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Date: 2/7/2022
LUDLOW – First-term state Rep. Jacob Oliveira announced on Feb. 3 that he would be running for state Sen. Eric Lesser’s seat in the state Senate. The position has been left open due to Lesser’s decision to run for lieutenant governor.
The district seat that Oliveira is seeking has expanded through redistricting after the 2020 Federal Census. The state’s population grew by nearly a half-million residents, or 7.1 percent, since the last census taken in 2010. The seat, which has been known as the First Hampden and Hampshire District will now be the Hampden, Hampshire and Worcester District, having gained constituents in portions of South Hadley, Palmer and Warren. The seat will continue to represent Longmeadow, East Longmeadow, Hampden, Wilbraham, Granby, Belchertown, Ludlow and parts of Chicopee and Springfield.
“This community has always been home. When my great-grandparents came here from Portugal and Poland they settled in Ludlow, Palmer and Springfield and worked in the Ludlow Mills. Like so many people of this district, I grew up in a middle-class household and saw my parents make hard choices while living paycheck to paycheck. We survived by sticking to the values of family, community, and hard work,” said Oliveira. “I’m running for state Senate because I can bring together our 12 unique communities and deliver real results for regular people.”
In the announcement of his candidacy, Oliveira touted his history of coordinating and building partnerships between all levels of government, from local to state, to federal. While only in the Massachusetts House of Representatives since January 2022, Oliveira secured $35 million for public higher education, local infrastructure projects and small businesses. Previously, he served as the governor’s appointee to the Local Government Advisory Committee and as president of the Massachusetts School Committees Association (MSCA). At the local level, Oliveira was a member of the Ludlow School Committee and chair of the Ludlow Democratic Town Committee.
Oliveira is running on a platform of building the economy while demanding equitable utility services for the area.
“I’ll fight for critical infrastructure investments to create good jobs, save you money and protect the environment, like making West-East Rail a reality and expanding PVTA service. I’ll continue to hold utilities like Eversource and National Grid and internet companies like Comcast and Spectrum accountable for equitable service delivery to rural areas,” Oliveira stated. “I’ll work every day to support small businesses impacted by COVID-19, honor our seniors and veterans, and work to protect our natural beauty and open spaces.”
Oliveira is the only person to officially throw his hat in the ring for the seat. State Reps. Angelo Puppolo, Brian Ashe and Mindy Domb, whose constituents are within the state Senate district, have all ruled out their candidacies.