Election 2018: Candidate Profile Of Barry Finegold

This is one in an occassional series looking at candidates running in contested races on November 6. Today we profile Barry Finegold. He will face Republican nominee Joseph Espinola III in the general election on Nov. 6.

ANDOVER, MA -- Barry Finegold gave up his state Senate seat in 2014 to run for the Democratic nomination for Treasurer and Receiver-General of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, losing that race to Deb Goldberg. Now Finegold is trying to reclaim that seat representing Andover, Dracut, Lawrence and Tewksbury, which is currently held by Barbara L'Italien, who opted to not run for reelection as she ran an unsuccessful primary campaign for Congress.

Finegold, 47, is a attorney specializing in real estate law. He is a former Andover Selectman and also was a state rep from 1997 to 2011. Fiengold lives in Andover with his wife, two daughters and a son. The following are responses Finegold gave to questions Patch posed to all candidates running in the race:

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The biggest issue that we face is ensuring that we keep and create good jobs in our district. I plan on addressing this in several ways. As a small business owner myself, I know the challenges that small businesses face and will stand up for them in the State House. Solving our transportation and infrastructure issues will make it easier for people to get to work and to the businesses they buy goods and services from, so securing funding for improved public transportation (both to Boston and regionally) and infrastructure projects to fix our roads and bridges and reduce traffic is critical. One of my top priorities will be promoting clean energy, which will not only help the environment but also has the potential to create hundreds or thousands of jobs for our state. Lastly, we need to ensure that people have the education and skills necessary to take the jobs that become available, which is why funding our public schools and supporting local vocational programs is key.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I believe that my experience and proven leadership make me the best candidate for this job. We are about to have a new Congressperson, a new state senator in two neighboring districts, and a new state representative for the first time in 40 years in Tewksbury, so I feel like it’s important to have someone with experience in this seat. I have good relationships with local elected officials and many other representatives and state senators, so I can hit the ground running on day one of this job to deliver for the district.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform:

In addition to creating jobs and looking out for small businesses in my district, I am also focused on finding better ways to deal with the opioid crisis, investing in education especially early childhood education, and promoting clean energy, which will help protect against climate change and create new jobs.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

I have taken leadership on many tough issues throughout the years. One issue that I’m particularly proud of is the election law reform bill that I wrote and got passed in 2014. When this bill became law, it implemented a lot of common sense improvements to the way we vote, like mail-in absentee voting, early voting, online registration, pre-registration for 16- and 17-year olds, and audits of our elections. I pride myself on finding common sense fixes to issues that affect everyone, like voting, and I will continue to do so if given the opportunity to return to the State House.

I’m also proud of being a vocal supporter of my district. I was the first elected official to come out and support the Market Basket workers in 2014, and I will continue to be a voice for working people and work hard to find solutions to the biggest challenges my district faces.

The best advice ever shared with me was ...

To make votes and decisions based on my values, not popular opinion. I took tough votes, including supporting marriage equality when it was still unpopular in some parts of the state, and I found that even people who disagreed with me respected me for making a decision based on principle. If you’re not willing to stand up for your principles, you shouldn’t be in public office.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I am a husband, father, small business owner, and lifelong resident of the district, growing up in Tewksbury and Andover. I was raised by two public school teachers and started my life in government housing. I worked my way through college and law school and started my law firm with the help of a small business loan. All of this is to say that I was given the opportunity to make a better life for myself, and through hard work I’ve built a great life. I want to make sure that my kids and the generations to come get that same chance – that if they work hard enough, they will have a fair shot of making a better life. That belief is at the core of everything I do and it’s why I want to represent this district in the State Senate. I respectfully request the vote of residents in Andover, Dracut, Lawrence and Tewksbury on November 6th.

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Photo submitted by Barry Finegold. Used with permission.

Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).