First in a series of stories profiling several legislative races that will be decided Sept. 4.
LOWELL — Who will succeed Eileen Donoghue as the next state senator of the Mill City and area towns?
Could it be one of the two rival city councilors who voted for Donoghue to be the next city manager — a vote that opened up the 1st Middlesex Senate District?
Will it be a former city councilor who says he would continue to be a practicing attorney, aspiring to follow the blueprint of Donoghue and Steve Panagiotakos?
How about the only non-Lowell candidate, bringing his high-tech/small business/education experience to the table?
Or might a newcomer to the political scene, boosted by union support, upend the established city candidates?
The crowded Democratic field has only a few weeks to differentiate themselves before primary day on Sept. 4. The lone Republican in the race, John MacDonald, does not face a primary challenger, and is gearing up to face the Democratic winner in November.
Donoghue served the 1st Middlesex Senate District — Lowell, Tyngsboro, Westford, Groton, Pepperell and Dunstable — from 2010 to earlier this year. Then in April, the Lowell City Council selected her as city manager.
This domino led to five Democrats vying for the Senate seat: City Councilor Rodney Elliott, City Councilor Edward Kennedy, former City Councilor Bill Martin, former Westford School Committee member Terry Ryan and Lowell’s John Drinkwater, of the Massachusetts AFL-CIO.
* Elliott says he has played a key role in the city’s transformation over his 21 years on the council. He now wants to continue his services as an elected official in the Statehouse, he says.
“I want to be the state senator who will stand up for the people, and bring some common-sense solutions to government,” Elliott said. “I’ve done that my whole career.”
On the council, Elliott has been known as the fiscal watchdog. He has been on the Finance Subcommittee for years. Elliott is also a former mayor.
Nearly four decades ago, Elliott was a legislative aide at the Statehouse.
“I can go to work on day one having worked in the district and at the Statehouse,” he said. “I can hit the ground running.”
The top issues Elliott says he’d address are the opioid epidemic, school safety and funding, and escalating healthcare costs.
“With my background in finance and budgeting, I’d be the best candidate to address these funding issues,” he said.
Transportation throughout the region is also a critical issue, he said, making sure the roads are not gridlocked. The Rourke Bridge is a priority, he said.
If elected, Elliott said he would give up his council seat on day one.
* Kennedy says he has a plethora of government experience that he would bring to the Statehouse.
That includes four terms on the council in the late 1970s and 1980s, followed by serving on the council since 2012. Kennedy was also a Middlesex County commissioner, and a chairman for the Northern Middlesex Council of Governments.
“When you serve in government, you realize a lot of the decisions that affect municipal government are made on Beacon Hill,” he said. “I want to be part of those decisions to be an advocate for the cities and towns in this district.”
In the 1980s, Kennedy was a legislative liaison with the Massachusetts Department of Youth Services. Like Elliott, Kennedy said he has the necessary experience to serve in the Senate from the get-go.
One of the top issues on Kennedy’s radar is the education funding formula. He called it “outdated and inadequate.”
He also highlighted economic development, pointing to the importance of a permanent Rourke Bridge to help with that. Continued growth in the Hamilton Canal Innovation District is also key, he said.
If elected, Kennedy said he would continue to serve as a councilor for about six months. That’s when the loan-order vote for the high school is expected to take place. After that vote, Kennedy says he would give up his council seat.
* Martin argues that he has the broadest experience and best background to serve as state senator.
The former city councilor and practicing lawyer says he has a “proven track record” that distinguishes him from the other candidates.
Martin, also a former mayor, served for 16 years on the City Council.
“I’ve worked for years to bring jobs and economic development projects to the city,” he said.
In addition to working as an attorney in the city for years, other relevant experience includes his time as a law clerk for the Supreme Judicial Court.
When it comes to economic development, Martin as senator would encourage companies to locate in the Merrimack Valley.
“Despite all the reports of a strong economy, it’s not strong for everybody,” Martin said. “There’s still a lot of anxiety and economic insecurity, and we need to address that.
“Jobs and economic development are always a priority,” he added. “We need our fair share of that in the district.”
The education state funding formula needs improvement, and the state needs to increase reimbursements for charter schools, he added.
If elected, Martin says he would continue to practice as an attorney — just like former senators Donoghue and Panagiotakos.
* Ryan is the only candidate who lives outside Lowell, but he was a city resident for 40 years before moving to Westford for the last 14 years. The urban and suburban mix results in a unique perspective, he says.
He contends that he’s the best qualified candidate for the position. Ryan’s experience includes 30 years in the high-tech industry as an engineer, and six years on the Westford School Committee. He also directed a downtown Lowell small business center.
“I learned how to collaborate with others, bring people together and find solutions to problems,” Ryan said.
Briefly a candidate in the 3rd Congressional District race, he decided to drop out of that crowded field and join this Statehouse race. Ryan called this position a “much better fit.”
“It’s more who I am, more local, representing the six communities,” he said. “You can resolve issues quicker for people.”
Some of his goals if elected include economic development for the region, and making education improvements for the district. On the School Committee, Ryan said he helped address school safety and innovative teaching programs.
“I see things differently as an engineer and base a lot of my decisions on data,” he said. “I’ve brought people together to break down problems, and find solutions.”
If elected, Ryan says he’d be a full-time state senator.
* Drinkwater on the campaign trail has been letting residents know that he’s the only candidate who has never run for political office.
While never holding an elected position, he has experience at the Statehouse as an advocate.
“Pushing for legislation that makes an impact on lives of working people,” Drinkwater said of his work as legislative director of the Massachusetts AFL-CIO. “That’s a great qualification to represent the people of the 1st Middlesex District.”
He said he has learned the best ways to move members of the Legislature.
“I can be that legislative champion inside the chamber,” Drinkwater said.
He decided to seek a career in the labor movement because working people have been falling behind over the last few decades, he said. Nobody feels completely secure in today’s economy, Drinkwater added.
With the union, he has worked on campaigns to raise the minimum wage, and paid family/medical leave.
“These are the types of policies we should be working on,” Drinkwater said. “These are what we need to build on.”
When it comes to public higher education, it’s vital for state funding to increase, he said. The end result has been students leaving college with more debt, he said.
“We need to find a way for the state to be meeting the same level of investment that it was making when I was a student there (at UMass Lowell),” Drinkwater said.
If elected, Drinkwater says he’d be a full-time state senator.
Follow Rick Sobey on Twitter @rsobeyLSun.
Coming Monday: Reporter Amaris Castillo profiles the race for the 36th Middlesex state representative seat pitting incumbent Colleen Garry, of Dracut, against Dracut School Committee member Sabrina Heisey.