Last updated on October 8, 2025
State representative races aren’t until 2026, but state Sen. Mike Rush now has an opponent in Hyde Park’s Persis Yu.
Rush, a conservative Democrat, is the state senator for the Norfolk/Suffolk District seat, and was first elected to the seat in 2010, and has not had an opponent. He had previously been a state rep. The Norfolk/Suffolk District senate seat represents a portion of Jamaica Plain, as well as Dedham, Norwood, Walpole, and Westwood. The 2nd Suffolk state senate seat held by Liz Miranda represents more of Jamaica Plain.
Yu, a parent of two Boston Public Schools students, is the Deputy Executive Director & Managing Counsel at Protect Borrowers, and her most recent work includes filing an amicus brief on behalf of 41 veteran, legal services, and consumer orgs to fight back against the Trump Administration’s efforts to gut the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
“Federal corruption is enabling big businesses to fleece everyday working families in the commonwealth—fueling a cost-of-living crisis,” said Yu. “As senator, I will fight for policies that drive down costs including universal childcare and free college, hold corporations accountable, and ensure that Massachusetts is on the forefront progressive policies that champion working families.”
She has testified about protecting student loan borrowers at the U.S. House of Representatives in 2019, and the U.S. Senate in 2021 and 2024. She is currently fighting U.S. Secretary of Education and the Trump administration in court on behalf of American Federation of Teachers and millions of student loan borrowers for blocking access to affordable student loan repayment plans and Public Service Loan Forgiveness
On her website, Yu highlights her values of focusing on affordable housing, universal childcare, strong public schools, environmental justice, reproductive justice, and a fair economy.
