Burstein For Congress

Who will take Barney Frank’s place when he leaves Congress?

How about Michael A. Burstein? The award-winning sf writer, who lives in Frank’s district and already holds two elected offices in the city of Brookline, has declared his interest by creating the Burstein for Congress Exploratory Committee.

About 600,000 people live in the Fourth Congressional district of Massachusetts, which stretches from the Boston suburbs of Newton and Brookline to the small communities of Dighton, Westport and Dartmouth, and the cities of Taunton, Fall River and New Bedford.

Burstein was first elected a Brookline Town Meeting member in 2001 and he has served multiple terms as a Library Trustee.

The competition for the Congressional seat will not be trivial. Joseph Kennedy III has also announced an exploratory committee, and he may be moving to Brookline. Two other Democrats, Jules Levine of Brookline and Herb Robinson of Newton, are also in the race.

The full press release follows the jump.

For release on February 8, 2012

BROOKLINE LIBRARY TRUSTEE MICHAEL A. BURSTEIN ANNOUNCES CONGRESSIONAL EXPLORATORY COMMITTEE

Michael A. Burstein, an elected Library Trustee and Town Meeting Member in Brookline, announced today that he is forming a committee to explore a possible run for Congress as a Democrat from the Fourth District.

“There were other potential candidates who I hoped would get into the race,” Burstein said. “But when they announced that they weren’t running, I realized that I had to explore the possibility of running for the office myself.”

Burstein has been involved in local town government for almost ten years. He was first elected as a Town Meeting Member in 2001; since being in office he has never missed a night of Town Meeting. He has been an elected Library Trustee since 2004 and is currently serving in his third term.

“As an elected official in the town of Brookline, I understand the need to be responsive to constituents,” Burstein said.

Burstein was born and raised in New York City. He attended Harvard College and Boston University and holds degrees in Physics from both institutions. He worked for many years as a teacher at the Cambridge School of Weston and the Rashi School, and he currently edits science textbooks for middle school and high school students. He is also an award-winning writer who has been publishing short stories since 1995.

Burstein first lived in Brookline from 1991-1993 when he was a graduate student, and he was so delighted with the town that in 1995 he and his wife chose to start their life together in Brookline, where they have lived ever since. They are the parents of twin toddler daughters, Elisheva and Yael.

“As someone who has lived in the Fourth Congressional District for almost all of my adult life, I feel I have a good perspective on our district’s needs,” Burstein said. “Our country faces many tough challenges ahead, and I’d like to do what I can to make a better world for my children.”

For more information, the committee chair can be reached at [email protected].