Candidate Chat: Robyn Kennedy Seeks Chandler's State Senate Seat

WORCESTER, MA — One of the most consequential state Senate races in Massachusetts is playing out in Worcester this year.

Former YWCA leader Robyn Kennedy and Worcester Mayor Joe Petty will face off in the Sept. 6 Democratic primary for the chance to replace retiring state Sen. Harriette Chandler — a local progressive icon, and the first woman to represent the Worcester area in the Senate.

Kennedy, who resigned as a vice president at the YWCA of Central Massachusetts during the campaign, was the first candidate to officially enter the race in early March following Chandler's reitrement announcement in January.

The race has heated up in recent months following Petty's campaign launch, also in early March. Kennedy has pulled big endorsements from former lietenant governor — and Worcester mayor from 2001 and 2007 — Tim Murray and former governor Deval Patrick. U.S. Sen. Ed Markey has endorsed Petty — but Chandler has decided to keep her endorsement out of the primary race.

The two have also sparred over campaign finance issues. An independent PAC entered the race this summer supporting Kennedy, which the Petty campaign made the subject of a campaign finance complaint. The PAC fired back earlier this month, taking issue with a picture Petty used in a campigan mailer.

On policies, Kennedy has named supporting care economy workers — nurses, counselors, teachers, daycare workers — as her top priority if elected. Petty says his parmount issue is mental health, both in local schools and in the community.

Worcester Patch sat down with both Petty and Kennedy to talk about their campaigns, reasons for running and issues surrounding the race. Here's what Robyn Kennedy told us about her campaign and what she would do in the state Senate.

Can you describe the process you went through in deciding to run for this seat? How long were you thinking about it, and — more importantly — why do you think you're the right person for the job?

I had the opportunity to work in state government for many years, including on the Senate side, and really saw firsthand the role that the Senate as legislators have to provide direct constituent services, but also to make policy changes to really improve lives.

So while I was never really sure if I would be a candidate for office, I always saw the Senate as the seat that I would be most interested in. And certainly I'm a huge fan and admirer, and somebody who's worked alongside Senator Chandler for many years. So when she decided to announce her retirement, I talked with my family, I talked with friends, I talked with some of my former colleagues in state government. I ultimately decided that it was the right opportunity to bring my unique experience working in state government, but in the community as well at the YWCA over the last several years, to help really tackle the challenges that we're facing today.

When was it that you decided to actually run for Chandler’s seat?

Many months ago, a former colleague of mine had come to me, and she was considering the seat. I had been offered to support her and was leaning in that direction. Ultimately, in January, she decided she wasn't going to run and shared that with me. At that point, I decided that I would take a look at the seat myself.

But really this particular seat, running for this position at this time, is a decision that I really honed in January. So after the Senator had announced she was retiring.

One major job of state lawmakers is bringing funds home from the state. What are some local projects in Worcester and other towns in the district you would like to see get state funding?

My number one priority is investing in our care economy workforce, from early education and care educators to mental health counselors in our schools, all the way up to home health aides and nurses. You have these workforces that have just been undervalued and underpaid for so long.

I saw it firsthand at the YWCA where we had a classroom for over a year that we couldn't open, which means those are slots that are going unused because we can't hire or retain teachers because we're just not paying livable wages. And so for me, in terms of operational funding, that's something that I'm very focused on delivering back — not to just my district, but across the board so that every family in our commonwealth can access affordable, quality, early education and care. And so every resident who wants to be able to age safely at home can access the home health care that allows them to do that.

Then there's the other side of it, the capital projects, as we are experiencing a real boom across our district. We see it very much in Worcester, but in all of our communities, we're seeing a lot of development happening. It's making sure that as legislators, we're delivering to make sure that the infrastructure in these communities is sound and strong.

It's one of the things that I learned firsthand on the doors when talking with residents in Northborough who bought their home in 2005 and pointed out that the street that they're on is the same street as when they moved in. But less than a ¼-mile down the road is a new major interchange after major companies and development that has gone in there.

[The state Legislature] needs to be working to make sure that our transportation bond bills are including projects to make sure that the roads and the bridges in these communities are improved and that they were building sidewalks to make them safer, things like that.

Same thing as we look to increase affordable housing in communities. As we're working with communities to help them achieve their 10% requirement [under the 40B law] that it's not just about making sure they are building housing, but also delivering the resources to make sure roads, their schools, their water resources, can actually maintain and handle that influx of families that will come in with these new developments.

Harriette Chandler was the first woman elected to this seat in the state senate. How do you feel about your role as a woman running for the seat, and also that your primary opponent is a man?

Representation matters. It certainly matters when you consider different perspectives and different ways of looking at the world and ensuring that there is diversity. With Senator Chandler leaving, we also see within the legislature that the number of women is going down. It was at a high of 32%. It's now at 30%. [Women] are half the population and so it is incredibly important to have that representation to make sure that all young girls out there know that they have a role and they have a place at the table. To me, it's so much about maintaining the legacy of Senator Chandler, not only as the first woman to be elected but the bold and progressive leadership she brought.

I give the example of the ROE act. When [Chandler] first started filing this legislation and those of us that were advocating with her, you know, we were told, ‘oh, you're crazy, they're never going to overturn Roe v. Wade.’ But because she persisted, because she had the foresight to focus on this and persist to make sure that it got passed when it did, Massachusetts is more protected now than we would have been when Roe v. Wade was overturned.

We've seen the forecast that the Supreme Court is coming after all of the rights that we've held sacred. We need that same type of progressive, bold leadership that's going to be looking two steps ahead to say, ‘How can we make sure that all residents in our commonwealth are protected regardless of what the Supreme court or the federal government does?’ It's about representation, but also about continuing [Chandler’s] legacy of leadership.

What do you think is the biggest difference between you and Joe Petty?

I think our experiences, our life work, is very different. I've worked in the state Senate directly. I understand the mechanisms of state government, of the legislative process. My role working for [former state senator and Worcester city manager Ed Augustus Jr.] was constituent services aid. I spent the majority of my time in what was his district, which is the second Worcester, in Grafton and Upton and Shrewsbury talking with residents, whether it was helping them get their unemployment check that hadn't come through yet, or helping to understand that there were three or four constituents that were having difficulty getting their unemployment check and working to understand if there was a systemic issue like that.

Same thing in working for [former] lieutenant governor Tim Murray and in the executive branch, really understanding the role that we have working with the agencies that are here in our communities that are providing us on-the-ground services. We certainly can do things legislatively, but we can also work on the ground with these agencies to effectively address some of the challenges that our residents are facing.

Tied to that, my experience working in the last five years directly in the community. When I say that my number one priority is investing in our care economy workforce, I know firsthand from managing an early education and care center what it means to have to talk to a family and say, ‘I'm so sorry, I know you're trying to get back to work, but there's a six-month wait list[for daycare].’ I know what it means to sit with a teacher giving her notice because she's making more money at her second job at Dunkin' Donuts or Target, and she wants to be a teacher in the classroom, but can't afford to do so.

Also managing a multiservice organization through a pandemic. We never closed. We stayed open throughout the pandemic. That experience I think is a difference and also a strength that I would be bringing to this position.

You've never run for office or held an elected seat before. How do you think that may hurt you in office, and how might it help?

Based on what I'm hearing from voters on the doors, and just my own experience as a voter, I think I'm bringing the best of both worlds into this position. I'm not a career politician, this is my first time as a candidate, but I'm bringing a new perspective, new energy, and new focus.

But I'm bringing the experience of working in the state Legislature. So while I haven't worked as an elected official, I've certainly worked in positions of state government.

You've knocked on a lot of doors during the campaign. What was one moment that stands out to you?

I've knocked over 6,000 doors at this point. Our campaign is at over 10,000 doors altogether. It's hard to pinpoint one moment that stands out the most. It's been incredibly hot knocking doors every day, so one of the things that sticks out to me is just the kindness and generosity of our community. I think every single person I've talked to offered me water, offered an opportunity to step into the air conditioning for a couple of minutes in their homes. It’s just the general kindness and humanity that's out there.

I know the value and the importance of candidates spending time talking directly to voters, talking about my experience and priorities, but listening to voters, taking those few minutes to hear them. What is keeping them up at night? Where do they see the opportunities in the future to build a stronger community? To hear that and to listen to that, to help that inform my views and my perspectives, that's what we should always be open to be able to listen to.

I was knocking on doors and encountered a woman who's 92. And that day, her home health aid had quit. I was there to campaign, but she was there asking me what can she do, who do I know who she can call? I was able to reach out to the senior center, which then connected me with elder services and she was able to speak with elder services. Seeing that live as I'm campaigning, those are some of the moments that really stick out for me.

What's the single most important endorsement you've received during this race and why?

I am humbled and really honored by all the endorsements I've received. Having the Massachusetts Teachers Association endorsement and the values that they're looking to bring for educators, I’m really humbled to have their support. And then having the support of former lieutenant governor Tim Murray, and former governor Deval Patrick.

Every vote I get, I see as an endorsement. Every voter that I've talked to who has expressed support, that's an endorsement to me and that's incredibly important as well.

Within the 1st Worcester district, what's your go-to spot for a cup of coffee?

It’s hard to pick a favorite! My couple of go-to spots, it's Fuel America on Grove Street [in Worcecster]. Owner [Neelu Mohaghegh] is just wonderful and it’s a great vibe, great energy in that space. Also Brilla Coffee in Northborough. The owners have just really opened up the space and kept it going through the pandemic.

Is there anything you want to add or tell voters before primary Election Day?

I say this every year: this is the most important election of our lifetime. Every year, I mean it. I think this year is no different. There's a lot at stake as we're building back after not only the destruction of the pandemic but the trauma that it's left us. As we look to the future and look to build a stronger, safer future for every resident of our district and of our commonwealth, this election is incredibly important.

This interview was transcribed from an audio recording and has been edited for clarity and length.