Incumbent Democratic State Senator Jamie Eldridge of Marlborough and Republican challenger J. Tim Shea of Acton faced off in a candidate forum for the Middlesex and Worcester State Senate District on September 30 at the Acton Town Hall. Both candidates appear on the ballot for the November 3 Massachusetts State election. The winner will represent the towns of Acton, Ayer, Boxborough, Harvard, Hudson, Littleton, Marlborough, Maynard, Stow, Southborough, Sudbury and Wayland.
The event, attended by an attentive audience of over fifty residents, was co-sponsored by the League of Women Voters Acton Area alongside the Leagues of Harvard, Sudbury, and Wayland. Acton TV broadcast the forum live; a recording is available.
In opening statements, the candidates introduced themselves, Mr. Eldridge as an 18-year incumbent and Mr. Shea as a new candidate with a business background running to give voters a change. Tasked with describing their priorities, Mr. Shea listed lowering energy bills, supporting the audit to identify wasteful spending, and housing affordability; Eldridge listed education funding, transportation, and climate action for environmental protection.
For nearly an hour, the candidates answered questions posed by a League moderator from Lexington, covering a wide range of topics that revealed areas of agreement as well as differences between the two candidates. Alyssa Robinson, a member of the LWV Executive Committee, observed, “The event drew a crowd from each of the League’s member towns and beyond. Even after many strong candidate forums in the past, we were impressed with the audience engagement. We received dozens of thoughtful questions that highlighted the differences between the two candidates and will help everyone make their choice.”…