Democrat Gale D. Candaras of Wilbraham handily won reelection to the First Hampden and Hampshire District state Senate seat yesterday, beating back a challenge from Republican Thomas A. McCarthy of Springfield. Watch video
Gale D. CandarasWILBRAHAM – Democrat Gale D. Candaras of Wilbraham handily won reelection to the First Hampden and Hampshire District state Senate seat yesterday, beating back a challenge from Republican Thomas A. McCarthy of Springfield.
Aaron Saunders, aide to Candaras, said she carried 60 percent of the vote, versus 40 percent for McCarthy.
Candaras said she is “gratified in these tough economic times to have the trust and confidence of the people I serve.”
“People are frightened and fearful of the future,” Candaras said. “These are tough times.
“I am grateful that people respect my work and that they have enough trust and confidence in me to reelect me.”
McCarthy mounted a challenge to Candaras, never having held elective office before.
Prior to the election McCarthy said he decided to run because state government is plagued by too much debt and that state pensions and other state benefits are too generous.
During her campaign, Candaras said she wants to work on programs that could boost training for precision machinists in Western Massachusetts, saying the local medical industry and other manufacturers need 500 such workers.
She also said she supports reviving a casino bill next year to bring a casino resort to Western Massachusetts.
“It’s about creating jobs, bringing more jobs to Western Massachusetts,” she said.
McCarthy had called casinos a “pathetic solution” to increasing revenues and jobs in the state.
Candaras and McCarthy also disagreed on Question 3 on the ballot. The question asked voters to reduce the 6.25 percent sales tax to 3 percent as of Jan. 1.
Candaras last year voted in support of raising the sales tax from 5 percent to 6.25 percent.
Candaras opposed Question 3, saying it could hurt local and state services such as education, public safety and human services.
McCarthy, the owner of Gateway Hardware on Boston Road in Springfield, supported Question 3, calling it the only option to bring more fiscal discipline to Beacon Hill.
McCarthy said financial problems have shaken Americans’ faith in themselves.
“As government grows and regulates more aspects of our lives, our freedom to make personal choices – choices about our health care, our children’s education and even the use of our income – is slowly and steadily taken from us,” McCarthy said.