I am writing this letter of support for the one candidate who has the experience to represent the 19 communities that comprise the 1st Franklin District in the House. That candidate is Natalie Blais.
I have had the opportunity to engage with Natalie Blais over the past 10 years in her role as Congressional aide to John Olver and Jim McGovern, and more recently in her role as the executive director of the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce.
I have always found Natalie to be a good listener, very creative thinker and a great problem solver in difficult situations. She has been a strong advocate for all constituents on the federal level, whether they be an individual needing assistance with their federal subsidy, or an agency trying to make sense of federal cuts that would impact local funding.
Natalie could always be counted on to both listen and follow through on the issues that were brought to her. Recently in her role as executive director of the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce, Natalie convened a forum of lodging establishments to begin a discussion on the impact that Airbnbs have had on their businesses and to begin to develop strategies on this. Even with my personal knowledge of Natalie and her exemplary service to our area, I still wanted to be sure that she was the best candidate.
I have attended and listened to Youtube candidate forums so I could hear firsthand all the candidates discuss their platforms, experience and answer some very difficult questions. I find that there is no other candidate that can hit the ground running and work for the 19 communities of the 1st Franklin District on day one.
Please join me on Sept. 4 in voting for Natalie Blais.
Denise LeDuc
Chesterfield