In part 3 of NEPM's series on local candidates eager to enter politics, Nicole Coakley relies on her instincts as a mother, community leader, and woman of color.

In part 2 of NEPM's series on newcomers entering politics, Easthampton, Mass., poultry farmer Karl Prahl reflects on how losing a campaign pushed him into community service.

In part one of NEPM's series on local candidates giving politics a try, Yakov Kronrod leans on his family's refugee history and his own past activism.