NORTHAMPTON — State Rep. Jake Oliveira, who has represented parts of Belchertown for the past two years in the state Legislature, earned the Democratic nomination to succeed state Sen. Eric Lesser in Tuesday’s Democratic state primary.
By a nearly two-to-one margin, Oliveira defeated Sydney Levin-Epstein of Longmeadow, meaning he will face Bill Johnson of Granby, a Republican, in the general election in November for the newly drawn Hampshire, Hampden and Worcester district that includes 12 communities, including Belchertown, Granby and South Hadley in Hampshire County.
Previously, Oliveira served on the Ludlow School Committee and as a Ludlow Town Meeting member.
Johnson, a longtime owner of Bill’s Auto Body on Route 202, has served on the Granby Conservation Committee, Granby Select Board and is currently a member of the Pathfinder Regional School Committee.
In addition to the three Hampshire County towns, the Senate district includes Ludlow, Palmer, Warren, Hampden, Longmeadow, East Longmeadow, parts of Springfield, parts of Chicopee and Wilbraham.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.
