A race for a state House of Representatives seat serving Somerville and Medford got its first and only stage time Saturday in the Somerville High School auditorium, with Will Mbah, Christopher Oates and Paul Ruseau debating for voters in the 34th Middlesex District.
Though Mbah has the most direct legislative experience as a Somerville city councilor who has given testimony to committees on Beacon Hill, Somerville resident Oates gave a polished presentation as an Oxford-educated political risk analyst who worked on 2018’s ranked-choice voting ballot question; and Paul Ruseau has a powerful story as a Medford School Committee member, and proposed ideas his opponents acknowledged as sound.
Each is running to replace Christine Barber, who has served the district since 2015 but is running to replace the retiring Pat Jehlen in the state Senate. With no known Republican or third-party candidates named for November’s general election, it’s likely either Mbah, Oates or Ruseau will emerge from a Sept. 1 Democratic primary as the ultimate winner…