Hello to everyone!
I hope you all have been safely enjoying the nice weather that has come our way! These past two weeks have definitely been a flurry of lots of activity since being elected!
On Thursday May 28th, I was honored to be sworn in as State Senator of the 2nd Hampden and Hampshire district. As I have said in the past, I didn’t get elected to be a candidate, I got elected to be a state senator! That is why I hit the ground running from the very start, just 45 minutes after being sworn in I was casting my first vote as state senator.
Up on Beacon Hill, there has been debates about H.4768, a bill that provides safe access to voting across the Commonwealth this November. If passed, this bill will automatically send an application to all registered voters to request a mail-in ballot. By providing greater access through mail-in ballots, it will allow registered voters to be able to safely participate in our democracy and help keep all of our wonderful poll volunteers safe despite the presence of COVID-19. Here in the district we saw 33% of voters choose the option to vote by mail in the special election just a few weeks ago. Nobody should have to choose between their own personal safety and exercising what I believe is the most important obligation and right we have as Americans, the right to vote.
On Monday, I attended my first town meeting as a State Senator in the town of Tolland! This was a great opportunity to get to know the Board of Selectman for Tolland as well as other members of the community. I was also able to speak with members of the community in Holyoke this Friday alongside Representative Vega, where they shared with me the work they are doing to address food insecurity and the other needs they are seeing in the city. I also met with the President and CEO of Holyoke Medical Center, Spiros Hatiras, where he updated me on the hospitals status in relation to COVID-19. I expressed my sincerest gratitude to Holyoke Medical Center for taking in 40 veteran residents from the Holyoke Soldiers Home immediately after COVID-19 hit the home. I look forward to getting out in the other cities and towns across the district to introduce myself and get to know how I can best serve each community as Senator.
The last two weeks I have been on countless Zoom meetings to find out the needs of the district and working on all of the logistical details of transitioning from a State Representative to a State Senator. This includes putting together my new senate office, which I want to ensure is the very best for you all. I also will be reaching out to all of the Mayors and City/Town Councils within all 11 cities and towns to set up meetings to discuss the needs of each community. What I will guarantee you is two things. I will be the hardest working State Senator this district has ever had and I will be the most accessible State Senator this district has ever had.
I am so grateful and deeply humble to be given the opportunity to serve all of the people of Agawam, Chicopee, Easthampton, Granville, Holyoke, Montgomery, Russell, Southampton, Southwick, Tolland, and Westfield as State Senator. I will be working very hard each and every day to guarantee that even 100 miles away in Boston, the people of the 2nd Hampden and Hampshire district voices are heard and needs are met!
It is my deepest hopes that you will not hesitate to give my office a call or email if there is anything we can assist you with! My office can be reached at my new email: [email protected]. Have a great week!
