SOUTHAMPTON — A new Democratic candidate for state representative will challenge Republican Rep. Kelly Pease in this year’s election for a seat representing the 4th Hampden District on Beacon Hill. Currently serving in her third term as the Ward 3 City Councilor on the Westfield City Council, Bridget Matthews-Kane says she is ready to take her leadership to a higher level.

Matthews-Kane will face Pease in one of only a few contested elections this year. Pease, 58, is currently in his second term as state representative, and previously ran unopposed.

Born and raised in Westfield, Matthews-Kane is familiar with the Whip City, and moved back to raise her four children with her husband and high school sweetheart in her childhood home. While her personal history lies primarily in Westfield, she also grew up frequently visiting some of her family members in Southampton, which was absorbed into the 4th Hampden District after the 2020 election.

Matthews-Kane, 55, ran for Westfield’s City Council after a career in education and grassroots organizing work. During her time on the council, she has prided herself on her service on various committees, closely listening to her constituents and advocating for change where it is needed. She now believes that her City Council experience has prepared her for a representative position at the state level.

“I have … consistently listened to the needs of my constituents, formulated practical policies, and tackled issues head-on,” she said in a statement. “Westfield and Southampton deserve a proactive leader like me in the State House. I am eager to bring the successful strategies I’ve developed during my tenure on the City Council to Beacon Hill and advocate effectively for our corner of the commonwealth.”

Door-knocking was a major pillar of Matthews-Kane’s bid for City Council, and her service thereafter. Learning directly from community members informed much of her decision-making and advocacy, and she plans to bring this practice to her state representative campaign.

“A lot of the things that I pushed for on the City Council were not things I was initially concerned about,” she said in an interview, emphasizing the importance of these doorstep conversations. “I’m someone who’s proactive and addresses issues when they’re brought to me.”

When she first went door-knocking for her City Council seat, she got a taste for the concerns of the Ward 3 community, one of which quickly surfaced as a widespread issue.

“By a long shot, it was speeding,” Matthews-Kane said. “I came up with two ways to improve issues regarding speeding.”

Her first action was to advocate for Mayor Michael McCabe to reintroduce an ordinance change for Complete Streets, a state program focused on providing safe transportation experiences for pedestrians and bicyclists. After much statistics-gathering and grassroots organizing, Complete Streets was passed into law in 2022.

Next, she worked to make Westfield take full advantage of the Municipal Modernization Act, which was introduced by Gov. Charlie Baker in 2016 and allowed communities to reduce speed limits to 25 mph in heavily settled areas. This change was passed by the council in 2023.

Though she doesn’t plan to begin intensive door-to-door conversations for her state representative campaign until this month, Matthews-Kane said that several concerns among 4th Hampden constituents have already come to her during initial meetings, and she hopes to address them should she be elected.

She noted that the main concerns she has identified so far are affordability, education, and the opioid crisis. While she plans to continue evolving her platform along with the needs of constituents, these issues make up a large portion of current public worry.

As election season approaches, Matthews-Kane said she is excited to meet more of her potential constituents, particularly in Southampton.

“I look forward to meeting more people from Southampton,” she said, also stating that she hopes people continue to reach out to her with their hopes and concerns along the way.

She encourages community members to contact her through her website at www.bridgetmatthewskane.com.

Alexa Lewis can be reached at alewis@gazettenet.com or on Instagram and Twitter at @alexamlewis.