Pittsfield — Since Senator Benjamin Downing (D-Pittsfield) announced early this week he would not run for re-election, and once the Berkshires had adjusted to the idea, all eyes began wandering towards two likely candidates who might fill his seat.
When elected 10 years ago, Downing promised he wouldn’t go beyond five terms and stuck to it. Downing told The Edge that while he doesn’t yet know what he’ll be doing after his term is up in December, he does know that during this last year he’ll stay away from lobbying and he doesn’t plan to make any endorsements for anyone running for his seat.
“In the 2006 race, I wasn’t the candidate who got all the endorsements,” he said. “I want to let people make their own choices based on how hard candidates work. And I will more than likely have a few friends in this race.”
Naturally, state Rep. William “Smitty” Pignatelli’s (D-Lenox) phone began to ignite with questions and support. “I’m flattered that my name rises to the top of this conversation,” Pignatelli said. “I’m seriously considering it, yet it’s a big decision with the job I’m doing now and with family obligations.” He said he’s had some “sleepless nights” over it.
“It’s a deeply personal decision, and I hope to make it soon.” He said he’ll let us all know in a few days after he’s talked to friends, family and key supporters. He’ll also need to figure out how to raise money for a campaign. “My kids are grown, my daughter is now a senior in college,” he noted. “I’m at a different point in my life and that’s why I’m considering it.”
Pignatelli says he “flirted with this 10 years ago,” but felt he needed more experience in the legislature. “I love the House — I feel it’s closer to the people.”
He said he felt it was premature to talk about policy before he’s even made the decision. Generally, he said, his work would be a “continuation” of his focus on economic development, healthcare and education. He said he would continue helping communities “organize to have a common goal,” as he recently did with the Community Compact that is already helping towns agree to share services, for example.
State Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier (D-Pittsfield) has also indicated interest in running for Sen. Downing’s seat.
Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier (D-Pittsfield) is also “seriously” eyeing a run for the seat. “I have to look at all my options, the impact on my family and my constituents,” she said by phone from Boston.
Farley-Bouvier, who is member of the Progressive Caucus, said as a “policy wonk,” the senate would be a good place for her. “As a senator you have an opportunity to have a greater impact on policy.”
A day later, on Thursday (January 28), however, Farley-Bouvier had decided not to seek Downing’s Senate seat.
She said she wants to continue tackling issues of pay equity, energy, mental health and disabilities, criminal justice reform, and particularly issues with the Department of Children and Families, something she spoke passionately about with The Edge. “We want [the Department] not to be so reactive and take proactive steps to stabilize. In every economic downturn, the Department gets cut just when families are under more pressures — they are hit first and hardest, and there’s more stress. They need more resources and every single time there has been less. It holds up for only so long before you start to see the impact it’s having on children.” She said after the 2008-2009 recession, there was “one case after another of true tragedy,” after serious cuts to the Department that she said had collapsed it.
“We’re now trying to infuse the Department with more resources. But social workers are under so much strain they are leaving. It’s like trying to fill a bucket with a hole in it.”
Both Pignatelli and Farley-Bouvier said they wished Downing wasn’t going.
“I begged him to stay,” Farley-Bouvier said. “It’s a huge loss for the county. He was a huge teacher and mentor of mine. He brings the capacity to think deeply about issues, and become a real technical expert…to synthesize viewpoints and to problem solve. We have relied on him. It will be difficult to fill those shoes.”
“He would have had that job as long as he wanted it,” Pignatelli said. “It’s a sad day for the Berkshires. Ben has been a dear friend. I’m kind of a Berkshire County political history buff and I would say without hesitation that Ben Downing has been the best state senator the Berkshires has ever seen. For a young man to be as mature and intelligent and articulate over the last 10 years, I put him at the top of the list.”
It’s been a good run for Downing, and it’s still not quite over. He said he didn’t take personal credit — the work he’s proud of got done with teamwork. “Massachusetts is a leader in climate change, both for energy efficiency and renewable energy, and the investments made in broadband; we’re not done yet [with broadband] — but we built the highway and now we are going to build the on-ramps to homes and businesses.” He wants to finish some of this work, he said, and he’s got another year to make things happen.
The 34-year-old Senator sits on 10 different legislative committees, and is chair of two, including the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy.
He also said he was happy with the legislative work “to invest in campuses of higher education, like general upkeep at Berkshire Community College or the new science center at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts.”
He’s worked hard, he said, to “try to combat poverty with the earned income tax credit and the increase in minimum wage.”
One place where he said he’d like to see changes is in transportation funding. “It makes no sense at all,” he said. “It’s a hindrance to economic development in the Berkshires.” He said he wanted to look at ways to keep tax dollars for transportation funds local, whether it’s for transit, roads or bridges.
He says he’s “thankful” that he got the job in the first place to serve communities “that have given me every opportunity in life.” He was only 24 at the start of his campaign, and said people could have “simply dismissed my first run, but a lot of people took a chance on me. I hope I’ve reaffirmed their decision in the first go round.”
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State Senator Benjamin B. Downing (D-Pittsfield) released the following statement regarding his decision not to seek re-election to a sixth term:
Ten years ago when I decided to run for the State Senate I made some promises.
I promised to help the people of this district every day.
I promised to bring fresh energy and a new perspective to the job.
I promised to make decisions with future generations, not future elections, in mind.
I promised to fight to make our economy, our schools and our environment better.
I promised to help bring more clean energy and high speed Internet to the Berkshires.
I promised to fight for the poor and struggling middle class.
With your help I have been able to keep those promises.
I also made a promise to myself that I would not serve more than 10 years.
Today, I am keeping that promise and announcing that I will not be running for re-election as your Senator.
Very few people get the chance to serve.
Even fewer get to serve and leave on their own terms knowing they did the best job they could.
And that is what I am doing today.
I am a very lucky person.
From watching my father serve the wonderful people of the Berkshires to each day I had the chance to do the same, it has been a joy, a gift and an honor…and it always will be to me.
While I worked hard to keep my promises, there is always more work to be done.
I will spend the rest of my time trying to get more done that will make a difference in the lives of everyone here.
I will never be able to thank you enough for the chance to serve you.
I have cherished every day and always will.
The work to make our families, our communities and our future better will never end.
I look forward to the days ahead with as much gratitude and hope as the day I started this journey with you.
Thank you for everything you have done for me every day.
I will never stop believing in the possibility and potential of this region.
My heart will always be here
I promise.
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