headshot of candidate

Ned Melanson

He/Him

Currently
Public Defender and Disability Attorney
Election history
1st-time candidate

More about Ned Melanson

Ned Melanson is a public defender and disability attorney running as a first-time challenger. He rents in Cambridgeport and is on strike with the Massachusetts Bar Advocates.

A self-described "all-around progressive urbanist," Melanson is running on three core platforms: safe and accessible streets, more housing of all kinds, and bracing the city for the effects of the federal administration.

Incumbent
No
Education
  • BA, University of Pittsburgh
  • JD, Boston College Law School
Age
32 years
Born in 1993
Voting
Reg. Sept. 19, 2022
History Updated soon, we hope!
  • 🗳️ 2024 General
  • 🗳️ 2023 Municipal
  • 🗳️ 2022 General
  • 🗳️ 2020 General
  • 🗳️ 2020 Presidental Primary - Democratic
  • 🗳️ 2020 General Primary - Democratic
  • 🗳️ 2018 General Primary - Democratic
  • 🗳️ 2018 General
  • 🗳️ 2017 Municipal
  • 🗳️ 2016 General

Where Ned Lives

Address
Rents at 163 Allston St #3., Cambridge, MA

Ned on Housing

Proposal Supported?
MFZ
AHO #3
Upzoning Central Square

Ned's staked housing stances reflect an "all of the above" approach to building more housing, including upzoning in squares and corridors, maximizing the number of homes built via IZ, and exploring additional methods for building Affordable/Social Housing.

He has expressed continued support for tenant protections and spoke repeatedly in support of the project to allow the demolition of the AJ Spears Funeral Home to construct 70+ homes next to Central Square.

They put the housing crisis in quotation marks. For my clients, and for myself and for my friends, it’s not something you put in quotation marks, it’s a very real everyday problem you think about.

Ned on Other Issues

Proposal Supported?
CSO
Broadway
Garden Street
Intersections

Any gap in connectivity in the bike-to-school network, no matter how small, is a huge safety issue and should be filled ASAP.

Ned Melanson , CBS Survey

They don’t see Cambridge as soil that needs to be “reclaimed.” They see it as the place they want to raise their kids. The place they came to study or work and fell in love with. The place where they were born and lived their entire lives. They love this wonderful, diverse city that represents something good in a country on a bad course.

Ned Melanson , HorizonMass Op-Ed, July 2025

We are striking to save our profession and protect the public's right to competent criminal defense.

Endorsements for Ned

Organization Cambridge? Union? View
32BJ SEIU
A Better Cambridge
SEIU Local 888
Cambridge Bicycle Safety

View on their site »

Q&A

Interviews with Ned

CBS Candidate Questionnaire 2025

Pedestrian and cycling safety, policy, infrastructure, governance

CBS Candidate Questionnaire 2025

Pedestrian and cycling safety, policy, infrastructure, governance

ABC Candidate Questionnaire 2025

Housing policy, development, governance

ABC Candidate Questionnaire 2025

Housing policy, development, governance

Forums

Panels Ned participated in

A Better Cambridge Candidate Form 2025

Housing, zoning, governance, infrastructure

A Better Cambridge Candidate Form 2025

Housing, zoning, governance, infrastructure

Press

Articles about or by Ned

The Harvard Crimson The Top Issues Defining Cambridge’s City Council Elections

“I want to Trump-proof the City of Cambridge,” challenger Ned S. Melanson said, adding he will specifically focus on “protecting the immigrant community.”

Sept. 12, 2025 — Shawn A. Boehmer, Dionise Guerra-Carrillo, and Jack B. Reardon
The Harvard Crimson The Top Issues Defining Cambridge’s City Council Elections

“I want to Trump-proof the City of Cambridge,” challenger Ned S. Melanson said, adding he will specifically focus on “protecting the immigrant community.”

Sept. 12, 2025 — Shawn A. Boehmer, Dionise Guerra-Carrillo, and Jack B. Reardon
Cambridge Day Help for city’s most vulnerable tops list of goals for public defender Melanson’s run for council

Melanson, who has offices in Central Square, sees the effects of the city’s homelessness crisis daily, including damage to property and used needles on the streets. He also sees how broken sidewalks make it difficult for people with disabilities to get around.

“Even though these are my clients – I represent them and I feel for them – this is just really a broad issue,” he said. “It needs to be addressed.”

Aug. 11, 2025 — Alvin Buyinza
Cambridge Day Help for city’s most vulnerable tops list of goals for public defender Melanson’s run for council

Melanson, who has offices in Central Square, sees the effects of the city’s homelessness crisis daily, including damage to property and used needles on the streets. He also sees how broken sidewalks make it difficult for people with disabilities to get around.

“Even though these are my clients – I represent them and I feel for them – this is just really a broad issue,” he said. “It needs to be addressed.”

Aug. 11, 2025 — Alvin Buyinza
Cambridge Day Help for city’s most vulnerable tops list of goals for public defender Melanson’s run for council

As a public defender, Ned Melanson said he is on the “front lines” of many of the issues Cambridge faces. And in representing clients who face poverty and homelessness and substance abuse issues, he said, he has perspective and ideas on how to help the city’s most vulnerable groups to bring to the City Council in November.

Aug. 11, 2025 — Alvin Buyinza
Cambridge Day Help for city’s most vulnerable tops list of goals for public defender Melanson’s run for council

As a public defender, Ned Melanson said he is on the “front lines” of many of the issues Cambridge faces. And in representing clients who face poverty and homelessness and substance abuse issues, he said, he has perspective and ideas on how to help the city’s most vulnerable groups to bring to the City Council in November.

Aug. 11, 2025 — Alvin Buyinza
Horizon Mass Opinion: The Soul Of The Community Is Its People

On the campaign trail in Cambridge, people I talk to share the same story: they’re tired of housing policy that’s been rigged against them. They’re tired of being talked down to by the same people who pulled the ladder up after themselves. They’re tired of struggling to fulfill basic needs that are taken for granted in other countries. They don’t see Cambridge as soil that needs to be “reclaimed.” They see it as the place they want to raise their kids. The place they came to study or work and fell in love with. The place where they were born and lived their entire lives. They love this wonderful, diverse city that represents something good in a country on a bad course. These people are part of the soul of Cambridge, and they will vote in the upcoming City Council election.

July 25, 2025 — Ned Melanson
Horizon Mass Opinion: The Soul Of The Community Is Its People

On the campaign trail in Cambridge, people I talk to share the same story: they’re tired of housing policy that’s been rigged against them. They’re tired of being talked down to by the same people who pulled the ladder up after themselves. They’re tired of struggling to fulfill basic needs that are taken for granted in other countries. They don’t see Cambridge as soil that needs to be “reclaimed.” They see it as the place they want to raise their kids. The place they came to study or work and fell in love with. The place where they were born and lived their entire lives. They love this wonderful, diverse city that represents something good in a country on a bad course. These people are part of the soul of Cambridge, and they will vote in the upcoming City Council election.

July 25, 2025 — Ned Melanson

Campaign finance

See Cambridge Review for detailed information about Ned's fundraising

TBD
Raised in 2025