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'It can be lonely being a Republican in Massachusetts': a western Mass. delegate at GOP convention

Michael Valanzola from Wales, Massachusetts is a delegate at the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Barry Goldstein
/
NEPM
Michael Valanzola from Wales, Massachusetts is a delegate at the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

The Republican National Convention in Milwaukee continues through Thursday evening. And one attendee from western Massachusetts said the policies of Democrats are costing his state money.

Michael Valanzola is a select board member in the Hampden County town of Wales. This is not his first convention: He was a delegate in 2012.

He said that the impact of current immigration policy is not only felt nationally, but also back in his home state.

“If you look at the crisis at the border, I think that has for me, even in Massachusetts, now become a local issue,” Valanzola told NEPM photojournalist Barry Goldstein. “We are right now spending billions of dollars out of the state coffers in Massachusetts to deal with this migrant crisis. That needs to be addressed."

Valanzola added it can be lonely being a Republican in Massachusetts, but points out there are still some pockets where he grew up that do lean red.

“I joke oftentimes, I grew up in the western and central part of the state. And we often say, ‘You've got Worcester, you've got Springfield, and you've got Alabama in between,’" he said. " I mean, my hometown voted for President Trump four years ago."

He added that it is an “honor” to be in Milwaukee, and that it has more meaning given last week’s attempted assassination on the former president.

“I think particularly given some of the activities of recent days, it's ever more important that we continue to continue to promote democracy and be able to take advantage of this opportunity,” Valanzola said.

Donald Trump is expected to officially win the nomination on the final night of the convention on Thursday.

For more stories of Massachusetts attendees and others at the Republican National Convention, visit Red in a Blue State online at www.nepm.org/rnc2024.

Adam joined NEPM as a freelance reporter and fill-in operations assistant during the summer of 2011. For more than 15 years, Adam has had a number stops throughout his broadcast career, including as a news reporter and anchor, sports host and play-by-play announcer as well as a producer and technician.