Keenan, O'Connor, Timilty face challengers for state Senate seats

This is the first of three stories highlighting the South Shore's open seats on this year's statewide election ballot. Click here for a story about state House of Representatives races, and here for an article about U.S. House of Representatives candidates. Early voting begins Saturday, Oct. 22. 

QUINCY – From continuing to focus on constituent services to increasing educational opportunities, candidates running for local state Senate seats have a range of priorities.

The South Shore  has three state Senate contests in the Nov. 8 election: in the Norfolk and Plymouth District; the Plymouth and Norfolk District; and the Norfolk, Bristol and Plymouth District.

Gary Innes v. John Keenan

Republican Gary Innes is challenging incumbent John Keenan, a Quincy Democrat, for his state Senate seat.

Innes works in the heating, ventilation and air conditioning industry, and has lived in Hanover for 37 years. Earlier this year, he created a citizens petition to rename Hanover Middle School after fallen Weymouth police Sgt. Michael Chesna. He ultimately withdrew the petition at the request of the Chesna family. He said the process got him involved in local politics and prompted him to run for state office.

Innes said his No. 1  priority if elected would be to promote and support more vocational training for high school students. He said about 50,000 students are enrolled in vocational programs, but the demand is even higher.

“You have to be an honor roll student, whereas before it was more B or C students, and now those students can’t get in,” he said. “These are good-paying jobs, and we need more plumbers and electricians, so it’s a huge issue.”

Innes said he and his wife owned a flower shop for three decades, so he knows the plight of small businesses. He said  he would like to see the state eliminate some of the excessive taxes and fees on such businesses.

"State government loves to step on small businesses and make it harder for them to survive," he said.

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Keenan is seeking his seventh term in the Senate. He  is the Senate chair of the Joint Committee on Housing and vice chair of the Joint Committee on Transportation, and has focused on policies related to substance use and mental health.

“While we were making great progress (on mental health and substance abuse treatment) before the pandemic, the lack of access during the pandemic set our efforts back, so we’re working to connect people to essential services,” he said.

“We get calls every day from people in need, and often it’s their one contact with government, so it’s important that it’s positive and they know that someone is working on their behalf,” he said.

Keenan said his other top priority is to continue to advocate for local aid to help communities pay for projects that they otherwise might not be able to afford.

“It may be funding for senior centers and playgrounds, or equipment for fire departments and police vehicles,” he said. “It’s money that’s used to reduce the property tax burden while delivering crucial local services.”

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Patrick O'Connor v. Robert Stephens

In the Plymouth and Norfolk District, incumbent Patrick O'Connor, a Weymouth Republican, is  running against Marshfield Democrat Robert Stephens.

O'Connor was elected to the state Senate in May 2016 in a special election to replace Robert Hedlund, who left his seat to serve as mayor of Weymouth.  O'Connor is a ranking member of the Legislature's Joint Committee on Ways and Means, which negotiates the state's annual budget.

He said one of his top priorities is to continue to create opportunities for people through jobs and education.

"Those are the biggest foundations we can build community upon, so I want to continue to prioritize creating opportunity for people," he said.

Another priority is to continue to focus on constituent services and directly help the people he represents.

"During the pandemic, there were a lot more situations where people had to interact directly with state government, and it's been a privilege," he said.

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Robert Stephens  lives in Marshfield and has lived in Hanson and Abington, where he served on the Abington Green Energy Committee. He said he is a member of the Miꞌkmaq Nation and has worked in landscape construction.

Stephens said he grew up in the foster care system and feels he wouldn't have succeeded had he not lived in a progressive state  such as Massachusetts, so he wants to give back through public service.

"We should send someone up there who has been through it and knows the good side, and the bad side, of the system," he said.

If elected, Stephens said he would like to address homelessness in the state. He would also like to see the state tackle election reform. For example, he wants Massachusetts to implement same-day voter registration, which is available in other states.

"Massachusetts champions itself as a democratic state, but we're falling behind in the way we do elections," he said.

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Walter Timilty v. Brian Muello

In the Norfolk, Bristol and Plymouth District, incumbent Walter Timilty, a Milton Democrat, is facing challenger Brian Muello, a Braintree Republican.

Muello is a U.S. Navy veteran who works as a limousine driver and is studying for a master’s degree in counseling. His goal is to work with veterans.

He said one of his priorities is to increase public safety, and pointed to the shooting at the South Shore Plaza in Braintree earlier this year as an example of increasing crime.

“We’re not in a good space. A lot of people want to defund the police and that’s not right,” he said. “We need to make sure funding is put in the right area so people feel safe.”

Muello also said he'd like to find ways to make living in the state more affordable.

“With the prices of things, it’s getting tough for people to get by,” he said.

Timilty is seeking his fourth term in the Senate and is  co-chair of the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security, which oversees everything from fire protection and motor vehicle laws to the Department of Correction and matters related to Homeland Security and cybersecurity.

Timility said one of his priorities is to get legislation passed that would create a Public Safety Building Authority, which would mirror the state School Building Authority and help fund public safety construction projects.

“There is no single authority to help communities upgrade public safety infrastructure, so this would create an entity to advocate for state funding,” he said. “Many stations were built approximately 100 years ago, and they must be adapted to meet the changes in security, technology and building systems, and they all require significant expenditures.”

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Timility said another priority is to continue offering good constituent services, which he said is about 50% of his job.

“I spend a lot of nights at meetings and events, and if you’ve helped someone in some way, it makes for a very satisfying day,” he said. “My job is to help people and I truly enjoy public service."

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This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Keenan, O'Connor, Timilty challenged for state Senate seats