Public schools are priority for candidates in 5th Hampden House race

The city of Holyoke and a ward in Chicopee, Massachusetts, make up the state's 5th Hampden District. The two candidates vying to represent the district on Beacon Hill have differing experiences, but similar platforms.

Candidate José Candelario Gonzalez, a former Holyoke school teacher, now a para professional in the district, is running as an Independent. He describes himself as a man of the community, living in Holyoke most of his life. He was a teenager when he came to western Mass. from Puerto Rico. He went on to study education at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Why run for a seat in the Mass. legislature now? He was encouraged, he said.

"I'm willing to work with the community as as I've been working and making suggestions so that way the voice of the community [can] become stronger," Gonzalez said. "Holyoke needs to empower the people and provide services that are needed at all levels."

Gonzalez, who is 70-years-old, does not have experience in state government, but he said his life experience gives him insight into constituents' needs.

"There's a lot of issues regarding Holyoke and Chicopee," Gonzalez said. "One of the main issues was the lack of support that exists for students and teachers [in the public schools].

Gonzalez said he had a front row seat, working in classrooms.

"We’re losing teachers, and I think the state needs to do more to make teaching a profession young people actually want to go into," he said, "while also making sure education funding keeps up with inflation."

If he gets to Beacon Hill, Gonzalez said he would be able to address numerous quality of life issues, including readying teenagers for their futures by building up summer job training programs.

"A lot of people migrated to Holyoke because of the history of Holyoke, you know the the big Paper City," Gonzalez said. "There was too much work and not enough people. Now, there's not enough work, not even for the 15 and 16-year-olds."

Gonzalez also spoke about the area's war veterans, promising to get them the benefits they deserve. He said he sees elderly people and families struggling with the cost of housing, and he would be able to address this as a state lawmaker he said.

Gonzalez has significant goals involving complex matters, and these are not that different from incumbent Pat Duffy's platform who is running for a fourth term, she said, to continue the work she's been doing.

Duffy's top priorities include continuing to push the legislature and governor for more public school funding, for districts across Massachusetts.

This is a critical moment, Duffy said, looking back to 2018 when the state legislature passed the Student Opportunity Act.

"[That] increased funding for school systems like Holyoke and Chicopee and other gateway cities," Duffy said. "It took us this these six years to ramp up to where the legislation needed us to go.

The next step for lawmakers, she explained, will be through the Foundation Budget Review Commission, charged with examining how the allocation of state education resources are addressing current needs.

"As a staffer I worked on the Student Opportunity Act and then as a legislator, I was able to see the improvements come through," Duffy said. "I think I'm perfectly placed to be at the table for that revision and make sure that we don't lose any of the gains that we got."

For Duffy, another legislative priority is also school related.

"I'm obsessed with our free meals in schools [program]. It's so important, but I think they could be better," Duffy said. "There's fantastic farm to school programs around [western Mass.] , including in Chicopee. Holyoke is getting more into it, but I'd like to see them lean in more."

Duffy said if re-elected she would continue to focus on creating job opportunities for residents by getting more funding for workforce development programs.

Overall she said, she can address the district's challenges best because she's spent years building relationships on Beacon Hill and back home.

As a newcomer, Gonzalez says he's also built relationships — in Holyoke and Chicopee.