This story is part of our coverage of Tuesday’s presidential primary election. Additional stories were published on Friday and Saturday.
GREENFIELD — With Super Tuesday’s presidential primaries fast approaching, Franklin County supporters from different campaign groups have been actively working to promote their respective candidates and sway undecided voters before they hit the polls Tuesday.
“Things are going really well,” said Patty Williams, a local Bernie Sanders supporter.
Williams, 67, is now retired from a 35-year career as a labor activist and negotiator. She is one of the coordinators for Franklin County Continuing the Political Revolution and Pioneer Valley for Bernie 2020.
The groups have been organizing numerous canvassing and phone banking events. She said it’s been nice to see “young people coming out of woodwork,” to join the campaign. In addition to the campaign office in Greenfield, 345 Main St., offices have been opened in Holyoke and Springfield.
“Western Mass. is really rocking,” Williams said. “We’ve been putting in more hours leading up to the primary Tuesday.”
On primary day, the Greenfield office will be open all day with people organizing last-minute promotion and transportation for people who need a ride to the polls.
Williams said Medicare for all and affordable college tuition are important issues when looking to the future. According to Williams, issues that are priorities in Greenfield include a need for education and affordable housing. She said, the question heading into the polls Tuesday is, “Who will fight for us?”
“I want to see working people get the fruits of their labor,” Williams said. “I trust (Sanders) will not back down. He hasn’t’ backed down for many years.”
She noted that climate change is “the issue” facing future generations and Sanders is fighting for a greener future. According to Williams, Sanders has conducted studies on transitioning from fossil fuels to sustainable energy. This includes the re-training of workers in certain industries to ensure they remain employed.
According to Sanders’ campaign website, he aims to transform the energy system to 100 percent renewable energy and create 20 million jobs needed to solve the climate crisis. He is also committed to reducing emissions throughout the world, including providing $200 billion to the Green Climate Fund, rejoining the Paris Agreement and reasserting the United States’ leadership in the global fight against climate change.
“My priorities for primary candidates is looking for the big picture candidate,” said Jen Malcolm-Brown, a supporter for Sen. Elizabeth Warren and a Shutesbury resident.
Warren can use her experience to act on the big issues, following through and uniting political figures to work together, Malcolm-Brown said. She pointed to Warren’s detailed plans for action and time working in national politics. Malcolm-Brown said Warren’s stance on climate change, issues related to racism and distribution of wealth stood out to her.
“She can use her leadership skills to unite people and get things done,” Malcolm-Brown said.
She said Warren has a strong plan to aid those who are burdened by student loans or unaffordable access to health care. According to a campaign statement, Warren’s previous accomplishments include making hearing aids affordable, canceling student loans for thousands of Massachusetts students and ensuring survivors of terrorism get the specialized care they needed.
The “Warren for President” campaign is hosting several promotional events. The campaign announced more than 80 Get Out the Vote kickoffs and door-to-door canvasses across Massachusetts; however, few events have been formally announced in Franklin County.
“I think she’ll put up a decent showing in the state and that will build momentum nationally,” Malcolm-Brown said.
Beginning in 2011, Warren built a statewide grassroots organization that defeated a popular Republican incumbent, and elected her as the first woman ever to represent Massachusetts in the U.S. Senate. Today, that organization includes thousands of volunteers, small donors and students, as well as veterans of her 2012 victory and re-election campaign.
“The people of Massachusetts saw Warren lead a campaign that beat Scott Brown in a race that people thought was unwinnable,” reads a campaign statement. “In the last two debates, they saw a preview of how she’ll beat Donald Trump on the debate stage and at the ballot box next fall.”
“We have something booked every day. This is an intense week ahead of ‘Super Tuesday,’” said Pamela Goodwin, a Tulsi Gabbard supporter and Greenfield resident.
Goodwin and other Gabbard supporters were outside Green Fields Market in Greenfield Thursday. Goodwin said she was drawn to Gabbard as a “unifying candidate.” Another supporter pointed to Gabbard’s willingness to speak to people with different opinions, while standing up for what she thinks is right.
“She has been reaching across the aisle since she’s been in Congress,” Goodwin said.
Gabbard is the first female combat veteran to ever run for president, and the first female combat veteran ever elected to Congress, along with Tammy Duckworth. She has served for seven years on the Foreign Affairs, Armed Services and Homeland Security committees. Gabbard enlisted in the Army National Guard after the 9/11 terrorist attack and served as a soldier for over 16 years, being deployed twice in the Middle East.
According to Gabbard’s campaign website, she wants to end “wasteful regime change wars” and the nuclear arms race, and invest the trillions of dollars that have been spent on the military into serving the needs of the American people.
Paul Scammon, a non-combat veteran from Northampton, said he was drawn to Gabbard because of her experience and stance on the military and international diplomacy, and her stance on affordable access to health care.
“No one should be forced to choose between putting food on the table and paying for life-saving medication,” Gabbard states on her website.
Attempts to reach local supporters and requests for comments from other candidate campaign representatives were unsuccessful before press time.
Zack DeLuca can be reached at zdeluca@recorder.com or 413-930-4579.