The choice we all have for our Senate district this November is very clear.
This is a seat that Democrats held, up until last November, for 50 years. Why? This district's voters don't take their choices lightly. Because Democrats are there for the people they represent, not for special interests - and our communities, our residents, our voters knew, saw, and experienced that dedication - in Anne Gobi, in Steve Brewer, in Bob Wetmore. And it's why we cannot simply sit back and not try to win it back.
In one year, my opponent reduced the power and weakened the voice of OUR Worcester Hampshire district communities at the Democratically held, Boston-centric Statehouse.
Mr. Durant's campaign last year ran almost exclusively on fear-mongering and hate. His record this year, aside from his failure to get crumbling foundations legislation passed, includes votes against requiring employers to disclose salary ranges, against common sense modernizing gun reform that closed loopholes created in the Bruen decision in the Supreme Court, against expanding the use of renewable energy, against updates to mail in voter registration, and against appropriation of needed funds for shelters. By the way - every single one of those bills passed, easily, despite his vote.
That's just in his one year in the Senate. During his tenure in the House from 2011 to 2023, he voted every time against gun regulations including against authorization of temporary removal of firearms from those deemed a threat, against protections for reproductive and gender affirming care, including prohibition of conversion therapy and authorizing police to remove people impeding access to reproductive care, against expansion of drivers licenses for the undocumented, against climate policy, against increasing the minimum wage (twice), against increasing access to affordable health insurance, against increasing accessibility to voting, against covid working groups and every pandemic safety measure, against the 2022 budget, against the 2021 supplemental budget, against the 2018 budget, against stopping the use of prisoner labor outside of the state, and against unions (specifically for the $400M Holyoke Soldiers' Home).
Mr. Durant votes against the environment, against equal rights, against equal access, against choice, against common sense safety, and against common humanity. He has never had one of his negative votes be on the winning side. Nor were they ever close. He is simply filling a seat, registering an ultimately meaningless dissent, leaving himself little ability to bring back real results for our district.
About me:
I was a 13 year veteran of my town of Rutland's selectboard. I am proud of my record in Rutland, which included state-level advocacy for many of the issues our communities are concerned about: desperately needed changes to the state education foundation formula, fully funded regional transportation; water protection, sewer infrastructure; public safety, public works, good community policing, support and protection for our communities' "third places" - our libraries, senior centers, parks, conservation land, affordable housing, municipal infrastructure, and good jobs.
During the covid crisis, I worked for the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women as a coordinator for the Girls Initiative, transforming a beloved event to be fully remote, so that a crucial opportunity for young women to have a voice could still occur. I was the communications coordinator for the Rutland Regional Vaccine Clinic, the largest regional covid vaccine clinic outside of Boston, with over 90,000 doses provided to people who journeyed to the center of MA from across the entire state - working with that team was one of the honors of my life.
While my professional background is in property and project management, my passion is local government. My focus as an adult has been on hyper-local politics, the front line of representing the people. I have lived in Worcester County for over 40 years. I know all of this district's towns and cities - there's not one where I don't have a favorite restaurant or store or bike or hiking trail, not one where I haven't followed pressing community issues. I understand the needs of municipalities, the needs of the residents in them - and that a state senator's role should be to every resident of those municipalities - to be their voice, and to advocate to get them, from the Statehouse, what they need to succeed.
Serving this district, representing its people, as its Senator, with a focus on local issues- even the hard ones- with a goal of RESULTS, is at the core of this campaign.
Financial support:
Last year, almost $100,000 was spent by each candidate in the special election. Last summer, Mr. Durant raised $47,000 before Labor Day, and another $70,000 between the primary and the special election.
Will I need to raise money quickly? Absolutely, especially if we hope to counteract what I expect will be multiple attack ad mailers funded by the state Republican party , since it's what they did last year. Having just barely won the seat from us, they will not give it up easily.
I know how much is being asked of all of us right now to support, donate, and volunteer on behalf of Democratic candidates, from the White House on down, and across the country. I do not take asking for your support in this race, for MA State Senate, lightly.
But local government builds strong communities, and this local race, this seat, is worth the fight.
Whatever you are able to give from the hard-earned money in your pocket - know that it is deeply appreciated.
Thank you for everything you do.
Sheila H Dibb
Rutland
Candidate for MA State Senate Worcester Hampshire District
(checks can be made payable to Committee to Elect Sheila Dibb, 209 Pommogussett Road Rutland MA 01543)