By Jeremy F. van der Heiden

The Somerville Times recently reached out to the Democratic candidates running in the forthcoming primary election for 34th Middlesex District State Representative of Massachusetts, all of which are vying for the seat vacated by Carl Sciortino this past April.

The following is comprised of direct transcripts from email-based questions and answers with three of the candidates.

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Christine Barber, Democrat

How would you describe your mission as an elected official?

I am running for State Representative to be a strong leader to serve the needs of Somerville and Medford residents, and to bring progressive values to state policy. I have the experience and knowledge to be an effective legislator. For years, I have been a committed advocate for working people in the community at local, state and national levels. As an elected official I will study the issues, talk to people on all sides, and work to make good policy to help people in the community. I believe that leading on progressive public policy is the best way that I, as a State Representative, can improve Medford and Somerville and represent the citizens.

Why did you choose to run in this election?

I am running for State Representative because it is an incredible opportunity to work with my neighbors, strengthen my community and improve the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. I believe that I bring the experience in state government, commitment to our communities, and the dedication to the shared progressive ideals of Medford and Somerville to be an exceptional advocate. My work in and around the State House has taught me that it is possible to improve the lives of my neighbors and strengthen the community through good policy but only when we endeavor to understand all of different perspectives and find a solution.

What will you do to better the 34th Middlesex District as its representative?

I am ready to stand up for our communities and make sure that state policy reflects our needs and values. My first priority is to ensure that the Green Line is extended all the way to Route 16. Rep. Sciortino and the local delegation did a great job in getting this project moving in the State Legislature, but there is work to be done still to ensure that this happens on time, on budget and that it fits the needs of the community. My second priority is strengthening our schools. Public education is the best way that we can provide opportunity to everyone in the community and to fight economic inequality. I am proud to have the support of the teachers’ unions involved in the race. My third priority is to use my in-depth knowledge of health care policy to work to contain costs and improve the quality of care delivered to patients to help support families.

Which problems the district is facing are you most interested in correcting?

Two significant issues in our communities are the potential displacement of residents due to economic development and the addiction epidemic. Over the last decade, Somerville and Medford have faced a lot of changes from economic development in the area, and this trend is going to continue as our communities are appealing places to live and work. We need a State Representative who will be able to work with the community to ensure that economic development will fit the needs of the community. Somerville and Medford currently need to address maintaining and expanding the availability of affordable housing and ensuing we are bringing good jobs to our cities to help people continue to thrive here. In addition, our communities must address the ongoing opiate epidemic. Governor Patrick has rightly declared opiate abuse a public health emergency. The complexities of addiction and its stigma mean that many do not seek help. I plan to address the ongoing drug addiction problem by prioritizing substance abuse treatment over incarceration, ensuring adequate emergency response to prevent further overdose fatalities, and funding and health coverage for on-going treatment.

What separates you from the other candidates?

I have spent my entire career working on policy solutions to support working families. From my work as a community organizer working with low-income women in the Jesuit Volunteer Corps to my current role as a senior health policy analyst at a national organization, I have worked with people with differing opinions to create policy solutions to difficult issues. As a research analyst in the House of Representatives, I played a key role in the largest expansion of health care coverage in Massachusetts’s history by helping draft our historic reform legislation, which now provides quality, affordable health coverage to hundreds of thousands of people. It was an incredible experience, and one that taught me that by working hard to learn the issues, listen all sides, and bring expertise to the debate, we can create real solutions to social issues.

Like Rep. Sciortino, I will be a strong voice for the progressive issues we care about at the state level. I will be a leader on women’s health and reproductive rights, on fair taxation and fighting for the middle class. Somerville and Medford are leading in a lot of these areas, and I will bring those values to the State House.

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Erin DiBenedetto, Democrat

How would you describe your mission as an elected official?

My mission is to be the “People’s Representative”.   I want to be the legislature on Beacon Hill that the people from my district feel comfortable calling or stopping by to visit. As a taxpayer in this community I do my best to support transparency in government and open up the doors of our democracy to all citizens. We need to have public officials who are respectful of the needs of our community in the most honest and trustworthy way possible. As an elected official I have been known to ask the hard questions and when the information has not been fully presented to request it to be brought forward again in a manner that is transparent to all. I will give this job the respect it deserves while giving the people of the district the representation they deserve.

Why did you choose to run in this election?

I am running for State Representative because I feel I am the best candidate to represent Medford and Somerville. As a life-long member of both communities with a track record of community service, I have the history, knowledge, and experience necessary to represent this district.

My background in public service began as a teenager in Somerville where I worked as a youth organizer helping the elderly. After graduating from Saint Cement’s, I moved to Medford and immediately became involved in many aspects of the community. I currently serve as a member of the Medford School Committee and work as a Special Education Coordinator in a local school district. Every day I am on the front lines of advocating for children and the families in both cities. I know how to listen to the needs of the people in our neighborhoods and fight with heart and courage to protect the best interests of our community. I will give the people of the district the representation they deserve.

What will you do to better the 34th Middlesex District as its representative?

As State Representative of the 34th Middlesex District I will be able to bring my history and knowledge of our community and our needs and hopes and dreams for our future to the floor on Beacon Hill. This is our district. My first hand knowledge of driving down the streets, shopping at our local businesses, raising our children, paying our taxes and socializing in our neighborhoods will always be with me on Beacon Hill. I will fight for good jobs, affordable housing, care for our elderly and I will consider how new policy would affect the people I represent. I will give the people of the district the representation they deserve.

Which problems the district is facing are you most interested in correcting?

Economic Development and Affordable Housing. Somerville and Medford are on the move and that means new businesses are interested in investing in our area. I am committed to being a strong advocate for smart growth while ensuring that lifelong residents and families aren’t priced out.

Good Jobs in Our Community. I am proud to support legislation that would require workers to be provided with reasonable earned sick time/paid sick leave. As the proud wife of a union carpenter, I recognize the value of unions and will work to protect and enhance collective bargaining rights. I will fight to ensure equal pay for women becomes a reality in the Commonwealth as a fundamental right and an economic necessity to grow our economy. And I am committed to increasing funding for job training and vocational education in our schools to better prepare workers for a 21st Century economy.

Substance Abuse in Our Community. The time has come to deal with the substance abuse epidemic in our community head on and take action to help those struggling with addiction to recover their lives and rejoin our community. I believe that we must take real and substantive action to train first responders, family, friends and community members and equip our community with the programs and resources we need to stop the erosion of a generation of Somerville and Medford citizens.

What separates you from the other candidates?

As the only elected official in the race, I am a proven leader within our Community. As a school committee member, I have fostered great relationships and have been able to work with our leaders to improve the life of our students and will continue that work by opening the doors on Beacon Hill. My experiences and skills I have developed will help me to apply effective change and be a good check on accountability and the effective use of taxpayer dollars as a member of the House of Representatives.

I have walked every street in the district at least once in the last 5 months, talking with as many residents as possible. I have listened to their concerns as well as their pride in living in Medford and Somerville.   I will keep their ideas and needs in my heart everyday as I represent the people of the 34th Middlesex District at Beacon Hill.

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Craig Rourke, Democrat

How would you describe your mission as an elected official?

According to the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the mission of a state representative is as follows: “The redress of grievances, for correcting, strengthening and confirming the laws, and for making new laws, as the common good may require.” See Constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Declaration of Rights, Article XXII.

Why did you choose to run in this election?

I am running in this election because we need a state representative, and I have the experience and skills needed to do the job on day one in office. As many of you know, the residents of the 34th Middlesex District have been without a representative in the General Court since April of 2014. Therefore, our next state representative must be able to hit the ground running hard. I am an attorney and a hard worker. I have drafted legislation and argued laws before the courts of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Thus, I have the experience and skills needed to perform the duties of state representative on my first day of work.

What will you do to better the 34th Middlesex District as its representative?

To start, I will wake-up every day and work hard for the hardworking folks of the 34th Middlesex District. In addition, I will respond to your phone calls and emails in a timely manner. Further, I will make certain that every voice is heard. I am not a single-issue candidate. I came to work hard for all of the hardworking folks of the 34th Middlesex District.

Which problems the district is facing are you most interested in correcting?

It’s time to create high-wage, high-skill jobs in this growth economy for the hardworking folks of the 34th Middlesex District. To achieve this goal, I will work hard to bring Federal grant money back to the district for continuing education and worker retraining, by partnering with high-tech businesses, labor organizations and public colleges. Moreover, I will draft and introduce a living wage bill as my first order of business as your next state representative.

It’s time for affordable housing. We can achieve this goal by (1) passing a living wage bill that ensures that wages keep pace with housing costs, and (2) partnering with developers of state land to ensure that new units are designated for rental or sale at 30% below market rate. By partnering with responsible developers, we can transfer state land in 99-year lease agreements for one dollar, in exchange for covenants running in favor of the tenants. As such, the developers realize a 30% savings with respect to land acquisition costs, and the hardworking folks of the 34th Middlesex District get a 30% reduction in their monthly housing costs.

It’s time for free preschool and lifelong education. Education is the silver bullet that can combat crime, drug addiction and poverty. As your next state representative, I will draft legislation that supports free preschool for all children. Further, as noted above, I will bring Federal grant money back to the district for every resident that wants to improve their skills and broaden their knowledge over the course of their entire lifetimes.

It’s time to combat the growing plague of opiate addiction. As your next state representative, I will amend our criminal statutes to provide opportunities for drug rehabilitation so that our brothers and sister, mothers and fathers, friends and co-workers, will have a chance to heal from this debilitating medical condition. We need more and better halfway houses. Moreover, we need to control the supply of these highly addictive opiates by requiring doctors practicing in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to submit to additional education and training prior to prescribing these powerful drugs to our citizens.

It’s time to pass legislation that supports an 80% reduction in fossil fuel emissions by 2050. Folks, this will not require a radical change in lifestyle or technology. In addition to wind and biofuel, we can achieve this goal by making much needed improvements to our existing energy infrastructure. Smart grids, carbon capture and storage, low or zero emission homes and smart cities will be a reality within a decade, if we remain ambitious. We must remain ambitious.

Finally, it’s time to extend the Green Line through Somerville, into Medford, and to a terminus at Route 16.

What separates you from the other candidates?

My legal training separates me from the other candidates. I have served as the state legislative law fellow for the Human Rights Campaign in Washington, D.C., which is the largest gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender advocacy group in the United States. During that time, I drafted legislation at the state level to support equality and opportunity for all. Moreover, I have years of experience practicing law in the courts of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

As such, I have experience in drafting legislation and arguing the court’s interpretation of those laws on behalf of my clients. As your next state representative, I will draft unambiguous legislation that will not be open for misinterpretation in the future. When I draft a bill, we will know what is in it and why it benefits us as citizens of the 34th Middlesex District, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and the United States of America.

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We thank the candidates for their time and wish them the best of luck.

In the following weeks before the election we will be reaching out to all the candidates on the November ballot.