Race to replace Marc Pacheco in senate heats up as 2nd Taunton city councilor jumps in
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
TAUNTON — The State Senate race for the greater Taunton area has gotten more interesting.
Presently, three candidates have officially declared their candidacy for the 3rd Bristol and Plymouth seat held by long-time incumbent Marc Pacheco. The Taunton Democrat announced, after 32 years, he is not seeking reelection.
In addition to Taunton, the district is made up of Berkley, Carver, Dighton, Marion, Middleboro, Raynham, Rehoboth, Seekonk and Wareham.
At time of writing, two Democrats and one Republican are going after the seat — two of those being incumbent Taunton city councilors.
Barry Sanders
The newest candidate to jump in the race , Barry Sanders, officially announced his running this week, as a Democrat. Sanders, a first-time candidate for a state position, has been on the Taunton City Council since 2018. He said he wants to make the leap from local politics to state politics because he believes he can help more people that way.
“I have been a social worker for 35 years. I have seen the amount of suffering in the district. I recognize the opportunity to impact lives and see moving towards the state senate will help more people.”
The priority issues for Sanders include addressing “the mental health crisis,” especially amongst kids in schools.
Sanders also wants to tackle the district’s housing crisis.
"Young people are struggling to break into the rental market, let alone keep up with the price of homeownership,” he said.
Another issue is the migrant, homeless and refugee shelter issue in Massachusetts, saying his heart breaks over the circumstances and conditions these people have escaped, but “the resources in the state are not unlimited” and “we need people who are more interested in putting in the work, finding solutions and not fighting.”
Why Marc Pacheco's not running Here's why Taunton state Sen. Marc Pacheco said he's not running. What's next for him?
Kelly Dooner
Second-term Taunton City Councilor, Kelly Dooner, who announced her candidacy for state senator back in mid-February, is running as a Republican.
This is not Dooner’s first foray into state politics. She previously made two unsuccessful bids for state representative against now-incumbent Carol Doherty.
According to Dooner’s political and communications consultant, Holly Robichaud, the candidate’s priorities for her district are working to make Massachusetts a more affordable state to live in, “stopping the costly influx of migrants,” increasing services and benefits for seniors and veterans, and helping to grow the local economy.
Dooner has previously touted that she believes she can bring a “youthful, common-sense voice to the Massachusetts State Senate.”
Said Robichaud, “at the end of the day, her message of helping struggling working-class families will win the general election.”
Kelly Dooner will be hosting her campaign kick-off Thursday, March 14, at National Charter 957 in downtown Taunton.
Local high school gridiron greats The 2023 Taunton Daily Gazette Football All-Scholastics
Joseph Pacheco
Long-time Raynham Selectman, since 2007, Joe Pacheco first confirmed with the Gazette back in mid-February that he intends to run for the State Senator seat as a Democrat.
This past weekend, Pacheco made his official announcement on social media.
“My entire career has been centered on public service and doing all that I can do to make our communities better. As your next State Senator, that commitment will not change,” he said in his statement.
Pacheco’s priority issues, as explained in his official announcement, include “sound fiscal planning to better our economy,” “ensuring we meet our obligation to guarantee the best for our schools and for our children,” and “fighting for access to safe, convenient, and adequate health care.”
Pacheco previously made a run in state politics back in 2014, when he made an unsuccessful bid for state representative for the 8th Plymouth District, which is made up of Raynham and Bridgewater.
Timeline
There’s still plenty of time for new candidates to emerge. According to the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Elections Division, the deadline to submit nomination papers for a district or county seat to local elections offices for certification is April 30, by 5 p.m.
After that, candidates have until May 28 to file their certified nomination papers, one for each municipality in the district, with the state’s Elections Division.
This article originally appeared on The Taunton Daily Gazette: Taunton City Councilors and Raynham Selectman go after State Seat
