Several state legislators representing the area — Sens. Jo Comerford, Eric Lesser and Adam Hinds, and Reps. Natalie Blais, Lindsay Sabadosa, Mindy Domb, Dan Carey and Paul Mark — are running unopposed in the Sept. 1 state primary.
The respite from campaigning has given the candidates the opportunity, they say, to focus on working for constituents, especially given the challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Calling it to the most challenging and consequential time for the state in decades, Lesser, D-Longmeadow, said he hopes those he has represented for three terms in the First Hampden and Hampshire District will continue to put trust in him.
Lesser said he is pleased that progress has been made toward getting high-speed rail from Pittsfield to Springfield to Boston, a project for which he has been a strong advocate. A study commissioned by the state’s Department of Transportation will provide the roadmap for this happening.
“Continuing work on the east-west rail service is a top, top priority for me,” Lesser said
But the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic have created a deep health crisis and economic crisis, which alongside continuing matters of civil rights and environmental justice need to be addressed.
Lesser said he has been at the forefront of calling for expanding COVID-19 testing in the region, and as chairman of the Senate’s Economic Development Committee helped to author and pass the ENDURE Act to provide unemployment benefits and other means for business owners, especially those owned by minorities and immigrants, to survive.
He is also proud of his efforts on behalf of racial justice, particularly as included in the police reform bill.
When he talks to constituents, Lesser said he understands the concerns.
“I can feel the urgency of this time from them, and the uncertainty,” Lesser said.
In January 2019, Blais, D-Sunderland, was sworn into office as the first female representative for the 1st Franklin District, one of the most rural districts in the state, with 19 communities that span three counties. She said running unopposed for reelection has had its advantages, as the lasting pandemic has required “all hands on deck” to support constituents.
“I ran in order to help people,” said Blais, who attended 16 of the 19 Annual Town Meetings in her district. “I ran on a platform for challenges facing rural communities. It feels as though that work has never been more important than right now.”
Much of her work has been focused on infrastructure — broadband, roads and bridges, climate change, education, health care, jobs and the economy. Working alongside communities, businesses and nonprofits, Blais said she continues to advance economic development priorities. Even before taking office, she helped to bring the $72 million Knowledge Corridor rail expansion project to fruition.
As an advocate for rural issues, Blais recently helped secure $500,000 to support the local farming industry and a $350,000 bond bill to aid in broadband build-out in the hilltowns. She also helped secure planning dollars for a senior center expansion project shared by Buckland, Shelburne and Ashfield.
Blais said she is aware of the unique challenges her district is facing when it comes to state investment, and the advocacy required to ensure area voices are heard. She said she enjoys hearing the word “rural” spoken by her fellow representatives and senators during discussions.
“It shows progress for issues unique to our small communities,” she said.
Hinds, D-Pittsfield, represents 52 communities of the Berkshire, Hampshire, Franklin and Hampden District in the state Senate, and is running unopposed for his third term. He said his experience and familiarity with different “vehicles” will help him pass key legislation.
“You get a sense of how to be persistent,” Hinds said. “If you have an idea going in, you can use different vehicles to have a few swipes at an issue. If a bill’s been filed, I could pull it out of a standalone, or apply it to a different bill or fiscal vehicle that’s moving forward. I’m finding there are lots of ways to get the work done.”
Hinds said constituents have voiced concerns about the secondary impacts of decisions made regarding the return to schools. He has heard from voters who are worried about having access to child care, as parents may be returning to work while students are learning at home remotely. He recently helped file a bill, the Parent Protection Act, which he said essentially states that a parent who is unable to fulfill work duties, or must miss work because of a lack of child care, cannot be penalized.
While Hinds and fellow senators and representatives have been staying busy with phone calls and Zoom meetings, he said he was frustrated by the inability to interact with communities and have a regular “informal catching up.” He said he didn’t realize how often he would engage with community members at summer events, until he couldn’t.
In addition to increased transportation, Hinds advocated for improved high-speed internet access in rural communities. If western Massachusetts can improve broadband and transportation access, he said, it can use the “comparative advantage” of the area, its quality of life, affordability, etc. to draw in new residents and expand local economies.
Hinds and Comerford both helped secure borrowing authorization for $225 million in funding for rail projects, including the east-west rail from Pittsfield to Boston, the Valley Flyer, the Berkshire Flyer, and east-west rail connecting North Adams, Greenfield and Fitchburg.
Due to the pandemic, Comerford, D-Northampton, is unable to canvas door-to-door in the Hampshire, Franklin and Worcester district, but she is finding other ways to hear from voters ahead of Sept. 1.
“Mostly what campaigning looks like at this stage, because I don’t have a primary opponent, it looks like doing the work,” Comerford said. “Doing the work for people, and engaging with them as deeply as possible.”
Comerford was appointed by Senate President Karen Spilka to serve on the state’s Food Security Task Force. She said its members have advocated for numerous proposals, including a grant program that will distribute $36 million to farmers and food producers to increase the resiliency of the food system.
“Helping our farmers get strong, and our food network and food producers get strong, helps our food security within the commonwealth,” she said.
Comerford said farms have had to adjust to unforeseen changes to the food network due to the pandemic. As large food purchasers, such as universities and restaurants, were closed and stopped buying mass quantities of food this spring, individuals and households became the main customers for many farmers. She said grant money could help farmers acquire new refrigerated storage units to keep produce longer, or implement new packaging and delivery systems.
While the Massachusetts Broadband Institute (MBI) recently announced the extension of free, public high-speed Wi-Fi at designated hotspots through the end of 2020, Comerford said this is not enough. She said going the proverbial last mile on high-speed internet is a major priority.
“We can’t lose sight of the fact that it means people will be working in their cars in winter, potentially,” she said. “And kids going to school in the backseat for whatever online learning they’re doing.”
Also on the ballot is Rep. Paul Mark, D-Peru, running unopposed in the primary for another term as representative of the 2nd Berkshire District. Mark has served as representative of the district since 2011.
According to his biography on the Legislature’s website, Mark’s philosophy has been shaped by his blue-collar background, his commitment to family, and his passion for learning and education.
Since taking office, he has been involved in the Opioid Task Force of Franklin County, the Berkshire County Opioid Task Force and Veterans Mediation Training.
His biography states that Mark has served on numerous committees since being elected, including the Joint Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture, and the Joint Committee on Mental Health and Substance Abuse. He currently serves as chair of the House Committee on Redistricting.
Mark could not be reached for comment by press time.
Elected to his position in 2018, Carey, D-Easthampton, said that representing the constituents of the 2nd Hampshire District has been “an absolute honor and a privilege.”
“It’s a job I love, I’m enjoying the work and there’s a lot more work to do,” he said.
A member of the Joint Committee on Education, Carey said that he’s most proud of his work on the landmark $1.5 billion Student Opportunity Act, which he said was a priority of his. The legislation, signed by Gov. Charlie Baker, significantly overhauls the state’s Chapter 70 education funding formula.
“The pandemic has changed the budget scenario across the state,” he said, “but the fact that we were able to prioritize that last calendar year and get that across the finish line was huge.”
Carey said that the state has been dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic for so long that there has been a shift in spending as there are more unemployment claims, for example. He said the state is also looking at more than an estimated $8 billion revenue shortfall.
“That’s not a small hole to have to fill in,” he said. “That’s going to be a big struggle.”
He said that his priorities will be to continue focusing on the pandemic response, but also public education funding, the opioid epidemic and climate change. He said that because the current legislative session was extended, “the door’s not shut” just yet on the pending police reform bill and a climate change bill that he said is in committee.
“It’s been tough these last six months with the pandemic — I haven’t been able to get out and see people and campaign door-to-door the way I want to,” Carey said. “But it’s inspiring to see how the community has come together.”
When reached by phone on Friday afternoon, Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa was out door-knocking in central Massachusetts for Ceylan Rowe, who is running for the Massachusetts House in the the 12th Worcester district.
Without a challenger in the primary, Sabadosa is working on campaigning for other candidates in primary races.
In 2018, Sabadosa was elected to the 1st Hampshire District in the House. She’s running again because, “I feel like there’s still a lot of work left, to be completely honest,” she said. “It just really feels like we are at the beginning of the work and certainly not at the conclusion.”
She pointed to starting the Medicare for All caucus as a major achievement in her first term. She also supported organizations like Grow Food Northampton and worked on legislation that would support the creation of more affordable housing in Northampton. Working to help residents amid the pandemic has also been key for her. At one point, she was fielding 25 calls each day from constituents looking for help getting unemployment “That went on for about a month and a half,” she said.
“I feel like I’m part of a team at the State House where we continue push for bills to be more people-centric and to serve the regular people in the state better,” she said.
Domb, D-Amherst, is seeking a second two-year term representing the 3rd Hampshire District, which includes Amherst, Pelham and Precinct 1 in Granby.
Domb is currently spearheading an effort to get a Stop the Spread COVID-19 testing site in Hampshire County and in July joined colleagues in the House and Senate on crafting a bill aimed at implementing measures, such as mandated face coverings and quarantines when returning from out of state, to prevent a second surge in coronavirus cases.
As a former executive director of the Amherst Survival Center, Domb has also been focused on food security issues, including a bill to help provide more products for food pantries.
The police reform bill has also received support from Domb.
She recently announced the inclusion of $300,000 in designated funding for information technology upgrades in Amherst.
Zack DeLuca can be reached at zdeluca@recorder.com or 413-930-4579. Reporter Mary Byrne contributed to this report, as did Gazette staff writers Scott Merzbach, Greta Jochem and Michael Connors.