Worcester and Hampden State Senator Ryan Fattman (R-Sutton) is up for reelection this year, running in the Nov. 5 election against challenger Anthony Allard, a Democrat from Monson.
As part of its election coverage, Reminder Publishing reached out to both candidates to offer an opportunity to highlight their priorities and concerns if elected to the seat.
Ryan Fattman
Reminder Publishing submitted photo
A lifelong Massachusetts resident, Fattman was first elected to the state Senate in 2015 after previously serving in the Massachusetts House of Representatives and the Sutton Select Board. He and his wife are high school sweethearts and share four children in his hometown of Sutton, he told Reminder Publishing. Before his career in government, Fattman worked roofing houses and later originating mortgages. He holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree and was a fellow at John F. Kennedy School of Government, the public policy school at Harvard University.
When asked about his priorities for a second term, Fattman stated that he was “very strongly a believer that Massachusetts needs to be a more affordable place for people to live.” He stated that he had experienced firsthand the financial challenges of many residents in the state both while growing up and raising his own family now.
Similarly, he spoke about the need to balance how funds are utilized, noting the reform of the “not sustainable” Right to Shelter law as an example. He explained that the law should place greater focus on the state’s current residents, rather than incoming civilians, and advocated for a firm law with these changes.
As a Republican in a primarily Democratic state, Fattman noted that he has a “unique perspective.” He highlighted his bipartisan approach, specifically citing his work with other state senators to require testing and help residents with house foundations containing pyrrhotite, which can cause cracking, as well as his support of residents’ concerns for Monson Developmental Center and replacing the Monson’s salt shed.
Fattman also emphasized the importance of listening to residents, stating that he has hosted informal town hall conversations, participated in community events and worked with local town officials to ensure residents’ concerns are being presented.
Anthony Allard
Reminder Publishing submitted photos
A Monson native, Allard told Reminder Publishing that he was running for the state Senate seat to “[bring] people together and [deliver] results for the 19 towns in the Worcester and Hampden districts.” Allard is currently employed as a union construction worker. He was raised with nine siblings by his mother, a police officer, and his father, a truck driver, within a “middle-class family,” he stated.
Prior to this election, Allard was a member of the school committee for Pathfinder Regional Vocational Technical High School District from 2021-2022. He also currently serves on the Citizens for Rail Service to Palmer Massachusetts Committee, maintaining his membership since 2014, Allard said.
When asked about why he was a good candidate for the position, Allard emphasized that his experience as a “working class citizen” allows him to understand the financial difficulties that residents in the district are experiencing.
“As someone who grew up in a middle-class family, I have seen the struggle my parents go through raising a family living paycheck to paycheck. Like many of the people in our district, we are struggling to make ends meet. I want to fight to cut the cost of healthcare, taxes, and housing,” he explained.
Allard highlighted lowering costs, repairing infrastructure and ensuring student access to education as the three of the largest issues for the position. He also emphasized the importance of protecting open spaces areas, pushing for additional state funding, and supporting civil and women’s rights as priorities if he was elected as state senator, noting that he “[wants] to be a rural advocate in the statehouse for our central and western region.”
“I will represent every person in our district. I will work hard to improve the lives of others, including helping young people who face challenging conditions in their young lives, and older people who are also struggling,” he said.
