportunities coming my way.”

At home on the campaign trail

One thing’s for certain: You can expect to see more of Spicer on the campaign trail heading into the Nov. 8 state election.

In a stump speech at Franklin St. Cafe, Spicer recalled how she and Campbell, former president of the Boston City Council, supported each other’s political careers over the years.

“I’m happy to call her my friend, and know that as women — as women of color — we know the journey,” Spicer said. “And we know we’re going to have to not only get in there and do it, but do it twice as long, twice as hard.”

Campbell, who is up against Weston’s Quentin Palfrey and Brookline’s Shannon Liss-Riordan in the Democratic primary, said what sets her apart is that she doesn’t see racial disparities as a singular issue to tackle, but as a lens to apply to all of the attorney general’s initiatives.

“For me, it’s critical to use a racial disparities lens so that everything the office is doing, you’re looking at the inequities that show up in every system — health care, housing, in the legal system, our economic system — to tackle those head-on,” Campbell said in an interview.

As housing prices have spiked in MetroWest and other regions of Massachusetts, Campbell said the attorney general is in a unique position to work with state legislators to push for creative solutions to increase and expand housing production and affordability. Also pertinent to the office are conversations around foreclosures and predatory practices among landlords, she said.

She echoed Spicer’s sentiment about supporting women in politics, noting backing from Healey, Spicer and U.S. Reps. Ayanna Pressley and Katherine Clark.

“They understand that representation matters, that folks in Massachusetts want to see folks in office who not only reflect their demographics, but their lived experience, their personal story,” Campbell said. “And they know I bring a unique background that is quite painful and tragic, but relates to the very struggle of our residents, and that I will do everything in my power as attorney general to help them with those daily struggles.”

It’s precisely Campbell’s experience and background — spending time in foster care after her mother died while her father was in prison, relying on public housing and food assistance, losing her twin brother when he died in Department of Corrections custody — that makes her suited to tackle issues in MetroWest and beyond, Spicer explained.

As Campbell spoke and fielded questions, Spicer remained seated behind her, at home on the campaign trail once more.

“It has been a joyful moment, just being able to support these candidates,” she said.

This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Yvonne Spicer, Framingham's first mayor, stumps for Andrea Campbell