HOLYOKE — As voters in the 2nd Hampden and Hampshire District prepare to go to the polls in a special state Senate election Tuesday, the two candidates running for the vacant seat are making last pitches for support.
Current state Rep. John Velis, D-Westfield, and Republican John Cain, a Southwick business owner, are running for the vacant seat that was previously held by former Republican state senator Donald Humason before he took over as mayor of Westfield in January.
Originally slated for March 31, the election was rescheduled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Some municipal clerks in the district have urged early voting and say precautions against the spread of COVID-19 will be taken at the polls.
Both Velis and Cain on Friday said they’re feeling confident as they enter the election.
“We’ve most certainly have left it all on the field,” Velis said. “I’ve been campaigning for this seat, knocking on doors for the better part of a year … At the end of the day, all you can do is put in your best effort and I’m comfortable where we are.”
“We’ve been doing really well with the restrictions that the pandemic has put on us,” Cain said. “(We’re) trying to stay connected with our voters and I feel really confident about the outcome that we’re going to have.”
As the pandemic continues to upend lives across the state, Velis said his priority if elected is to reach out to the cities and towns in the district to assess needs and move toward recovery from the pandemic.
“Nobody is going to have to teach me how to file a bill,” Velis said. “I would argue that now, more than ever, experience is critical — it’s absolutely paramount.”
If elected, Cain said his main priority is getting employees back to work safely and efficiently. A small business owner and father himself, Cain said he understands the struggles the pandemic has put on companies and families.
“Taking care of the small businesses that take care of our community is going to be vital to the success of this district,” Cain said.
In regard to his other legislative priorities, Cain said he’s focused on the opioid crisis and its intersection with mental health, as well as providing for more training opportunities for skilled labor, which he said is in a shortage. He also said he’s focused on working to decrease the cost of health care.
“A lot of us out here in western Mass. haven’t been getting the attention that we need,” Cain said, adding he believes his status as a political newcomer will help him make more independent decisions if elected.
Velis named workforce development, addressing “the skills gap,” transportation infrastructure, education and promoting western Massachusetts as some of his main priorities. He said he anticipates fiscal year 2021 as a challenge, saying “we’re going to have to do more with less.”
“So many of these peripheral issues are intimately tied to COVID-19 in that the funds that we have available are going to so drastically reduce,” he said.
Velis and Cain have also received endorsements from prominent state officials. Among those in Velis’ camp is Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni and Hampden County Sheriff Nicholas Cocchi. Among those endorsing Cain are Gov. Charlie Baker and Worcester County Sheriff Lew Evangelides.
There are 11 cities and towns in the 2nd Hampden and Hampshire District: Easthampton, Southampton, Holyoke, Westfield, Agawam, Granville, Montgomery, Russell, Southwick, Tolland and parts of Chicopee.
Michael Connors can be reached at mconnors@gazettenet.com.