Meet the two Republicans running for state senator for Cape and Islands District
A two-way race for the Republican nomination for state senator representing the Cape and Islands District will be on the primary ballot on Sept. 6
Political newcomers Christopher Lauzon and Daralyn Heywood both both [sic] of Barnstable are running for the for the [sic] seat.
State Sen. Julian Cyr, D-Truro, who was elected for the Cape and Islands District seat in 2016, is running unopposed in the primary on the Democratic ticket.
The Cape and Islands District includes the towns of Aquinnah, Barnstable, Brewster, Chatham, Chilmark, Dennis, Eastham, Edgartown, Gosnold, Harwich, Nantucket, Oak Bluffs, Orleans, Provincetown, Tisbury, Truro, Wellfleet, West Tisbury and Yarmouth with a total population of 184,504 according to 2020 census data.
The Massachusetts State Senate is made up of 40 members, 37 Democrats and 3 Republicans. The Senate meets to discuss, formulate and vote on proposed new or amended state laws, either formally or informally every 72 hours. Senators serve two-year terms in Massachusetts without term limits.
The state primary is on Sep. 6 and the general election is on Nov. 8.
The two Republican candidates have provided information about their background, experience and priorities if elected. They are listed in alphabetical order.
Daralyn Heywood
Age: 56
Residence: West Barnstable
Education: Falmouth High School, University of Massachusetts Lowell and Western New England University
Employment: Private investigator, former Massachusetts State Police lieutenant and veteran of the Air and Army Guard
Website: https://daralynheywood.com/
Civic involvement: Instructor with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination
Why are you running?
I have seen the standard of living decline on Cape Cod. Crime is up. The schools are failing our students. Drug addiction is rampant and ripping families apart. Law and order have not been a priority as the incumbent senator makes blanket pejorative, biased, false statements about our police force. Our businesses were closed, canceled and called non-essential, put out of business. The Democrat senator has not been representing the citizens of the Cape and Islands. He is a single agenda activist who has done nothing to benefit Cape Cod or the Islands. He is bought and paid for by lobbyists.
What are the pressing issues in your district?
I worked undercover for 10 years. I am intimately familiar with drug addiction and treatment. I understand the processes of district, superior and federal courts. We need to bring effective modalities to treat addiction. We need to simplify the adoption program and bring a drug endangered child program to Cape Cod to stop generational drug addiction and incarceration. Single women need aid to support their families. As soon as they get a job they lose financial assistance. Women need to be financially independent. Women and children are often overlooked.
How do you differ from other candidates?
I am a multi-dimensional person. I am a seasoned manager, a battle-proven mom, a wife and all the goods and challenges that go with that. I am the woman that other women want to drink wine with around the kitchen and the woman who other women want to be with when they feel scared or intimidated. I am the woman you want to be with if a crisis happens. I am all woman and feminine but completely unafraid to get my hands dirty.
I am serious and fun, strong and gentle, older and experienced and young at heart and energetic.
I am a 13-year veteran of the Air and Army Guard. I earned a Bachelor's of Law Enforcement. I honorably retired from the state police after 25 years with several awards and numerous trainings and certifications. I am certified in higher-level emergency management and experienced in real-time MEMA and FEMA operations. I was progressively promoted to the rank of lieutenant and the first female station commander of South Boston.
I worked undercover narcotics for 10 years assigned to a DEA Drug Task Force. I had concurrent jurisdiction, state and federal. I have supervised and managed an armed workforce. I have had many interactions with public officials and dignitaries who visit Cape and the Islands. I managed mid-level city events of consequence. I am a problem solver with a moral and ethical compass.
Christopher Lauzon
Age: 33
Residence: Marstons Mills
Education: Barnstable High School and Louisiana State University
Employment: Former deckhand with Hy-Line Cruises and currently works at Alignments Plus, the Lauzon family auto repair shop in Hyannis
Website: https://www.votelauzon.com/
Why are you running?
I grew up on Cape Cod and am now raising my family here. I care about our communities and want the best for every resident. I am keenly aware of the struggle that too many Cape Codders face to own a home, pay the bills, raise a family and keep them safe — I understand that struggle because I am living it right alongside them. We, the people, are not being adequately represented by politics as usual: Beacon Hill has been dominated by one-party rule for years with Democratic supermajorities in both legislative chambers that prevent the checks and balances that are central to effective and representative government. I intend to be a voice for all the people of the Cape & Islands District and work hard to address the unique needs of each town, from Barnstable to Provincetown, Nantucket to Gosnold.
What are the most pressing issues in your district?
Housing has been a problem on the Cape and Islands for decades — both affordability and accessibility. The same old policies have not worked and will not work for the people of the Cape and Islands. We need new and creative solutions to address this primary concern. Closely related to this are infrastructure and wastewater improvements that are well past due. Economically, everyone is feeling the pinch of inflation on the cost of their food, fuel, utilities and practically everything else. The state has a large surplus and is trying to avoid returning that money to the people as required by law. The people need economic relief and they need it now. Law and order is also a major concern: there are needed criminal justice reforms currently stalled on Beacon Hill and the Cape and Island’s drug crisis continues to spiral downward.
What sets you apart from other candidates?
I am from the Cape and running for the Cape. Despite having to work full-time during the campaign to support my family, I engage in communities all across the district with every free moment I can spare, before and after work and all weekend. I am out speaking to the people of each town about their unique needs so that I can effectively advocate for them on Beacon Hill; the needs of Barnstable are different than the needs of Nantucket, for example. And I am making it my priority to speak with individuals of all different backgrounds to find out what issues are most important in each town so I can be a voice for them and an ally for everyone on the Cape and Islands.
I am not a career politician and am an idealist at heart: I believe in Massachusetts, the birthplace of freedom, and can pledge to always be responsive to the people of the Cape and Islands District and expect to be held accountable by them. My policy decisions will always be made with respect to the Constitution (both state and federal) and what is best for the people. Raising my family here means I have skin in the game: doing what is best for the Cape and Islands makes this a better place for all of us. I would be honored to represent my friends and neighbors and look forward to earning their vote.
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