Rep. Jamie Eldridge. (Courtesy photo)
Rep. Jamie Eldridge, D-Acton, announced this week that he is a candidate for the state senate seat that will be vacated by Sen. Pam Resor, D-Acton, when she retires this fall.
Eldridge, who served as Resor’s campaign manager in her bids for state representative in 1998 and state senator in 2000, issued this statement about Resor’s departure from Massachusetts politics:
“Senator Resor has been a principled and effective leader on issues such as education, transportation, and the environment. She is a strong voice for the district and has always been honest, hard-working, and passionate in her service to her constituents. Her leadership will be missed at the State House.”
Eldridge was elected to the state House of Representatives in 2002 and currently represents the 37th Middlesex District, comprising the towns of Acton, Boxborough, Harvard, Lancaster, Lunenburg, and Shirley. He said he wants to replace Resor in order to move forward a number of issues he believes are important to the electorate.
“I could have more impact in the Senate on a lot of things I’ve worked on in the House,” he said.
Eldridge lists his top goal as restoring local aid to towns and cities.
“Many communities don’t receive adequate educational aid, including Harvard,” he said. “I would like to dramatically increase [state] aid to cities and towns.”
Other important issues on his agenda include healthcare, Chapter 40B reform, improving public transportation, and economic development.
“Health care costs are spiraling,” he said. “We need a better way to fund it.”
principles and fight for what I believe in. I’ll bring the same work ethic to the Senate.
—Jamie Eldridge
He said he supports a single-payer health-care system.
Of Chapter 40B reform, he said he would “work on passing legislation to give communities more control over development within their own borders.”
Eldridge said he plans to work with Gov. Deval Patrick’s administration on improving commuter rail service and establishing a regional transit authority that would bring bus or van service to suburban areas.
With background as a community development lawyer, Eldridge has worked with Resor on supporting statewide efforts to attract new industries, such as Bristol-Myers Squibb and Evergreen Solar, both recent additions to Devens.
“Polls show people are worried about the economy,” he said. “Many people think we’re headed toward a recession.”
He said he plans to continue to “find ways to help towns and cities bring industry to the area—both small businesses and big companies—to help create jobs.”
“I’ve always been about coalitions to create change,” he said, adding that as a state senator he would work “to organize the 14 cities and towns [in the state senate district] to help create change at the state level.”
Commenting on concerns about the creation of new housing on Devens in a soft real estate market, Eldridge said the current Devens housing proposal “would be phased in over many years. MassDevelopment won’t be looking to build if the market is soft,” he said, “but they want the ability to do so in the future.”
If initiatives to attract businesses to the state result in more industry on Devens, he added, more workforce housing will be needed there.
Eldridge said that, throughout his career, he has been hard-working.
“I stand up for my principles and fight for what I believe in,” he said. “I’m doing it now, trying to get the Legislature to close corporate [tax] loopholes.”
“I’ll bring the same work ethic to the Senate,” he said.
