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Ned S. Melanson has been a close observer of Cambridge politics since the local last election cycle — but until this year, the five-year Cambridge resident had never run in any election, not even for school president.
Now, Melanson has joined a chorus of progressive candidates vying for a seat on the Cambridge City Council.
Other candidates have centered on the city’s hot-button issues, but Melanson’s sights are set higher: defending Cambridge from the Trump administration amid attacks on immigrants and higher education.
When the Trump administration intensified immigration raids across Massachusetts, “nobody was really prepared for the speed at which they moved and the authoritative actions they took,” Melanson said.
“I want to be a voice on the Council that’s going to stand up to that. I know the Council has done some things, but I think we need an even stronger response in 2026,” he added.
Since 1985, Cambridge has maintained a sanctuary ordinance limiting the police department’s collaboration with federal immigration enforcement. Cambridge, along with other sanctuary cities nationwide, has drawn threats from the federal government over the policy.
The City Council strengthened the ordinance in August, further restricting the allowed interactions between federal law enforcement and Cambridge police. But to Melanson, the ordinance isn’t enough.
“We need to be forward thinking here and say, ‘What are some situations where Cambridge police actually need to step in and actually stop ICE agents?’” he said.
Melanson, up against nearly 20 other candidates, said he is running to cement a “fifth progressive vote” on the Council, establishing a majority of Councilors who align on issues like affordable housing and safer bicycle lanes.
“I do think that the public opinion is behind housing. It’s behind safe cycling and sustainable transportation,” Melanson said. “But you have to mobilize. You have to get people out. You have to get people organized and voting.”
Melanson joined pro-development housing advocacy group A Better Cambridge as a newsletter writer in 2023, just ahead of the last City Council election. Now boasting endorsements from ABC and Cambridge Bicycle Safety, he falls in line with many progressive candidates — supporting the current Council’s multifamily zoning reform and pushing for increased housing development.
Melanson, a cyclist himself, also hopes to sway the city’s ongoing debate over the construction of a network of separated bike lanes across the city — an issue that has caused friction in the Council for the last several years.
The Council adopted the Cycling Safety Ordinance in 2019, promising to construct the citywide network by 2026, despite attempts to delay construction last year. Ensuring the completion of the CSO is a top priority for Melanson.
Melanson also plans to push the Council to adopt a second CSO to fill in the gaps. He supports the construction of bike lanes that run north to south, connecting to the east-west network established by the current ordinance.
“Any gap, no matter how big, that throws you back onto the road where there’s trucks and cars flying around puts you at risk,” he said. “So closing those gaps, in addition to building entirely new routes, is really important to me.”
Melanson said he decided to run for a seat of his own after speaking in public comment in April to urge councilors to build separated bike lanes on Broadway Street. Despite lacking the political experience of some of his opponents, Melanson hopes his “grassroots” campaign will push him ahead of other candidates,” he said.
“I went from sort of nobody politically to — definitely an underdog — but a serious underdog,” Melanson said.
“I'm just one person, but I think I can be part of a movement that is really trying to make Cambridge a more welcoming, safe, and sustainable place to live,” he said.
—Staff writer Laurel M. Shugart can be reached at laurel.shugart@thecrimson.com. Follow them on X @laurelmshugart.
