PITTSFIELD — Rep. Paul Mark’s campaign for state Senate representing the Berkshire, Hampden, Franklin and Hampshire District received another boost of support with the endorsement of reproductive advocacy organization Reproductive Equity Now.
“Rep. Paul Mark was at the forefront of support for the ROE Act, but that’s not where his advocacy began,” Reproductive Equity Now Executive Director Rebecca Hart Holder said in a press release. “His first House floor speech was in support of establishing a new buffer zone for clinics to protect patients and providers. Paul Mark understands the policy that’s needed to expand abortion access and protect those seeking care in the state. We’re grateful to have him as a partner, and we need his unwavering leadership in the Senate.”
This endorsement adds to the growing list of endorsers, including the Massachusetts Teachers Association (MTA); the Massachusetts AFL-CIO; various other labor unions and issue-based advocacy groups; U.S. Sen. Ed Markey; Attorney General Maura Healey; state Sen. Adam Hinds, D-Pittsfield; state Reps. Tricia Farley-Bouvier, D-Pittsfield, William “Smitty” Pignatelli, D-Lenox, John Barrett III, D-North Adams, Lindsay Sabadosa, D-Northampton, and Natalie Blais, D-Sunderland; former state Sen. Ben Downing, D-Pittsfield; and former state Rep. Steve Kulik, D-Worthington. He will face Huff Tyler Templeton III, a business manager and community activist in Williamstown, in the Sept. 6 primary.
“The MTA is pleased to recommend Paul Mark for state Senate in the Berkshire, Hampden, Franklin and Hampshire District,” Massachusetts Teachers Association President Merrie Najimy said in a press release. “Paul has stood with the MTA in fighting for the interests of our members and working people throughout the state. He understands how important public higher education is in a democratic society. As part of his commitment in that area, Paul was a founding sponsor of the Cherish Act and bills to provide fair wages and working conditions for adjunct faculty members and other employees at our state’s public colleges and universities. Paul Mark is a leader educators need in the Senate.”
“Rep. Paul Mark has been a trusted leader for the people of western Massachusetts, advocating for investments in workforce development, decisive action on the climate crisis and expanded access to broadband internet,” Healey said in a press release. “I’m proud to endorse him because I know he will continue to stand up for our communities and deliver results in the state Senate.”
Mayors across the state, including Greenfield Mayor Roxann Wedegartner, have endorsed Kim Driscoll for lieutenant governor.
“The critical issues we face, from education to housing to climate change, require action at the local level. I understand this relationship and I could not be more proud to receive the support of my mayor colleagues in the ‘Get Stuff Done’ wing of government,” Driscoll said in a press release. “Our local leaders are championing what’s happening on the ground so Massachusetts can tackle the affordable housing crisis, work on early education and child care, and take on the climate crisis. We know there is work to do and I will use my experience to partner with the next governor of Massachusetts to improve the quality of life in the places where we live, work and play.”
Other local officials who have endorsed Driscoll include Franklin County Sheriff Christopher Donelan, Franklin County Register of Probate John Merrigan and Leyden Democratic Town Committee Chair Sara Seinberg.
Driscoll, Salem’s 50th mayor and the first woman to hold the position, formerly served as chief legal counsel and deputy city manager in Chelsea and the community development director in Beverly. In her bid for lieutenant governor, she faces fellow Democrats state Rep. Tami Gouveia, D-Acton, and state Sen. Eric Lesser, D-Longmeadow, in the Sept. 6 primary.
State Rep. Natalie Blais, D-Sunderland, will host both virtual and in-person office hours in the 1st Franklin District this month.
Blais will be at Montague Town Hall, 1 Avenue A, on Monday, Aug. 22, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. These office hours are recurring on the fourth Monday of each month.
She will also hold virtual office hours, by request, every Friday from 8 to 9 a.m.
Constituents are welcome to drop in during in-person office hours or contact Legislative Aide Corinne Coryat at corinne.coryat@mahouse.gov or 413-362-9453 to schedule an appointment. To receive a link for virtual office hours, also contact Coryat.