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Date: 8/24/2022
CHICOPEE – Ward 1 City Councilor Joel McAuliffe and 2021 City Council At-Large candidate Shirley Arriaga will face off in the Democratic 8th Hampden district state representative primary on Sept. 6.
Background
Both candidates are running for an open seat after state Rep. Joseph Wagner announced he will not be seeking re-election after 30-plus years in office. Wagner joined the State House in 1991 and remained as an advocate for improvements within Chicopee and the state. He often served as an active voice in economic development and transportation legislation, including working to establish legislation for distracted driving and helping to create the Expanded Gaming Act in 2011, according to a State House News story.
Wagner shared that he made his decision early in the election process to give candidates a chance to define their candidacy.
“I don’t think it would’ve been fair to potential candidates if I waited until two weeks before the filing deadline. I had to balance this being out there for 10 months, which is not something ideally I would have wanted to do, against giving people the consideration to make informed decisions about whether or not they might want to seek the office,” said Wagner.
Three Democratic candidates emerged in the wake of Wagner’s announcement. Ward 2 City Councilor Shane Brooks announced his candidacy first on Feb. 22 outside of the State House building in Springfield. Brooks eventually removed himself from the race on May 31 after citing financial concerns.
“It really came down to a financial decision…There’s real life expenses outside of what a state representative salary would cover…It really came down to I couldn’t reckon the salary cut I would have to take and the fact I would have to stop doing the kind of work that I do and that I love,” said Brooks, who shared that the state representative position would come with a roughly $50,000 pay cut from his current role.
Brooks continued, “Financially, I have obligations to the kids still and the salary is not commensurate to my years of experience in my private sector work. Sometimes that becomes a real consideration. It’s a real-life concern of having enough revenue coming in every month to pay all your bills and obligations.”
Arriaga and McAuliffe announced their candidacies for the open seat on March 24 and March 28 respectively. In her campaign announcement, Arriaga described herself as someone embedded within the concerns of the Chicopee community.
“I can with 100 percent certainty tell you what’s going on in my community. I know the ins and outs of it. I see how the school system is functioning and how it can improve. I see the parents who have to struggle with transportation for work and their children … It’s real, it’s not a hypothetical, it’s not too far away. I am in it with the entire community,” said Arriaga.
McAuliffe described himself as the ideal candidate to replace Wagner’s leadership during his announcement.
“For 31 years we’ve benefited from the leadership of our outgoing State Representative, and I want to thank Leader Wagner for his years of advocacy on our behalf. He leaves big shoes to fill, which is why it has never been more important that Chicopee’s next state representative be able to hit the ground running on Beacon Hill,” said McAuliffe.
Looking ahead to the primary, City Clerk Keith Rattell expects the state representative race and other state elections to draw a larger crowd than usual.
“There has been a great deal of interest in this primary,” said Rattell, who shared that participation percentage for primaries usually falls in the single digit range.
For this election, Rattell estimates voter turnout to be around 35 percent.
Rattell shared that his office is already collecting mail-in ballots for the state representative race. He expressed that the popularization of the voting method continues to make the process “extremely convenient” for residents.
Arriaga
Arriaga received her bachelor’s degree from Elms College and her Master of Law from Western New England University.
Arriaga, an educator at Chicopee High School and a United States Air Force veteran, earned the role of staff sergeant while serving as a loadmaster in the 337th Airlift Squadron out of Westover Air Reserve Base starting in 2010. During her time in the military, Arriaga worked in the Women in Aviation Initiative before becoming Congressman Richard Neal’s veteran services director. She also ran for an at-large seat on the City Council in 2021.
“I’m running for state representative for the same reason that I enlisted in the U.S. Air Force: out of a sense of duty to our country and service to our community,” said Arriaga in her press release announcement.
Following her recent City Council candidacy, Arriaga shared it’s been “very rewarding” to reconnect with residents she previously canvassed while meeting with a plethora of new prospective voters. With both candidacies, Arriaga said she’s connected with residents several times over the past year.
“I believe [my 2021 City Council candidacy] laid a very solid foundation for this campaign since I was just at the doors…I’ve been trying to duplicate the same efforts, I’ve went out across the district to get signatures from all different wards…It helps solidify those relationships and the trust that is needed to earn their votes,” said Arriaga.
The Arriaga campaign has received endorsements from state organizations, like Mass Alliance, local officials, such as former Mayor Richard Kos and state Rep. Wagner himself. She said that each endorsement is “humbling”, including the support from Wagner as he leaves behind an indelible impact on the state house and Chicopee alike.
“I am super honored for all the endorsements I have…Leader Wagner, who announced he is not running for re-election, finally endorsed me recently. I think that puts the cherry on top. It speaks volumes to say the least…You hope to get an endorsement from Leader Wagner, but I didn’t really think it would happen,” said Arriaga.
Arriaga continued, “He has served our district for almost 32 years. He’s done a great job here. Our roads, our school buildings, our libraries, he definitely championed for Chicopee…For him to say that, from his experience and time in leadership, that I will be what’s best for Chicopee reiterates we’re doing this for the right reasons.”
Arriaga also received an endorsement from Attorney General and Democratic gubernational candidate Maura Healey.
“Shirley is a fighter, a dedicated mom and a tireless advocate for our veterans. She has the experience and work ethic to effectively serve the Chicopee community,” said Healey.
If elected, Arriaga said she will support the growth of small businesses, improve the accessibility of transportation and provide additional support for the district’s educational entities.
“Our teachers and school administrators are overworked and in need of support. We need to expand our current budget to hire and retain more teachers, paraprofessionals, substitutes and mental health counselors. We need to provide our school department with the tools to get through this difficult period and help them both physically and emotionally,” said Arriaga.
In her final plea to voters, Arriaga highlighted her aspirations to work on behalf of the Chicopee community.
“I am here to work with the community, to advocate for the betterment for all of us and I will do just that. I hope [residents]can trust me and I can earn their trust as they trusted me to defend our great country for ten years…This is home base, this is my roots. I want to make sure we are not forgotten and advocate for funding,” said Arriaga.
McAuliffe
Following his college education at Springfield Technical Community College and Arizona State University, McAuliffe worked as an aide to former Mayor Richard Kos from 2014 to 2017. He soon after joined state Sen. Eric Lesser’s office as the senator’s deputy chief of staff, serving in the position up until his announcement for the state representative seat in March.
McAuliffe also established a career as a local legislator after being elected to the Ward 1 City Council seat in 2017. Over the last five years, McAuliffe advocated for unions and municipal city-wide internet services via Crossroads Fiber.
With his state representative candidacy, McAuliffe described his campaign as a grassroots effort that focused on connecting with Chicopee residents.
“Every campaign I’ve ever run has been about the people of Chicopee…We run a very grassroots-oriented campaign, knocking on thousands of doors and interreacting with voters. That’s really how I believe campaigns are supposed to be run,” said McAuliffe.
McAuliffe described the campaign process as a “great privilege” as the city councilor connected with residents within and outside of his Ward 1 purview. Additionally, McAuliffe has received endorsements from Mayor John Vieau, state Sen. and lieutenant governor candidate Eric Lesser, several members of the City Council and various union associations.
“Joel has the right kind of experience to make sure Chicopee gets its fair share on Beacon Hill. He knows how the State House works and will deliver resources for us here in Chicopee to help us grow and thrive into the future,” said Vieau in his endorsement.
McAuliffe considers the support “a validation” of the campaign he’s run so far.
“Folks really believe in my ability to represent Chicopee in the best way possible. I am the only candidate in this race with state and local government experience, which is important in advocating for Chicopee at the State House. People want someone with experience who knows how to get the job done,” said McAuliffe.
If elected, McAuliffe said he would make sure Chicopee receives its fair share of federal infrastructure funds and would work to develop areas such as the former Uniroyal complex. He would also support the construction of a new Barry School, the creation of East-West rail and free universal pre-K.
“Study after study shows that children who attend preschool have far better educational outcomes than those who do not. The first five years of a child’s life are the most important — and make a difference for the rest of that child’s life. Universal preschool is the single most important thing we can do to improve educational outcomes in communities and lift all of our kids up,” said McAuliffe.
In a final plea to voters, McAuliffe stressed the importance of Chicopee having a candidate that can “get the job done.”
“For us to get the resources that we need to advance the community, we can’t have someone starting from square one. I walk into that building with five plus years of experience in it, with relationships in it and I am going to use those relationships to deliver for Chicopee. That’s why I am in this race, and that’s why I am committed to winning,” said McAuliffe.
The state representative candidate also celebrated a personal milestone during the election process. He and his wife Deanna Rousseau-McAuliffe celebrated their wedding on Aug. 13. McAuliffe said he is enjoying some time on honeymoon in the wedding’s aftermath.
The winner of the primary will face Independent candidate Sean Goonan in the November election.