Suffolk County Sheriff Steve Tompkins Endorses Michelle Wu for Mayor of Boston

Boston, MA— Suffolk County Sheriff Steve Tompkins has endorsed Michelle Wu for Mayor, citing her commitment to the communities of Boston and economic justice for all. Wu and Tompkins have known one another for nearly a decade and worked together to elect Senator Elizabeth Warren. They have continued to share policy priorities of offering mental health and economic supports to seek to reduce the number of people who come into contact with the Suffolk County Sheriff's Department. He has also worked to reduce recidivism and help support reentry for community members returning from incarceration.

Tompkins has been a leader in economic empowerment programs, creating the innovative “Common Ground Institute,” a vocational training and re–entry program that teaches marketable vocation skills in a classroom setting.

“I have known Michelle for nearly a decade, and over that span, I have seen firsthand the pure devotion to service that she has for the City of Boston and the people and organizations that operate within its borders,” said Sheriff Steve Tompkins. “With her tireless advocacy for more addiction recovery treatment and services for people struggling with mental illness, fair and equitable public transportation, housing that is truly affordable, public safety, access to quality education, and work on a host of other quality-of-life issues that are important to the residents, businesses and agencies of Boston, I am both incredibly proud to be able to give my support to Michelle and supremely confident in her ability to bring this city to its next level of greatness.”

“I’m honored to earn the endorsement of my friend, Sheriff Steve Tompkins. Sheriff Tompkins has worked for years to provide educational opportunities, economic development and reentry support for formerly incarcerated community members. I look forward to partnering with him in City Hall to ensure all our neighborhoods have the resources they need to be safe, supported and healthy,” said Michelle Wu. 

Steven W. Tompkins, a member of the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department since 2002, was appointed to serve as the Sheriff of Suffolk County on January 22nd, 2013 by Governor of Massachusetts, Deval Patrick, and was elected in November of 2014. 

Sheriff Tompkins is the President of the Massachusetts Sheriff’s Association – his second time serving in this capacity – and is an engaged community leader and respected advocate, currently serving as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees for Roxbury Community College and as the inaugural President of the Massachusetts Chapter of NOBLE (National Organization of Law Enforcement Executives). He previously served as Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees for Roxbury Community College, and completed a three-year term as a member of the prestigious Emerging Adult Justice Learning Community at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. In 2011, Tompkins was appointed by Governor Patrick to serve as a Board member of the Boston Finance Commission. Sheriff Tompkins also serves on the Foundation Board and formerly served as chair of the Community Service Board for the Dimock Center, a Roxbury-based community health center that provides convenient access to quality medical and mental health care and human services. The Sheriff previously served as the Dimock Center’s Director of Marketing and Public Affairs prior to joining the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department. 

Sheriff Tompkins’ endorsement adds to the Michelle for Mayor campaign’s enthusiastic coalition of multigenerational, multicultural grassroots supporters including leaders Senator Elizabeth Warren, Boston City Councilor Lydia Edwards, Boston City Councilor Liz Breadon, State Senator and Assistant Majority Leader Sal DiDomenico, State Representative and Assistant Majority Leader Mike Moran, State Senator Julian Cyr, Representatives Tram Nguyen, Tommy Vitolo, Natalie Higgins, Vanna Howard, Maria Robinson and Andy Vargas; former State Representative and Assistant Majority Leader Byron Rushing; labor unions Teamsters Local 25, New England Joint Board of UNITE HERE!, UAW Region 9A, Alliance of Unions at the MBTA, MBTA Inspectors Union Local 600, OPEIU Local 453; climate organizations Sunrise Boston, Sierra Club, the Environmental League of Massachusetts, 350 Mass Action; Progressive West Roxbury/Roslindale; Boston’s Ward 4 and Ward 5 Democratic Committees; and fellow municipal elected officials from across Greater Boston and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. For all of Michelle for Boston’s endorsements, visit michelleforboston.com/endorsements.