Lavallee, Wondolowski to participate in candidates forum
GREENFIELD — Voters in the 1st Franklin District will get a chance to hear directly from the two candidates competing to represent them at the State House in November’s general election. Independent candidate Amy Lavallee and Democratic candidate Lora Wondolowski will appear together at a candidates forum on Wednesday, Oct. 14, at 6:30 p.m. at the Greenfield Community Television (GCTV) studio.
Seating at the GCTV studio is limited, but the public is invited to watch the forum live on GCTV’s YouTube channel (youtube.com/@greenfieldctv/streams). The forum will also be recorded and available for later viewing.
Ashfield Town Moderator Stewart “Buz” Eisenberg will moderate the discussion. He’ll be joined by a panel of questioners: Shelby Brock, managing editor of the Greenfield Recorder; and Marie Gauthier, president of the League of Women Voters of Franklin County.
The forum is co-sponsored by the Greenfield Recorder, GCTV and the League of Women Voters of Franklin County.
1st Congressional District candidates Milleron, Neal to debate on Oct. 21
CHICOPEE — The Nadia Milleron for Congress campaign has announced that Independent candidate Nadia Milleron will face off against incumbent U.S. Rep. Richard Neal in a live, televised debate hosted by WWLP-22News and moderated by Patrick Berry. The debate, set to take place at the WWLP-22 News studios in Chicopee, is scheduled to be broadcast live on Wednesday, Oct. 21, from 12:30 to 1 p.m. and will re-air from 7 to 7:30 p.m.
Due to studio space constraints, there will be no live audience in attendance, but voters in the 1st Congressional District will be able to watch the debate live across local broadcast and digital platforms.
“This debate is a critical and long-overdue moment for voters in the district,” Milleron said in a statement. “For years, working people here have faced mounting financial pressures — from the skyrocketing cost of living and the erosion of local manufacturing jobs to crippling healthcare bills that leave households stretched to the brink. As voters prepare to cast their ballots, direct access to candidates and substantive policy discussion is an essential democratic right.”
Because the debate will be in a closed studio with no audience, Milleron’s campaign will have a town hall event on Thursday, Oct. 22, from 6 to 8 p.m. at 52 Sumner in Springfield. This event will allow voters to ask questions and engage with Milleron in an open forum. Reserve a spot at eventbrite.com/e/town-hall-with-nadia-milleron-tickets-2002089966986.
Clean Water Action endorses Wondolowski for 1st Franklin District
Clean Water Action has endorsed Lora Wondolowski for election as the next state representative for the 1st Franklin District.
“Lora Wondolowski is a civic leader and strong environmentalist who understands the challenges of our times,” Cynthia Mendes, state director for Clean Water Action Massachusetts, said in a statement. “I am thrilled to endorse Lora because she listens, she leads and she gets things done for the people she serves.”
Wondolowski, founding executive director of the Massachusetts League of Environmental Voters, has made climate action, farm resilience and affordable clean energy central priorities in her campaign.
“Clean Water Action’s endorsement means a lot to me personally because protecting our environment and addressing climate change have been central to my professional and public-service work for decades,” Wondolowski said in a statement. “Climate change is already affecting farms, rivers and watersheds, roads and other infrastructure, and household costs. Clean Water Action understands that our farms and wild lands are both the heart of our economy and our identity in Franklin County.”
ELM Action Fund endorses Wondolowski
The Environmental League of Massachusetts (ELM) Action Fund has endorsed Lora Wondolowski for election as state representative of the 1st Franklin District out of consideration of her commitment to the environment and climate action.
“Lora Wondolowski played a leading role in making foundational climate legislation a reality in Massachusetts,” Casey Bowers, executive director of the Environmental League of Massachusetts Action Fund, said in a statement. “Her deep experience building coalitions and advancing climate policy will continue to be an asset as Massachusetts works to meet its climate goals.”
“I’m grateful to receive the endorsement of the ELM Action Fund. Protecting our environment and addressing climate change have been central to my work for decades, and I’m ready to bring that experience to the State House,” Wondolowski said in a statement. “Here in Franklin County, climate action means protecting our farms and forests, strengthening our communities against flooding and extreme weather, investing in clean and reliable transportation, and making sure our rural communities have the resources they need to build a more resilient future.”
32BJ SEIU congratulates state primary winners
BOSTON — Following the Sept. 1 state primary election, 32BJ SEIU Executive Vice President Kevin Brown congratulated U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, who “cleared a major hurdle toward another term of progressive leadership on Capitol Hill.”
“Our warmest congratulations also to the other candidates who earned our endorsement and won their contested races for the Massachusetts House of Representatives,” Brown’s statement continued, referencing Greenfield City Council President Lora Wondolowski’s victory in the Democratic primary to represent the 1st Franklin District.
“We’re proud that 11 of the 15 Massachusetts candidates we endorsed in contested districts won their primaries,” he said. “We need these men and women in office to fight against a federal government that remains fully in the pocket of billionaire interests, dividing working people by race and national origin so they can more easily rob them of their benefits and strip them of their rights. At home, this diverse slate of candidates is committed to helping advance worker justice through strong union contracts, affordable housing, quality healthcare, civil rights protections and more.”