Cyr and Lauzon Q&A: Meet the two people running for Cape and Islands state senator
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Editor's Note: A correction was made on Oct. 20, 2022, to the description of the Cape and Islands district.
Sen. Julian Cyr, D-Truro, will face off against Barnstable Republican Christopher Lauzon in the Nov. 8 general election for Cape and Islands state senator.
The Cape and Islands district consists of the towns of Barnstable, Brewster, Chatham, Dennis, Eastham, Harwich, Orleans, Provincetown, Truro, Wellfleet and Yarmouth; the towns of Aquinnah, Chilmark, Edgartown, Gosnold, Oak Bluffs, Tisbury and West Tisbury on Martha's Vineyard; and the town of Nantucket in the county of Nantucket.
The district historically included the town of Mashpee, but due to redistricting laws passed in the state house earlier this year, Mashpee is now part of the Plymouth and Barnstable district.
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Incumbent Cyr has served as the district's state senator since 2017, when he defeated Bourne Republican Anthony Schiavi in the 2016 general election. Prior to his time in office, Cyr worked at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health as director of policy and regulatory efforts for environmental health.
He will embark on his fourth term in office if re-elected in November.
Lauzon, a political newcomer, was born and raised in Barnstable. He works at his family's Hyannis auto repair shop Alignments Plus. Before that, he was a deckhand and first mate with Hy-Line Cruises.
The Times asked the candidates to provide information about their background, experience and priorities if elected. They are listed in alphabetical order.
More: Cyr and Lauzon: Cape and Islands state senator hopefuls look ahead
Sen. Julian Cyr
Age: 36
Residence: Truro
Education: Nauset High School; New York University
Employment: Former director of policy and regulatory affairs at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health; former deputy director for government affairs at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health
Political experience: Campaigned on the Cape and Islands for Gov. Deval Patrick and Barack Obama's re-election campaigns; former White House intern
Other civic involvement: Former harm-reduction counselor at the AIDS Support Group of Cape Cod; former member of the board of directors at Health Imperatives; served on the Massachusetts Commission on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Questioning (LGBTQ) Youth
Why are you running?
Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket face steep challenges, from a lack of attainable housing to a $4 billion wastewater problem to the climate crisis and a dire need for additional mental health and addiction services. Since being elected to the state Senate, I have not shied away from these big issues and I have worked collaboratively to solve them.
I have a track record of accomplishment and I’ve delivered for my constituents. I am proud of what we have been able to do together over the past six years that I’ve been in office, and I look forward to making progress on the challenges that still lie ahead.
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Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, I brought together county and town officials, healthcare providers, and business leaders to chart a path through the uncertainty. We stood up to the challenge and executed a robust COVID-19 testing and vaccine program for our region when the state left us behind — saving lives and livelihoods on the Cape & Islands.
I remain committed to working tirelessly for my constituents and doing everything I can to improve our quality of life in this most special corner of the Commonwealth. I ask for your vote on Nov. 8 to continue to have the opportunity to be your voice on Beacon Hill.
What are the most pressing issues in your district?
The Cape & Islands need solutions to reign in housing costs, stem epidemics of opioid use and mental health, and protect our fragile environment.
Our future viability of year-round communities depends on who can make a life here. Young people need a chance to raise families in our towns, and older adults deserve to be able to downsize to stay in the communities they’ve helped build. And when you live on a peninsula or an island, employers need a local workforce to power health care, schools, hospitality and services for vulnerable residents. I’m laser focused on incentivizing the development of housing available to residents across the income spectrum; establishing a transfer fee on luxury real estate to fund affordable and workforce housing production; expansion of by-right zoning for accessory dwelling units and multi-use districts; allowing tax-free savings accounts for first-time homebuyers; and building infrastructure to connect new housing to sewers, regional transportation, and economic hubs. Yes, that demands action from the state, but it also means town-by-town organizing and activism.
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Like most Cape Codders and Islanders, the twin epidemics of opioids and mental health have touched me personally. As Senate chair of the Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use, and Recovery, I have championed policies that save lives and increased funding for recovery services to help those living with addiction and their families. I authored major mental health access legislation to strengthen insurance coverage for those in need of mental health care and provide speedy access to inpatient treatment for those in crisis. The landmark bill was signed into law in August by Governor Baker — it’s the strongest mental health parity law in the country. In the state budget and supplemental appropriations, I spearheaded record levels of funding for mental health and addiction services, including $400 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds dedicated to mental health.
The Cape & Islands are uniquely vulnerable to the impacts of a changing climate and environmental degradation. I am a champion of clean energy and efforts to reform our electric grid through expansion of renewable energy. I helped pass laws that put Massachusetts on a path to net zero carbon emissions by 2050 and build new solar and offshore wind projects — meeting our future energy needs while staving off the worst effects of climate change. Currently, our electricity prices are unaffordable because of our dependence on fossil fuels. Wind and solar will save money and stabilize prices for consumers. We are leading the way with the first industrial-scale offshore wind projects in the country; when Vineyard Wind I comes online in 2023, the Cape & Islands will become a net exporter of clean renewable energy. I am also a leader on investing in coastal resiliency measures to secure our region against inevitable impacts of the climate crisis. I’ve secured millions of dollars to restore estuaries, repair and harden our coastal infrastructure, and expand storm water and drainage to prepare for us worsening storms and flooding.
Much of our shared livelihood relies on pristine waters. To protect water quality for future generations, Cape Codders face a $4 billion price tag to clean up nitrogen pollution in our embankments and estuaries. I drafted and passed legislation to establish the Cape Cod & Islands Water Protection Fund to provide tens of millions in state relief for wastewater projects across the region. In its first two years, the fund has already realized millions of dollars in property tax relief. Environmentalists and business leaders have hailed it as the most significant legislation for the region in a generation. Forever chemicals are polluting our drinking water and pose a threat to our health. I led an interagency task force, put forward a roadmap to phase out PFAS and ban its sale in Massachusetts, and secured $250,000 to fund a firefighting foam take-back program to protect the health of our firefighters. I am also working to keep Holtec from dumping radioactive water in Cape Cod Bay.
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What sets you apart from your opponent?
I’ve never been someone who rests on my laurels. I believe that competitive elections strengthen our representative democracy and make those of us who run better public servants.
While I’m not yet well acquainted with my opponent, I am aware of the deeply offensive and homophobic rhetoric about me that emerged during the Republican primary. Labeling LGBTQ people, especially gay men, as pedophiles is the tiredest, oldest, dirtiest trick in the book. Trafficking in homophobic tropes is unacceptable. Worse, such rhetoric puts LGBTQ youth at risk, who remain three times as likely to have suicide ideation than their peers. Cape Codders and Islanders are proud of our welcoming ethos and they rejected such behavior as unacceptable and disqualifying.
What else would you like readers to know about you or your policy?
I am a lifelong Cape Codder who grew up waiting on tables and working in our hospitality sector. I believe that Cape Codders and Islanders of my generation need to be invested in this most special place to ensure its vitality and future.
Find Cyr online at senatorcyr.com or on Twitter @JulianCyr
Christopher Lauzon
Age: 33
Residence: Marstons Mills
Education: Barnstable High School; Louisiana State University
Employment: Former deckhand and first mate at Hy-Line Cruises; currently works at Alignments Plus in Hyannis
Why are you running?
I grew up on the Cape and my wife and I are raising our four kids here. The direction our country and state are moving in is not sustainable and has me concerned for my children’s future. I care about our communities and want the best, not only for my own family, but for all of the families of the Cape & Islands.
I am keenly aware of the struggles we all face with regards to inflation, housing, drug addiction and public safety because I am living those struggles right alongside the other people of the district. I am a mechanic, not a politician. Someone who has watched the quality of life for all people on the Cape & Islands deteriorate over the years and finally had to do something about it.
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The people of the district need a state senator who is in tune with the issues, someone who runs a small business in the community and raises their family here. Politics-as-usual has not worked throughout the commonwealth: we have a distinct lack of balance on Beacon Hill with Democratic supermajorities in both legislative chambers that denies the checks and balances that effective, representative government is built upon.
What are the most pressing issues in your district?
Housing is and has been one of the most pressing issues for the Cape and Islands for decades, and our housing crisis has only gotten worse in that time. Both affordability and availability are a problem. The same old policies have not worked and will not work for the people of the Cape & Islands. We need new, creative, and comprehensive solutions to address this persistent problem that balances the pragmatic need for density with infrastructure and conservation concerns.
To that end, alongside the housing issue are sorely needed infrastructure improvements, including our roadways, utilities and wastewater management. Economic issues have become a very pressing concern for the people of the district in the face of rampant inflation, rising fuel and utility costs; we need to do everything we can on the state level to get relief to those who need it most.
Public safety and drug addiction are also significant concerns for us all: we need to support law enforcement and firmly address the root causes of the drug crisis while getting help to those who are already struggling with addiction. The common theme to all of these concerns is that they have only continued to get worse over the years. We need new leadership and a new direction.
What sets you apart from your opponent?
I bring a wide range of life experiences to the office as someone who has never before been involved in politics. I am from the Cape and running for the Cape. While having to continue to work full-time to provide for my family, I have spent every free moment of this campaign out in the communities of the district, knocking on doors and meeting constituents in their homes, attending events, volunteering for litter cleanups on our local beaches and in various communities, and simply engaging with the people I hope to represent from one end of the district to the other.
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I have been doing this from Day One of my campaign and will continue to be engaged in the community after being elected. I am committed to representing the unique wants and needs of each town in the district up on Beacon Hill; the needs of Nantucket and Barnstable, for example, are not the same, but both towns need a senator committed to fighting for them. I am making it my priority to speak to individuals of all backgrounds, political affiliations, and stations in life so I can be an ally for all of the people of the Cape & Islands.
What else would you like readers to know about you or your policy?
I am not a career politician and I am an idealist at heart: I believe in Massachusetts, the birthplace of American freedom, and can pledge to always be responsive to the people of the Cape & Islands and expect to be held accountable by them. But I balance that idealism with realism: my policy decisions and priorities will always be made with respect to the state and federal Constitutions and what is best for the people of the district.
Raising my family here means the stakes are high for me as well as my constituents: doing what is best for the Cape & Islands makes this a better place for all of us, for my children and everyone’s children and grandchildren. I would be honored to represent my friends and neighbors and look forward to earning their vote on or before Nov. 8.
Find Lauzon online at votelauzon.com or on Twitter @Lauzon2022
Contact Sarah Carlon at scarlon@capecodonline.com. Follow her on Twitter: @sarcarlon.
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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: State senate candidates Cyr and Lauzon on why they want your vote
