WESTBOROUGH, MA — With Election Day approaching, Massachusetts voters are getting a closer look at the candidates hoping to represent them on Beacon Hill.
State Rep. Kate Donaghue is seeking another term representing the 19th Worcester District, which includes all or parts of Framingham, Northborough, Southborough and Westborough.
Donaghue secured the Democratic nomination after running unopposed in the Sept. 1 State Primary.
Ahead of the State Election on Nov. 3, Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their backgrounds, priorities and goals for the communities they hope to represent.
Here's what Donaghue had to say:
Age?
71
Family?
I was married to Kimball Simpson, who died of cancer in 2021. We had a child, Brian Donaghue Simpson, who lost his life to an opioid overdose in 2018. Josselyn Simpson, my stepdaughter, lives in Manhattan.
Position sought?
State Representative for the 19th Worcester District
Link to Campaign Website
Where did you go to school?
I hold a master's degree in Computer Science from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and a master's degree in Medical Technology from Northeastern University. I attended UMass Amherst and Anna Maria College and completed a one-year, full-time internship at Worcester City Hospital. I am a graduate of Notre Dame Academy in Hingham.
Where are you originally from?
I grew up in Quincy, Massachusetts. I moved to Westborough at age 19 and lived there for much of my college career. Westborough has been my home for 52 years.
What is your occupation?
Legislator. I came out of retirement to run for office. I spent close to 40 years as a software engineer, after working for five years as a medical technologist.
Have you previously or currently been elected to office?
I have twice been elected to represent the 19th Worcester District.
Why are you running for this position?
I am running to make a difference in the lives of the people of the district. The issues that I have focused on and continue to work on include housing, health care, fighting climate change, and education.
Please complete this statement: The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is _______ and this is what I intend to do about it.
Affordability is one of the biggest challenges facing Massachusetts families. The cost of housing and the cost of energy are at the center of the problem, but residents are also dealing with high costs for child care, health care, transportation, and food. We need to continue increasing the supply of housing, including affordable and workforce housing, while giving communities the tools and resources to support sustainable development.
What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?
As State Representative, I have been working to:
How does your experience prepare you for success in this position?
Over the past four years, my professional experience has helped inform the decisions I make and the work I do in the legislature.
My first career included five years working in hospitals, where I experienced both the rewards and challenges of caring for patients and understood firsthand how the decisions we make as health care professionals can affect people's lives every day. I also experienced the challenges faced by people working in professions where they are needed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Later, as a software engineer and vice president of a local business, I worked on both the technical and leadership sides of the organization. My 35+ year career in software also gave me valuable experience and insight into areas including credit reporting, the mortgage industry, banking, and other sectors that affect people's financial lives.
The deaths of my child and my spouse have also deeply influenced my work. From the challenges of trying to find a treatment bed for my child to spending hours on the phone with insurance companies, I know firsthand the stress, frustration, and difficulties that so many families face when trying to navigate our health care system.
More recently, my mother, at age 97 moved into assisted living. This experience has heightened my awareness of the challenges facing seniors who are no longer able to live on their own.
What else would you like voters to know about yourself?
It has been the greatest honor of my professional life to serve in the House of Representatives. I am proud that I am running for office unopposed, and I look forward to continuing to serve.
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