Democrat Carmine L. Gentile is seeking his sixth two-year term as a state representative. He represents the 13th Middlesex District , which includes Sudbury and portions of Wayland, Marlborough, Concord and Lincoln.
He's being challenged by Republican Virginia Gardner , who earned a spot on the ballot with a successful write-in campaign in the Sept. 3 state primary.
Carmine Gentile, Democrat
Gentile, 70, is a Sudbury resident who won his first election for state representative in 2014 after the previous representative, Tom Conroy, did not seek reelection.
Since first becoming a state representative, his district expanded in the 2022 election, where portions of Concord and Lincoln were added to the 13th Middlesex.
"I have really enjoyed representing the 13th Middlesex District," Gentile said. "The people in Concord are so civically engaged, it's amazing. I've been working on my race. I've done some mailings. I'm optimistic about my reelection."
Gentile said he is proud of the work he has done to help get free education to all state residents.
"I've been working on higher education, trying to make it much more accessible to people, and I'm very happy to have all of our 15 community colleges free, opening their doors to residents of all ages," he said. "That education can then lead to good-paying jobs or catapult them to a four-year degree at one of our many four-year schools, such as UMass Amherst ."
Gentile said the state, as well as the federal government, must look closer at glyphosate, the world's top herbicide. He said it's dangerous for both humans and animals.
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"It's the biggest selling herbicide in the world because they (manufacturers) spend millions to aggressively undermine any and all journalists or scientists who have said anything or written anything negative about them," he said.
Along with his job at the state level, Gentile serves on the Sudbury Housing Trust and the Council on Aging . He's also a practicing attorney, although he said he does mainly pro-bono cases.
Even while campaigning for reelection to his own seat, Gentile said he has visited Pennsylvania to campaign for Kamala Harris. He's also helping other Democrats throughout the state who face tough elections this year.
"I have some confidence I'll be reelected," he said. "Some of my colleagues have some really tough races and I'll be heading out to knock on doors to help them."
Virginia Gardner, Republican
Gardner, 72, a longtime Newton resident who now lives in Wayland, said she felt the need to run for office for two reasons: 1.) She believes she brings something different to the table and 2.) She does not feel like anyone should run for state office unopposed.
"I'm a Republican and as a Republican I have no problem with Democrats," she said. "Often times, we're on the same page, but every voice has to be at the table. There has to be different opinions and different views and we're lacking that in Massachusetts. Some people don't always feel they have a voice. It's nice to understand and hear other points of view."
Gardner qualified for the ballot after a successful write-in campaign.
Although she has never held public office, she has spent years volunteering and leading community efforts. Those include getting an incinerator demolished in Newton, as well as being one of the original board members for the 9/11 Memorial , also in Newton.
Much of her volunteerism is geared toward veterans. She is a chaplain for the AmVets and takes part in yearly efforts to provide gift cards to homeless veterans.
To that end, Gardner's top concern, if elected, is veterans issues. She's calling for a moratorium on migrants moving to Massachusetts and divert the funds the state pays for them to veterans.
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"We have veterans sleeping on grates and in cars to stay warm when we have migrants who are in hotels and getting three meals a day and with cards so they can buy anything they want," Gardner said. "That's heartbreaking. We have to house our veterans. We can't have homeless veterans. We can't welcome more people into the state until we help our veterans. Americans and Massachusetts residents have to be helped first."
If elected, Gardner said she also wants to improve the state's mental health system. She said the effort needs to start in the schools, and must include additional psychiatric facilities.
"There is a mental health crisis in the state for both children and adults," she said. "There's not enough help in schools. There are not enough beds for people in need. This has to be handled immediately. We need more facilities immediately and we need more psychologists."
Norman Miller can be reached at 508-626-3823 or nmiller@wickedlocal.com. For up-to-date public safety news, follow him on X @Norman_MillerMW or on Facebook at facebook.com/NormanMillerCrime.
This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Massachusetts Voter Guide: Carmine Gentile vs. Virginia Gardner for state rep
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