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Ravi Simon, the current Chair of the Lincoln-Sudbury Regional School Committee and a longtime legislative aide, officially launched his campaign today for State Representative in the 13th Middlesex District.
Simon’s announcement follows the decision by incumbent State Rep. Carmine Gentile (D-Sudbury) not to seek re-election in 2026. Gentile, who has represented the district since 2015, immediately endorsed Simon as his preferred successor.
“No one is better prepared than Ravi to take on the responsibilities of this office,” Rep. Gentile said. “In Ravi, the district has the opportunity to elect a thoughtful, energetic leader who will be ready on day one.”
Simon, a Sudbury native and Lincoln-Sudbury graduate, brings a dual background in local governance and state policy. For the past five years, he has served as Gentile’s primary aide, a role that saw him assisting hundreds of constituents with housing, healthcare, and unemployment issues.
His legislative work at the State House includes drafting bills for a $20 minimum wage, same-day voter registration, and debt-free public higher education. Locally, Simon pointed to his role in securing state funding for regional projects, including:
- Expansion of local rail trails.
- The redevelopment of MCI-Concord.
- The establishment of a new food pantry serving the Sudbury-Wayland border.
On the Lincoln-Sudbury School Committee, where he has served for three years (two as Chair), Simon supported the onboarding of a new superintendent and the negotiation of a teacher contract that avoided a Proposition 2½ override. He also spearheaded the district’s recent initiative to ban cellphones in classrooms to improve student focus.
Simon enters the race with a platform centered on affordability, environmental protection, education and what his campaign website describes as “Massachusetts Values” including abortion and voting rights, and support for immigrants and the LGBTQ+ community. According to Simon’s announcement, his father’s family fled Russia for religious freedom, and his mother immigrated from Sri Lanka. The campaign announcement noted that, if elected, Simon would be the first person of South Asian descent to serve in the Massachusetts Legislature.
“My generation will live with the consequences of the choices we make right now,” Simon said. “I’m running because I don’t want us to look back and wish that we had done more to defend our democracy, make Massachusetts affordable, or save our climate and environment.”
The 13th Middlesex District includes Sudbury, as well as parts of Lincoln, Concord, Wayland, and Marlborough. Simon has resigned from his State House position to focus on the campaign full-time.
As the 2026 election cycle begins, Simon remains a visible figure in local politics. It remains to be seen if the race for the seat will be contested in a primary, but the date for that election is set for September 1, 2026.