Cambridge Vice Mayor Burhan Azeem Confirms Bid for State Senate

Cambridge Vice Mayor Burhan Azeem confirmed his bid for the 2nd Middlesex District State Senate seat in an interview with The Crimson, entering what is expected to be one of Massachusetts’ most competitive Democratic primaries this year.

The seat opened after longtime incumbent Patricia D. Jehlen announced in December that she would not seek reelection after two decades holding the seat, which represents parts of Cambridge, Somerville, Medford, and Winchester.

Three other candidates have entered the race since Jehlen’s announcement. Somerville City Councilor Matt McLaughlin declared his candidacy in December, followed in early January by Winchester School Committee member Tom Hopcroft and state Rep. Christine P. Barber, who represents the 34th Middlesex District.

Azeem said his Senate bid builds on his work as a city councilor, with a focus on affordability, climate policy, and expanding public services.

“We’ve turned the dial in Cambridge,” Azeem said. “But the rest of the state really needs to step up, and that’s something that I care quite a lot about.”

During the pandemic, Azeem co-founded Abundant Housing Massachusetts, a statewide pro-housing advocacy group. He entered local politics in 2019 as a recent MIT graduate, mounting an unsuccessful City Council campaign before winning election in 2021 at age 24. He was the youngest councilor in Cambridge history until Ayah A. Al-Zubi ’23 was elected at 23 in 2025.

Zoning reform has been a centerpiece of Azeem’s tenure on the Council. In his first term, Azeem backed the Affordable Housing Overlay — an ambitious zoning reform that increased the allowed height and density for developments containing all affordable units in the city’s high-traffic corridors and squares without the need for city approval in 2020. Azeem co-sponsored amendments to allow these developments to reach between 12 and 15 stories along certain corridors, which later passed in October 2023.

Azeem also spearheaded the Council’s efforts to legalize multifamily zoning citywide with the goal of spurring more housing development. Building multifamily housing on nearly one-third of residential land in Cambridge was illegal prior to the ordinance’s passing.

The ordinance was passed last February after months of contentious debate between city officials and residents, many of whom argued that the ordinance would encourage larger, denser market-rate housing rather than affordable housing as intended.

He also supported the MBTA Communities Act —a law passed in 2021 that requires cities to have at least one zoning district where multi-family housing is permitted within a half mile of public transit. He has also thrown his weight behind a measure to legalize starter homes by lowering minimum lot size requirements, which could appear on the ballot in November.

“Massachusetts is a great place to live, but no one can afford it,” Azeem said. “So we just fundamentally have an affordability crisis, and we’ve had one for a long time.”

Azeem said that affordability beyond housing has remained a central tenet of his run for state senate, citing his work in implementing the Cambridge Preschool Program — which guarantees access to preschool for all 4-year-olds and some 3-year-olds across the city.

His senate campaign also takes aim at another hot-button issue in Cambridge: transportation. He argued that meaningful improvements to the state’s public transit system require action at the state level.

“I don’t think we have to settle for a housing market where it’s more about barely squeaking by, or a transit system where we’re like, ‘At least it won’t be late,’” he said.

“Fundamentally, we can do a lot better,” he added.

Azeem said he plans to run a grassroots campaign centered on volunteer organizing and direct voter outreach. He joins a growing wave of candidates vying for Senate and House seats — including Evan C. Mackay ’19 and Daniel A. Lander ’14 — challenging long-term incumbents with similar strategies.

“I think we’ll have a lot of volunteer power in this race, but also — as I’m kind of known for — I will just knock on every door in the district myself as well. You’ll see me out there all day, every day,” he said.

“We’ll run through not one pair of shoes, but probably multiple before we get to the end of this,” he added.

—Staff writer Wyatt T. Zurline can be reached [email protected].