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Date: 1/4/2023
CHICOPEE – After an 8th Hampden District state representative tenure that included collaborations with six governors and 600 state representative colleagues, Joseph Wagner is set to leave office in January.
Wagner looked back at his legislative career and offered final remarks during the City Council’s Dec. 21 meeting.
Wagner joined the state house in 1991 and remained for decades 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.
Air Force veteran, educator and Democratic state Rep. nominee Shirley Arriaga was elected to succeed Wagner. Arriaga defeated Ward 1 City Councilor Joel McAuliffe in the Democratic primary before winning the election against independent candidate Sean Goonan.
Arriaga is the first women and the first Latina to serve the 8th Hampden District. Wagner endorsed Arriaga in August and remained a proactive supporter throughout her campaign.
“Going into this, I thought I would just stay on the sidelines … When announcement papers became available, I said, ‘I hope the people who give this thought and decide to run, run campaigns worthy of consideration by Chicopee voters.’ I think Shirley has been really exemplary in that regard,” said Wagner in a September 2022 interview with Reminder Publishing.
Wagner also reflected on his decision to not seek re-election, which he formally announced in February 2022.
“After 31 years, I had accomplished much of what I set out to accomplish. It just seemed like for me, in consideration of many things in my life - both professionally and personally – it checked enough boxes where I just understood that now is the time to move on to some other things in my life … In terms of timing, it felt like the right time,” said Wagner.
In his remarks before the council, Wagner took time to express his gratitude to supporters throughout his career.
“As I step away from my career in the legislator, this is an opportunity to reflect, to give thanks and express my appreciation to people who have been important in my life and in this journey,” said Wagner.
Wagner thanked his family and numerous campaign partners, including his first campaign manager and former Ward 9 City Councilor Stan Walczak. He said his wife, Lorraine, and four children made tremendous sacrifices throughout his tenure.
“It’s not our families that get elected, but they feel the impact of our public service … The sacrifices family have made to support my efforts to represent the people of this city shouldn’t go unnoticed,” said Wagner.
During his time in office, Wagner said his focus was on “getting stuff done.” He expressed that he will greatly miss the detailed collaboration he enjoyed with his colleagues in local and state government.
“Those have been very special relationships,” said Wagner.
Wagner also reflected on the current uptick in roadway accidents occurring in Chicopee. There have been seven severe accidents that have led to six deaths over the last three months.
Wagner stressed the importance of “doubling down” on roadway enforcement. He said that one of his last acts in office will be looking to secure grants and state monies to enhance the community’s police enforcement.
“There needs to be a concentrated and directed effort at roadway enforcement, and I think you will see that in Chicopee and communities across the commonwealth,” said Wagner.
In his final remarks, Wagner considered his service “the honor of a lifetime.”
“This has been the honor of a lifetime. I am so proud to have been on this journey with so many people I respect so much and care about so deeply,” said Wagner.
Wagner has not officially announced the next steps in his career. He previously told Reminder Publishing he will likely be “less in the public eye.”
“Whatever I do, I think in the short term at least, it will have me less in the public eye, but I don’t have a definitive game plan for what that might be,” said Wagner.