Independent candidate Amy Lavallee, of Whately, and Democrat Lora Wondoloski, of Greenfield, are competing to represent the 18 communities of the 1st Franklin District in the Massachusetts House.
To understand what motivated each candidate to seek office, NEPM’s Carrie Healy asked them how they made the decision to enter the race.
Greenfield City Council President Lora Wondoloski talked about how colleagues encouraged her to run.
"You know, I was urged by a number of colleagues from various different parts of my career across this district, when the seat opened in January. And, you know, after like the first person, I was like, oh, that's interesting...," she said.
A single parent who works with the Peace Development Fund, Wondoloski previously led the Massachusetts League of Environmental Voters. She says conversations across the region ultimately drove her decision to run.
"Franklin County gets so left behind by the state House and having somebody with strong relationships as well as experience, um, both at the municipal level and having run a statewide environmental organization that did advocacy work at the at the State House, I decided to throw my name in the ring,” Wondoloski said.
For her opponent, Whately Town Clerk Amy Lavallee, the decision grew from seeing local government in action.
“I see firsthand how things that are passed in Boston work out here and how they don't work. And I see how municipalities and residents try to get creative with what is mandated by people in Boston," she said. "And a couple of years ago, I thought about running. But the rep that we had at the time was very popular. She'd been there for a while, and that wasn't something that I was interested in running against. And then in January, a couple of days before I went on vacation, I found out that she resigned her position. And so instead of enjoying my vacation for two weeks I sat and I really meditated on whether it was something that I wanted to dive into or not."
Housing and land use remain top concerns across the Pioneer Valley. Wondoloski pointed to rising housing costs.
"Housing is a huge driver of the costs that people are facing. That means higher rents because we have a very low vacancy rate across the district as well as very few homes that are for sale. So that's definitely rising the cost of rent," she said.
Wondoloski supports state efforts to expand housing production.
Her opponent, Lavallee, cautioned that top-down zoning rules must respect local character and municipal autonomy.
"I understand that, you know, out East, changing the zoning so the setbacks and things like that are less, but... that would really affect what our towns look like out here," she said. "So, I want to make sure that our local boards still are the decision makers when it comes to what their properties look like in their municipalities."
A married parent of three and an active hiker, hunter and conservationist, Lavallee is targeting state land-use rules. Her primary focus is Chapter 61, a state policy that offers property tax breaks for agricultural land, managed forests and open space.
"Currently you have a five-acre minimum. I want to look at ways of changing that so we can help our smaller farmers who only have like two acres,” Lavallee said.
Asked how Beacon Hill should hold state agencies and utilities accountable, both candidates advocated pushing back against policies shaped by Eastern Massachusetts.
"A lot of the proposals don't necessarily work for Western Massachusetts. And so as a legislator, I will be holding the state accountable to make sure that rural places are part of how these programs get rolled out, how funding formulas work," Wondoloski said.
Lavallee argued that state oversight must establish clearer guardrails for public utilities.
"I think that if we have clear guidance ... I want to pause because I am a small government person. We can't let these public utilities charge whatever they want and run amok," she said. "So, I think we have to have very clear guidelines as to what's allowed and what is not allowed in our state."
Both described their campaigns as strictly grassroots, but their fundraising reflected vastly different scales. Lavallee said every dollar she accepted was deliberate, noting that she avoided taking money families needed for essentials.
As of October 20, 2026, she had raised nearly $3,800 and spent a little more than $2,800.
By contrast, Wondoloski, who ran in a competitive primary, had raised about $36,000 and spent roughly $32,000.
Wondoloski said the funds are essential to reaching voters across the geographically expansive district.
"You know, in order to reach people across this really spread out district, you know, it helps to, to raise funds so that we can do mailings and advertising," she said. "Because there are people that are really hard to reach with door knocking in really remote areas despite our best efforts."
The 1st Franklin District spans about 450 square miles. According to the Secretary of the Commonwealth, the 2020 U.S. Census population of the 1st Franklin District is about 42,982.
Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026.
