Election 2018: Candidate Profile Of Jim Lyons

This is one in an occassional series looking at candidates running in contested races on November 6. Today we profile Rep. Jim Lyons (R-Andover), who represents parts of Andover, Boxford, North Andover and Tewksbury. The general election on Nov. 6.

ANDOVER, MA -- State Rep. Jim Lyons (R-Andover) made headlines earlier this year when he led the push to impeach Salem Superior Court Judge Timothy Feeley, who has come under fire for a series of controversial rulings that were seen as being too lenient on crime. He also grabbed election-cycle press when protesters showed up at a campaign event where Gov. Charlie Baker was appearing to support Lyons's reelection bid for a fifth term in the state legislature. The protesters at that event in August included Democratic gubernatorial candidates Jay Gonzalez and Bob Massie, Third Congressional District candidates Alexandra Chandler and Sen. Barbara L'Italien, and Lyons's Democratic opponent Tram Nguyen.

Before politics, Lyon was a small businessman. His family has owned and operated Dandi-Lyons, an ice cream and flower shop in Tewksbury, for 35 years. Lyons, 65, lives in Andover with his wife and has two sons. The following are responses Lyons 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 opioid epidemic is an issue that has touched so many families in our district and across our state. It has had a devastating impact on these persons and their families. Over the past several years, I have successfully advocated for greater funding for treatment programs throughout our Commonwealth. Working with Governor Charlie Baker, we have increased the number of treatment beds available, trying to give communities and families more ways to help loved ones in times of crisis. Additionally, I have worked with a bipartisan majority in the House of Representative to pass bills aimed at increasing education and prevention programs, as well as reforms aimed at curbing the abuse of prescription drugs.

Ultimately, education, prevention, and treatment only make up part of the solution. At the same time, we must give greater tools to our police and law enforcement who are fighting drug pushers and opiate traffickers every day. Drug dealers who profit from the addictions of others must be dealt with by our justice system. Such brutal and ruthless profiteers must be taken off our streets. This requires a range of actions, including strengthening penalties for fentanyl trafficking, increasing funding for police and drug enforcement task forces, and ensuring that local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies work cooperatively together in this all-important public health crisis.

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

I am running a purely positive, grassroots campaign. I am visiting neighborhoods throughout Andover, Tewksbury, Boxford, and North Andover, ringing doorbells and talking with voters. It is a great honor to serve as their State Representative. That's why I'm asking for re-election on the strength of my record as their voice for greater balance and genuine reform on Beacon Hill.

When first elected to office, I campaigned - not as a lifelong politician - but rather as someone with real-life experience. No matter what happens on any election day, my greatest accomplishment in life is being married to my wife Bernadette for more than 30 years, along with the two of us parenting our sons Mikey and Tyler. Like so many of you, we are homeowners who appreciate our neighbors; we pay property taxes, and our sons attended public schools.

Along with being homeowners, we have operated a small family business in the district for three decades. Like all small business owners, we know firsthand the challenges and difficulties of working in brick-and-mortar shops in the Merrimack Valley. I bring this real-life private sector and small business experience to my work as State Representative. Our family business has had the ability to create jobs, especially for young people in high school and college looking for their introduction to the workplace. We understand the responsibilities inherent in making weekly payrolls, and we see the impact of the 25% sales and meals tax hikes that the Deval Patrick Administration and the Democrat-dominated legislature imposed, prior to my election to the legislature.

I am the one candidate who brings this combination of family life and small business experience. At the same time as a reform Republican, I bring much needed balance to a state legislature that is too often dominated by Beacon Hill insiders and Democrat power-brokers.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform:

From the first day I served as Representative, I said that Local Aid would be my top priority. Prior to my election, the Patrick Administration had been cutting Local Aid and hiking taxes. I am pleased to report that we have turned this approach around completely. Since I have been representing our communities, Local Aid has been successfully increased every fiscal year. Working with Governor Charlie Baker, reform Republicans like myself have put a renewed emphasis on the overriding importance of Local Aid.

Our team of reform Republicans are working hard to bring balance to the Beacon Hill legislature dominated for decades by big-government Democrats. We are working with the Charlie Baker Administration to make state government more effective, more efficient, and more responsive. We are working to streamline such budget-busting bureaucracies as the MBTA and MassHealth, and to expand openness and transparency by advocating wider application of "sunshine," Public Records, and Open Meeting laws. After decades of single-party rule in the legislature, it's no easy or quick task, but one worth the effort over the long run.

By prioritizing Local Aid rather than state bureaucracies, we are able to better fund education, police, fire, public works, libraries, and first responders. These community services are the ones that most impact our families on a day-to-day basis. These are the things that knit us together as a community, that matter to the daily lives of our families, and that will secure a better future for our children.

As a husband and father, I understand the joys, challenges, and difficulties that all families in our communities experience. As a homeowner, I know the responsibilities of paying taxes and utility bills, and the joys of neighborhood living. As a small business person, I appreciate the importance of honesty, diligence, and hard work. As a state representative, I have had the honor of serving and working for the voters of Andover, Boxford, Tewksbury, and North Andover since 2011.

The best advice ever shared with me was ...

My dad, Jim Lyons Sr., who served as a police officer for more than 30 years, offered much good and loving advice over the years. But rather than any specific words of his, I best remember and most admire the way he lived his life. He always loved and supported my mom, he was always there with encouragement for my two sisters and me, he never lost his infectious enthusiasm for life or his deeply held belief in God, and he dedicated himself to his job as a police officer. My dad's lifetime example is more precious to me than words, and it is one that I constantly strive to emulate.

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

We need balance on Beacon Hill. We cannot afford to allow Democrat Speaker Robert DeLeo and his insider allies to completely control and totally dominate the legislative branch. I have worked to bring Merrimack Valley values to Beacon Hill. We are a minority in a House dominated by single party and, frankly, by one person, Democrat Speaker DeLeo. If you agree that we need balance in the legislature and that we need a voice for the values of the Merrimack Valley, then I will be honored to continue serving as your State Representative.

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Patch file photo.

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