Lisa Mair's Run For Worcester Senate Seat Puts Pandemic Policy At Fore

BERLIN, MA — In a few days, two first-time candidates will meet on Election Day in a race for the 1st Worcester District state Senate seat.

Berlin resident Lisa Mair is challenging Democratic nominee Robyn Kennedy for the seat held by retiring Democratic state Sen. Harriette Chandler. Kennedy prevailed in a tough September primary, beating Worcester Mayor Joseph Petty Jr. by about 10 points.

But Mair is running in her first race as an unenrolled candidate, which means she didn't have to worry about winning a primary. She also enters the race with a lower profile than Kennedy, who is well known in Worcester-area politics and as a leader at the YWCA.

Mair, 54, grew up in Holyoke and was raised by German immigrant parents, but has been living in the Berlin area since the late 1990s. Mair and her husband previously operated the One Stop Fun family entertainment center in Westford and the Flat Penny Bar & Grill in Berlin. Glen Mair now works as an attorney in Marlborough, and Mair now works as a nutritionist, health coach and yoga instructor.

"Your default state is wellness. If you have undesirable symptoms, there is most likely something in your diet, lifestyle, or mindset that is causing your symptoms. Often, it's simple to address — like changing your diet or bedtime routine," her personal website says.

Mair said she always considered herself a liberal Democrat, and even spent time campaigning for U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders during a presidential run. But she went through a political change coinciding with the pandemic. Policies like mask mandates and later vaccine mandates pushed Mair to start agreeing with opinions on the Republican side of politics, she said.

In her run for the 1st Worcester District seat, she describes herself as an "independent."

"My votes on bills will not be determined by politics, but by the merits of the issue, what the people want, and affordability," she said. "We’ve had enough of entrenched, career politicians. It’s time to return to being a government by the people for the people."

During a recent interview, Mair, who battled coronavirus in January, talked at length about her skepticism of protection offered by COVID-19 vaccines, and about the effectiveness of masks to prevent respiratory disease. She also shared testimony she gave to the Berlin Boylston Regional School Committee about masks.

"With the controversy surrounding masks, I spent many hours reading the mask research, and I’m convinced that If more people were aware of what the mask research actually says, no one would be wearing a mask or trying to justify mask mandates," the testimony said.

The committee in February voted to send a letter to state Commissioner of Education Jeffrey Riley urging the state to allow local districts to make decisions on masks.

Mair also said she would support a ban on any type of vaccine mandate. Asked to clarify if she would take away the right of private businesses to require vaccines as a condition of employment, she said yes.

Apart from the pandemic, Mair said she's focused on health as a way to solve many problems. She recently attended a neighborhood meeting in Worcester with Lincoln Street residents concerned about homelessness. Mair told the group she believes gut health can help mental health problems that many in the homeless community suffer from. She also said she feels deadly diseases like cancer and heart disease have been pushed aside during the pandemic.

"My priorities include health, wealth, and education, with a commitment to upholding our freedom and liberties," she said. "I will sponsor legislation that respects everyone’s right to accept or reject medical interventions. Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, and have been decimated by capricious [COVID-19] mandates, as well as over regulation, high taxes, and fees."

Mair also said she's focused on upholding constitutional rights, clarifying that she means both the federal and state constitutions. In a recent campaign tweet, Mair insinuated Kennedy does not support constitutional rights.

Kennedy, a former YWCA executive who previously worked in the state Senate and for former Democratic lieutenant governor Tim Murray, has focused her campaign around what she calls the "care economy" — local residents who work in fields like education, childcare and healthcare.

Mair says she feels "political divisiveness" is a top issue for voters, and that's why her status as an unenrolled candidate will win her votes.

"This is why I think people respond so enthusiastically when I tell them I’m an independent," she said.

This story is the second in a two-part series about the candidates running for the 1st Worcester District senate seat. Read about Robyn Kennedy here.