Politics & Government

Race for the Fifth: Brownsberger Tours The District In Day Long Ride

Part of his 110 mile "Tour de 5th" on Saturday included a penultimate stop in the candidate's home town.

They were tired and in need of a shower but the four riders who turned into the Belmont Town Hall parking lot at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 31 – a few hours behind schedule – rode up to the building's front door with a sense of humor and achievement still intact.

Leading the group was Belmont State Sen. Will Brownsberger, who is a Democratic candidate in the Oct. 15 special election to fill former US Rep. Ed Markey's seat in the US House of Representatives. And on first day of the long Labor Day holiday, he and supporters transversed the entire 5th US Congressional District – 24 cities and towns – about 110 miles in what would be a little over 14 hours, beginning and ending in Arlington Center. 

"It's been great. It's been a great ride," said Brownsberger as he stopped to receive ice pops as the most hearty of his peloton – Robert Cohen, Jeffrey Schulman and Jim Gascoigne – stood by with flashing lights and reflective vests at the ready.

"It's a very diverse district. I knew that already but it's great to ride it through all the different neighborhoods. It's a wide-ranging district," said Brownsberger of the journey which saw him and supporters travel from Arlington to Winthrop then down to Holliston before reaching his penultimate stop in his home town. 

"It's been a nice way to connect with the whole district. But we're ready now for this to be done; we're not looking to do another 110 miles," he said before the group took off down Pleasant Street towards Arlington. 


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