headshot of candidate

Quinton Zondervan

He/Him

Currently
City Councillor
Also
Technical Advisor
Election history
2nd term in office

More about Quinton Zondervan

Quinton Zondervan is not seeking re-election in 2023. His profile here is left up only as comparison.


Quinton Zondervan immigrated to Florida from Suriname while in high school. He arrived in the Cambridge area to get a Master of Science at MIT. Quinton is also a graduate of Eckerd College, and is currently on their Board of Trustees.

Quinton was formerly the board chair of Green Cambridge and has served as president for the Climate Action Business Association. He is also involved with 350 Mass, MIT Alumni for Climate Action Leadership, and he has been a member of several Cambridge city advisory committees, notably the Climate Protection Action Committee and the Rodent Task Force.

Prior to his election in the 2017 race, he was a a software developer at a data/analytics consultancy firm. Since January 2019, he's also been a Senior Technical Advisor for two companies.

He is active on Twitter.

Incumbent
Yes
Age
54 years, 2 months
Born in Suriname in 1970
Voting
Reg. June 4, 2004
History No record

Where Quinton Lives

Address
Owns at 235 Cardinal Madeiros Ave. Cambridge, MA 0214
Valued at approx. $1,077,000
Last sold March 22, 2004 for $440,000
inflation adjusted approx. $644,000

Quinton on Housing

Proposal Supported?
2072 Mass Ave
AHO #2
AHO #1
+$20mil Housing Trust
10% Budget for Housing
NCD Reform

You had me until “building out more housing” :-) As if “more” isn’t exactly the problem. Not to mention “building”. Can that be acknowledged instead of willfully ignored?!

Quinton on Other Issues

Proposal Supported?
BEUD(ER)O
Sa/Su Car-free Mem Drive
Delay Mass Ave Bike Lanes
Remove Wires Before Bike Lane
CSO #2
Release Use-of-Force Names
No Parking Min.
Automated/Unarmed Traffic Enforcement
HEART Funding

Endorsements for Quinton

Q&A

Interviews with Quinton

ABC Candidate 2021 Survey

Housing policy questions

ABC Candidate 2021 Survey

Housing policy questions

Forums

Panels Quinton participated in

Quotes by or about Quinton

Cambridge is not a high-rise city, tall buildings should be discouraged. Reducing building heights preserves Cambridge’s character.

Quinton Zondervan, answer to ABC question

Your group [ABC] has literally never added anything useful to this debate. I wish it had. Density boosterism flies in the face of ten thousand years of human history, but you stubbornly disagree. In your fantasy land cities cure climate change when in reality civilization's causing it.

Quinton Zondervan, Twitter

Working with colleagues, I successfully advocated for reducing the speed limit to 20 MPH on most residential streets in Cambridge.

I helped pass and then further strengthen the Cycling Safety Ordinance; now we can expect a full buildout of the protected bike lane network within five years.

Press

Articles about or by Quinton

Cambridge Day Cambridge city councillor and three candidates about conflict among Israelis and Palestinians

Oct. 16, 2023 — Quinton Zondervan, Ayah Al-Zubi, Vernon K. Walker and Dan Totten
Cambridge Day Cambridge city councillor and three candidates about conflict among Israelis and Palestinians

Oct. 16, 2023 — Quinton Zondervan, Ayah Al-Zubi, Vernon K. Walker and Dan Totten
The Harvard Crimson Incumbent Quinton Zondervan Looks to Continue Diversity, Climate Work in Third Term

"One of the things that we saw is that our community infrastructure continues to erode and that makes it harder for us to respond to any emergency, including Covid. We don’t know our neighbors. We don’t have local services available," he said.

Oct. 29, 2021 — Katherine M. Burstein, Ella L. Jones
The Harvard Crimson Incumbent Quinton Zondervan Looks to Continue Diversity, Climate Work in Third Term

"One of the things that we saw is that our community infrastructure continues to erode and that makes it harder for us to respond to any emergency, including Covid. We don’t know our neighbors. We don’t have local services available," he said.

Oct. 29, 2021 — Katherine M. Burstein, Ella L. Jones
The Harvard Crimson Incumbent City Council Candidates Focus on Housing Crisis, Voter Engagement in Reelection Campaigns

"Traditionally, we see about 30 percent voter participation in municipal elections in Cambridge," he said. "And that’s really too bad because it means that the vast majority of voters are not engaged with our municipal elections and, therefore, our municipal government."

Oct. 21, 2021 — Sarah Girma, Jennifer L. Powley
The Harvard Crimson Incumbent City Council Candidates Focus on Housing Crisis, Voter Engagement in Reelection Campaigns

"Traditionally, we see about 30 percent voter participation in municipal elections in Cambridge," he said. "And that’s really too bad because it means that the vast majority of voters are not engaged with our municipal elections and, therefore, our municipal government."

Oct. 21, 2021 — Sarah Girma, Jennifer L. Powley
Wicked Local Cambridge ELECTION 2021: Cambridge City Council candidate statements

I’ve worked directly with our unhoused neighbors and with shelter providers to increase shelter capacity, including directly assisting the team to open the Green St. shelter, and advocating for a permanent city run shelter, resulting in the opening of Spaulding shelter.

Oct. 21, 2021 — Community Content
Wicked Local Cambridge ELECTION 2021: Cambridge City Council candidate statements

I’ve worked directly with our unhoused neighbors and with shelter providers to increase shelter capacity, including directly assisting the team to open the Green St. shelter, and advocating for a permanent city run shelter, resulting in the opening of Spaulding shelter.

Oct. 21, 2021 — Community Content
Commonwealth Magazine Support black-owned cannabis shop in Harvard Square

We must act to undo decades of damage caused by the War on Drugs and play a proactive role in supporting minority-owned businesses in Cambridge by taking steps to fuel their success and swell their ranks. As Cambridge officials, we urge you to join us in supporting the project by speaking during public comment periods in upcoming hearings and/or emailing the Planning Board.

Feb. 27, 2021 — Sumbul Siddiqui, Alanna Mallon, Quinton Zondervan, Marc McGovern
Commonwealth Magazine Support black-owned cannabis shop in Harvard Square

We must act to undo decades of damage caused by the War on Drugs and play a proactive role in supporting minority-owned businesses in Cambridge by taking steps to fuel their success and swell their ranks. As Cambridge officials, we urge you to join us in supporting the project by speaking during public comment periods in upcoming hearings and/or emailing the Planning Board.

Feb. 27, 2021 — Sumbul Siddiqui, Alanna Mallon, Quinton Zondervan, Marc McGovern
The Boston Globe Beyond bags: Cambridge eyes eliminating more single-use plastic products citywide

In a tweet this week following the hearing, City Councilor Quinton Zondervan, one of the policy order’s sponsors, said the vote of support from council members is the start of a larger conversation around banning plastics.

May 16, 2019 — Steve Annear
The Boston Globe Beyond bags: Cambridge eyes eliminating more single-use plastic products citywide

In a tweet this week following the hearing, City Councilor Quinton Zondervan, one of the policy order’s sponsors, said the vote of support from council members is the start of a larger conversation around banning plastics.

May 16, 2019 — Steve Annear
Cambridge Day Affordable-housing policies in Cambridge are rapidly destroying city, candidate says

Here we see the total number of housing units in Cambridge from 1997 to last year compared with monthly rents and total subsidized affordable units (seen from 2000 to last year). Rents are from the latest housing profile, and are not adjusted for inflation; the housing units data are from Cambridge’s open data portal and the Community Development Department’s Demographics and Statistics FAQ).

Aug. 14, 2017 — Quinton Zondervan
Cambridge Day Affordable-housing policies in Cambridge are rapidly destroying city, candidate says

Here we see the total number of housing units in Cambridge from 1997 to last year compared with monthly rents and total subsidized affordable units (seen from 2000 to last year). Rents are from the latest housing profile, and are not adjusted for inflation; the housing units data are from Cambridge’s open data portal and the Community Development Department’s Demographics and Statistics FAQ).

Aug. 14, 2017 — Quinton Zondervan

Campaign finance

How much Quinton has raised and spent

$10,460
Current balance
$0
Balance at the start of 2023
TBD
Raised in 2023
TBD
Spent in 2023