Who are the two Democrats vying for the 8th Middlesex state rep seat?
Democrats Connor Degan and James Arena-DeRosa will square off Sept. 6 in the primary for the 8th Middlesex District state representative seat, which has no incumbent.
Democrat Carolyn C. Dykema had been representing the district since she was elected in 2008. She resigned in February to take a job in the private sector at clean energy company Nexamp.
The 8th Middlesex district is a bit different than it was before the 2020 Census and subsequent redrawing of district lines: the district now includes Holliston, Hopkinton, part of Millis and Sherborn. There are almost 50,000 residents in the district, with a median household income of $151,303.
Whichever Democrat comes out ahead in the primary will face Loring Barnes, a Millis resident and the sole Republican vying for the seat, in the Nov. 8 final.
Dykema, who served the 8th Middlesex District for 13 years, has been running unopposed for the last few election cycles. The last time she faced a Republican in the general election was in 2014; the incumbent snagged the win with 56.8% of the vote, with 9,621 votes to Republican Patricia Vanaria’s 7,328.
Here’s a bit about the Democrats who will be on the primary ballot.
James Arena-DeRosa
Website: www.jamesforstaterep.com
Lives in: Holliston
Age: 66
Current employment: Consulting, advocacy
Endorsements: Among Arena-DeRosa’s endorsements are the Massachusetts Teachers Association, Massachusetts AFL-CIO, Sierra Club and the Planned Parenthood Advocacy Fund of Massachusetts. He also has local endorsements that can be found on his website.
Why are you running?
Arena-Derosa thought Carolyn Dykema did a “wonderful job” representing the district, and he wouldn’t have considered running if the incumbent had pursued another term.
“I thought that I could do a great job representing our communities,” he said. “I believe that I have a depth of experience that’s unmatched in this race…Whether it’s housing, whether it’s the environment, whether it is what’s going on with the national policy issues, I’m ready to hit the ground running.”
Arena-DeRosa said he was inspired to get involved in politics and campaigning because of his mother, who was very politically active — she’s “still pretty sharp” at 98 and will share a few choice words about the 45th president or when the Red Sox make a bad play.
Arena-DeRosa has a multifaceted background including teaching at Brandeis University, working as the Northeast Regional Administrator for the USDA and as president and CEO of Foodshare, a nonprofit food bank in Connecticut.
“The interesting thing about food security is that it’s so foundational to so much of our lives,” Arena-DeRosa said. In that endeavor, he has met with legislators, corporations and local businesses, considering everything from farming and land use to the logistics of getting food from point A to point B.
His wife was also the senior center director in Holliston, so he said he also appreciates firsthand the need for lifelong support for the wellbeing of residents, especially those who may be facing being priced out of towns where they’ve lived their whole lives.
What issues face your district and how will you tackle them?
He said as a legislator, he would work hand in hand with local leaders on the needs of education, infrastructure and affordability in the 8th Middlesex District — and as an advocate for the needs of those communities. He also foresees an urgent need to protect the rights and liberties of citizens in Massachusetts, which are “under assault” at the federal level because of the conservative majority of the Supreme Court, whether it be the environment, marriage equality, voting, civil rights or economic justice.
He also said he wants to focus on environmental issues and dealing with PFAS — and making sure the district takes advantage of any and all funding that becomes available for dealing with the so-called “forever chemicals.”
“Water is a precious community resource and we should be thinking about this collectively,” he said. “How do we help each other?”
In terms of infrastructure, he said he believes it is unfair that, for example, a town that’s a thoroughfare for commuters doesn’t get more financial support for roadwork from the state than a town without as much traffic running through it every day. The calculations for funding transportation infrastructure should be based on use, not on miles and residents, he said.
“I’m a common sense guy,” he said. “On the social justice issues, I’m a progressive Democrat. On our money, and how we use it and how we take care of people, I’m a common sense Democrat.”
Connor Degan
Website: deganforrep.com
Lives in: Hopkinton
Age: 30
Current employment: Town clerk for Hopkinton
Endorsements: Among Degan’s endorsements are Young Democrats of Massachusetts, Mass NOW, the Hopkinton Teachers Association and the Hopkinton Democratic Town Committee, as well as local and community leader endorsements that can be found on Degan’s website.
Why are you running?
Degan said he wouldn’t have considered running if the incumbent had pursued another term.
He said taking over as Hopkinton town clerk in 2016 prepared him well for government by “being constantly able to adapt, building the networks among other communities as well as other town leaders to be able to ensure that I could serve my constituents in the best way I could.”
“A lot of people feel, even now, that the government doesn’t really work for them. I wanted to be an ally for them in town government,” he said.
He saidhe’s served time as an elected official, and that he wants to look beyond the traditional Republican versus Democratic lens for solving issues facing constituents.
“We, at the end of the day, serve the people in these communities, and their priorities are our priorities,” he said. “I’m a representative representing the people — and I need to always remember that.”
He studied political science and government at Roger Williams University in Rhode Island and shifted to public service because he thought the work “would be more fulfilling.” Degan said he had great incentives to learn about and participate in local government from a young age — he learned how much goes on behind the scenes in high school as part of a local government project. He was 23 when he was elected town clerk.
“I think that what happens in MetroWest is we see a lot of younger people who were taught, early, that the value you’re putting into this world is based on the good you can do in it,” he said. “I think some of them have found, when they get involved in government, that they’re able to make an impact that really positively impacts peoples' lives.”
What issues face your district and how will you tackle them?
Degan said there are many issues facing the district, including environmental issues like PFAS in the water and holding corporations accountable for the harm they’re causing. He said there’s been some progress in the State House — but he wants to “keep the ball rolling.”
He’s particularly interested in education and making sure schools and teachers have enough funding and support.
“I think we saw a glimpse of what life is like without teachers during the pandemic,” he said.
He also said gun control and mental health resources will be a priority.
“Access is a big issue,” he said. He would work to “find ways that we can increase ease of access and find ways to make sure that people are not having to choose between mental health resources and other basic goods.”
He also said he wanted to address transparency at the government level — and making sure that mandates created by legislators don’t hurt the district, and the state.
“I’ve seen how unfunded mandates roll down the tube and they hit towns and they end up hurting the community,” he said. “It’s kind of putting the cart before the horse when you’re trying to pass reasonable and pragmatic reforms—but you’re not thinking about how it’s going to be paid for.”
This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: 8th middlesex district candidates Hopkinton Holliston election Mass
