Outer Cape Elected Officials

On all of these officials’ websites, there will be a place to sign up for regular communications from them, often in the form of a newsletter. There may also be links to their Facebook, Twitter and/or YouTube accounts.

Senator Edward Markey

Website: www.markey.senate.gov
Offices:
255 Dirksen Senate Office Bldg, Washington, DC 20510, 202-224-2742
975 JFK Federal Bldg, 15 New Sudbury Street, Boston, MA 02203, 617-565-8519
1550 Main Street 4th Floor, Springfield, MA 01101, 413-785-4610
222 Milikin Blvd, Suite 312, Fall River, MA 02721, 508-677-0523

Senator Elizabeth Warren

Website: www.warren.senate.gov
Offices:
317 Hart Senate Office Bldg, Washington, DC 20510, 202-224-4543
2400 JFK Federal Bldg, 15 New Sudbury Street, Boston, MA 02203, 617-565-3170
1550 Main Street, Suite 406, Springfield, MA 01101, 413-788-2690

Representative William (Bill) Keating: (MA – 9th District)

Website: www.keating.house.gov
Offices:
2351 Rayburn House Office Bldg, Washington, DC 20515, 202-225-3111
297 North Street, Hyannis, MA 02601, 508-771-0666
170 Court Street, Plymouth, MA 02360, 508-746-9000
558 Pleasant Street, Suite 309, New Bedford, MA 02740, 508-999-6462

Governor Charlie Baker

Website: www.mass.gov/governor
Offices:
Massachusetts State House Office of the Governor, Room 280, Boston, MA 02133, 617-725-4005, 888-870-7770 (in state)
Western MA Office of the Governor, State Office Bldg, 436 Dwight Street, Suite 300, Springfield, MA 01103, 413-784-1200
Washington, DC Office of the Governor, 444 N. Capitol Street, Suite 208, Washington, DC 20001, 202-624-7713

Sarah Peake, Massachusetts State Representative (4th Barnstable District)

Website: www.sarahpeake.org

Office and Contact Information:
Massachusetts State House Room 163, 24 Beacon Street, Boston, MA 02133, 617-722-2040
Home: 774-722-0554
Office: sarah.peake@mahouse.gov
Home: sarah@sarahpeake.org

Julian Cyr, Massachusetts State Senator (Cape and Islands District)

Website: www.senatorcyr.com
Offices:
Massachusetts State House Room 405, 24 Beacon Street, Boston, MA 02133, 617-722-1570
Barnstable Town Hall Room 2L, 367 Main Street, Hyannis, MA 02601, 508-237-7001

 

Guidelines for Contacting a Member of Congress (MOC)

When you reach out to the offices of MOCs you will be dealing with their paid staffers or unpaid interns, who are the ones who receive and process communications from constituents. Things are done differently in each MOCs office, but we have listed some general principles below. Something else to keep in mind: In general, MOCs are really only interested in communicating with their own constituents, and may even forward communications from outside of their district to the MOC who represents the communicator. However, there are times, especially when an important bill or hearing is before a congressional committee, that you may wish to reach out to the MOCs on that committee, regardless of what geographical area they represent.

• Facebook or Twitter: are checked by staffers only on occasion, and for the most part these are the least effective way to communicate with a MOC. They are, however, not bad ways to see what your MOC is putting out publicly.

• Emails: often come in such volume that they cannot be dealt with individually. In Bill Keating’s office and others’ they may be batched by computer based on the topic. Mass emails from advocacy groups, all with the same message carry less weight than personal, well-crafted communications.

• Postcards or letters: if your issue is not time sensitive, writing is a good choice. The benefit of postcards over letters are: 1. They are visual so you can include a striking image on the front. 2. They are easier to process, since they don’t need to be opened. 3. They are less expensive to send than letters. 4. It is easier for a group to produce and sign a large number of postcards to send to MOCs. (see: Tips for How to Write a Letter to a Member of Congress).

• Phone Calls: according to a former congressional aide, phone calls are a more effective way of getting your message across than any of the other ways listed above because they have to be dealt with as they happen. The benefit of calling the Washington office is that your concern will probably go into a database immediately. So, if you’re calling about a pending bill, calling DC may be the way to go. For less urgent matters, a call to the district office might be preferable. You are more likely to speak to an intern in DC and a paid staffer in the district office. (see: Tips for Effective Phone Calls to Members of Congress).

• Attending Town Hall Meetings or Visiting Offices: showing up is always a good idea if you can do it. This is the only method of communicating that will get you directly to the MOC, and it allows you to have a conversation or at least a group interaction. If your MOC does not schedule town halls, you can schedule your own and invite your elected official to attend. (see: Tips for Visiting your Rep).