ATHOL — State Rep. Susannah Whipps, I-Athol, said that while she hopes to be reelected to her fourth two-year term as representative from the 2nd Franklin District, she hasn’t been involved in many campaign events recently.
“As far as campaigning goes,” she said, “we’ve done a few events, but we’re just working. Especially with the new towns, I think people would rather see me out meeting business owners and chatting with people and meeting constituents as part of your job. So, that’s what I’ve been doing.”
Whipps dismisses criticism from Jeffrey Raymond, her Republican opponent from Athol, that she is actually a Democrat, despite her designation as an independent.
“I do caucus with the Democrats,” she explained, “but actually, I caucus with the majority party, not the minority. As far as my votes, often times when something comes to the floor it’s virtually unanimous and I don’t think I’m that far off. I know there are a couple of votes I’ve taken that I know Mr. Raymond isn’t thrilled with, but I absolutely stand by the fact that I’m an independent.
“I speak to constituents, and I like to have a feeling of where people are on the issues. I do my very best to listen to both sides and vote the way I think will benefit the most people in my district,” she said.
The 2nd Franklin District covers the communities of Athol, Erving, Gill, Greenfield (Precincts 1, 2, 3, 4, 9), Northfield, Orange, Phillipston, Royalston, Warwick, and Winchendon (Precinct 1). The state election is Nov. 8.
Asked about her priorities if reelected, Whipps zeroed in on health issues.
“I’ve always been of the belief that medical decisions should be made between a patient and their doctor and should not be politicized,” Whipps said. “The government shouldn’t interfere when it comes to somebody’s health care, whether it’s the right to an abortion, vaccination, or even death with dignity, which I’m a cosponsor of. Decisions like that need to be made between a patient and their health care provider without government intrusion.”
Whipps said one her “lingering and long-term priorities” is access to mental and behavioral health treatment.
“Prior to COVID, we were working for telemedicine,” she said. “The fact that it was used incredibly successfully during COVID, I hope that carries on because when you live in communities like ours, away from larger cities, sometimes you don’t have access to providers. To have the ability to do a telehealth visit with a specialist is, I think, very important.”
The Athol independent also said issues of health can be tied directly to economics.
“We talk about businesses struggling, we talk about communities struggling, and I really think a key point of this is health, both physical and mental health are something we need to continue to focus on. We call it the commonwealth of Massachusetts because we have that ideology that we look out for each other, but I’d like to maybe focus more on the common health of Massachusetts and make sure that people have access to services.”
National polling indicates that the economy is at the top of most people’s concerns. Whipps said she has unique insight into the issue.
“When we talk about suspending the gas tax, that’s not going to work because the distributors of gasoline in Massachusetts are the ones who pay the tax, not the people at the pump,” Whipps said. “So, to have the guarantee that if we gave them a 24-cents a gallon break in taxes, are the people going to see it?”
Whipps said she and about 100 other legislators recently signed and sent a letter to the state Department of Public Utilities asking that it do everything in its power to protect Massachusetts ratepayers. National Grid recently warned its ratepayers to expect a 64% increase in rates come Nov. 1.
“We’ve got a tough winter coming,” she said. “The cost of fuel, the cost of gasoline, and that incredibly high increase in electricity rates is going to — every household in Massachusetts — it’s tightening around them. I’m going to work with my colleagues and do everything we can.”
Whipps also disputes Raymond’s claim, made on his website, that he has challenged her to a series of debates.
“I haven’t received a call from him, or a text or an email or any other communication asking me to debate,” she said. “So, I don’t know what he’s talking about.”
Whipps said she’s counting on her record as a lawmaker to carry her to another term in the Legislature.
“I appreciate the faith and the trust that people in this region have put in me over the years,” she said, “and I’ve been incredibly grateful for the opportunity to serve. I would just be very honored to have people’s votes.”
Greg Vine can be reached at gvineadn@gmail.com.