It is no secret that during this election cycle, things are a bit tense to put it lightly. However, while all eyes are on the Presidency and Congressional down ballot races, not much attention is being given to the local races, despite them being crucial for enacting the theoretical Harris or Second Trump administrations, even though they’re right in our backyards.
Right now, the State Senate seats are up for election, and the district that Sutton resides in, the Worcester & Norfolk District, is one of four in the Commonwealth that is represented by the Republican Party.
MAGOP was once quite powerful in the Commonwealth; in fact, it used to be dominant, even as Al Smith in 1928 swept the state and began its shift towards Democrats on a presidential level. Prominent Republicans such as Senator Charles Sumner, Vice President Henry Wilson, Senator Henry Cabot Lodge (who infamously ended the US government’s bid to join the League of Nations).
More recent figures include Lodge’s grandson, Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr., who was a US Senator, UN Ambassador, Ambassador to South Vietnam and Richard Nixon’s running mate in 1960. He famously won the New Hampshire and Massachusetts GOP primaries in 1964 as a write-in candidate under the ‘Draft Lodge’ movement, which was formed without his knowledge, even being polled as the best possible performing Republican candidate that year.
Joseph W. Martin, Jr. was a longtime House GOP Leader, two term Speaker of the House and Republican Party Chair. Edward Brooke, was the first black US Senator elected by popular vote, and Leverett Saltonstall, was a popular Governor and Senate GOP Whip. Bill Weld, Mitt Romney, and Charlie Baker were all popular and successful GOP governors.
However, by the 1970’s, the Democrats had overtaken the state due to a mix of liberalization of the populace, MAGOP being slowly overtaken by it’s conservative faction, and the shadow of the Kennedy family, a central figure being JFK’s brother, Senator Ted Kennedy. Because of this, there are only four Republican State Senators and 25 in the House of Representatives, with Democrats dominating both chambers.
Incumbent Ryan Fattman is one of the four State Senators. He faces Democrat Anthony Allard. Allard is actually seeing significant traction, including in Sutton, Senator Fattman’s hometown, where Allard signs can be seen.
I decided to contact Senator Fattman’s office to learn a little about his beliefs, policies, and principles. I asked him eight questions, and to his credit, he answered them. Below are the questions I asked, and the answers he gave for your own reading pleasure, and to help you make an informed decision on whom to vote for on Tuesday.
What is your view on the political deadlock of the current day and age? Do you see any way to mitigate or even do away with the political deadlock in the near future?
Conversations and debate have been replaced by sound bites and clickbait headlines, which only increase the divide between people with differing opinions. The way forward is to bring back conversations and to engage with each other because that is when we realize that we have a lot more in common with each other, we’re better able to understand different perspectives, and that we have a shared commitment to promoting the public good through service. I try to do this through forums held in my district with constituents to hear their concerns and stay connected to the needs of my district.
What about the Republican Party appealed to you when deciding to get involved in politics? How would you pitch the GOP to a young adult, such as many of our readers and fellow students who are interested in politics yet aren’t entirely sure about their political affiliation yet?
What appealed to me is the belief in America and that, as my basketball coach used to say, “We are Amer-I-Cans,” which means we have endless opportunities here—this is something I see the Republican Party champion. I’m also passionate about the success of individuals, small businesses, and families. I would encourage young people to consider the opportunities they want to pursue and how each party engages with those dreams and goals—if you hope to one day own a home, then I would argue that conservative values of lower taxes, strengthening small businesses, and individual freedom are more likely to ensure that goal comes to pass. Our Founders outlined what it means to be free in our country through the Constitution, so when we focus on those freedoms and constitutional rights, each individual has the opportunity to thrive in this great nation.
Perhaps the one issue your constituents have experienced firsthand is the current immigration and migration problem. Quite some time ago, Sutton itself hosted a decent number of Haitian citizens who fled due to the ongoing humanitarian crisis there, stemming from President Moise’s assassination a couple years ago. What is your overall stance on the situation, and what would your preferred solution be for the duration of the crisis?
I want to start by saying I am so proud to have been born and raised in a town that stepped up to the plate to take care of individuals—elderly, children, pregnant women—when the state failed to take care of them. I have advocated for reforms to the right-to-shelter law like a residency requirement along with prioritization for veterans or victims of domestic violence since May of 2023, when this issue first started. Whether someone is from South Dakota or South America, individuals who are not Massachusetts residents should not receive benefits that those who are residents are not eligible for. The budget constraints are being felt on the local level because nearly $4 billion has been spent on the emergency shelter program. Residents who receive SNAP benefits have just learned about a budget cut to the Healthy Incentives Program, which would cut their monthly benefit for fresh fruits and vegetables to only $20 per month, while each immigrant in the emergency shelter program received $64 per day for food. This is simply not fair and demands that reforms be made.
Another pressing issue for many folks here in Sutton on both sides of the political spectrum regards the rights of LGBTQ+ citizens, especially after the whole ConCon Crisis at the school, and also how the national race is concerning them as well. What is your stance on the rights of those LGBTQ+ citizens, and what would you say to people on the other side of the argument in an effort to convince them of your line of thought?
Log Cabin Republicans—our state’s largest and oldest LGBTQ+ Republican organization—endorsed me because they expressed that I believe in freedom for all people of all walks of life. The problem is not the Connections Conference but the adults who lied about it. Leaders who lie spoil trust. These are leaders who oversee the care and protection of some of our most vulnerable people, children, and when they are dishonest about intentions and events that took place, they call into question the ability to lead this very impressionable group. More than anything, we want to foster conversations that include all perspectives without fear of retaliation or judgment—this should be true for all students.
What is your economic philosophy in general? This is an especially relevant question considering the economy is still slowly recovering from the COVID era downturn and with current fears that inflation may get worse depending on what happens in the near future.
Small businesses are the backbone of society, directly impacting the local economy. Any policy that bolsters small businesses, local entrepreneurs, and families who live, work, and enjoy life in local places is something I want to stand behind. There were decisions made during the COVID pandemic that I did not agree with because it took autonomy away from business owners and put it into the hands of the government when instead both groups should work together, private and public, to bring about growth and change for people. We need to focus our state funds on helping small businesses thrive because that will impact each and every sector of society. One practical way to do this is to make cuts to regulatory practices and lower taxes. The reality is that the money you make belongs to you, not the government, so the more of their own money that people keep, the better off our families, individuals, and communities will be.
What is an issue you’re passionate about that you feel doesn’t get nearly as much attention as it should? What are some solutions to that issue that you’ve found or imagined?
A growing concern for the state is the increased energy costs, especially as renewable energy sources are emphasized over traditional energy sources like natural gas. Just recently, it was announced that a hydropower transmission line being constructed from Canada through Maine to Massachusetts would require Massachusetts residents to incur an additional $512 million. The delays on this project, in conjunction with inflation, have raised the overall cost of the project from $1 billion to $1.5 billion, which is causing the increase for residents of the Commonwealth. These rising costs will be devastating to working families across the state, even more than we have already seen. Just this week, a business owner in my district reached out with concerns about the increased cost of utilities for his company and the impact that will have on his business and customers. We must figure out how to protect our consumers by diversifying energy not just in the renewable sphere but in the traditional energy spheres that have long served our Commonwealth and residents.
Many voters appreciate a politician’s independence when deciding to support them or not. With this in mind, is there a stance on an issue that you hold that deviates from your party’s official position on said issue? If so, please discuss it.
Recently, I stood alone as the only person to vote against the climate road map, which bans internal combustion gasoline engines and diesel vehicles from being registered in MA. Being the only person to vote no on something is difficult, but the consequences of this bill would have a drastic and devastating impact on the hard-working people I represent. It also directly impacts municipalities and businesses that rely on diesel engines for public safety and public works like fire engines, snowplows, etc. So while it can be hard to stand alone, it is less hard when you know you are standing up for what is right for your district. One thing to keep in mind is that just because a piece of legislation’s title implies something positive, the content of the bill may not line up with the title and therefore lead to policy that is not good for people in our Commonwealth.
To leave on a good note, is there anything positive you would like to say about your opponent, Mr. Anthony Allard?
I haven’t had the opportunity to meet my opponent, so I don’t know him personally, but I understand that he recently got married, so I wish him well and congratulations on this new chapter of life!
Conclusion
I would like to give my sincere thanks to Senator Fattman for answering these important questions for the voters of Sutton. I also interviewed his opponent, Anthony Allard, and you can read that as well here at SuttonHighNews. I earnestly hope these two articles will have provided you the information you need if you were on the fence this time around.
