Election 2018: Candidate Profile Of Jamie Eldridge

Jamie Eldridge's mom, a kindergarten teacher, used to tell him, "Always treat the janitors with respect." He says it's the best advice he was ever given.

Eldridge, a progressive Democrat from Acton, hopes his district will vote him in again as state senator for the Middlesex & Worcester District. He is running against Acton Republican Margaret Busse.

The district includes Marlborough, Acton, Ayer, Boxborough, Hudson, Littleton, Maynard, Shirley, Stow, precincts 2 and 3 in Sudbury, Harvard, precinct 3 in Northborough, Southborough and Westborough.

Patch reached out to all of the contested candidates with a series of questions to help introduce them to voters. Today we introduce Eldridge, who has been a state senator for 10 years. Before that, he was a state representative from 2003-2009, the Acton Housing Authority Commissioner from 2001 to 2003 and an Acton Planning Board associate member from 2001 to 2003. Eldridge has a B.A. from John Hopkins University and a J.D. from Boston College Law School.

Education funding: For Eldridge, it's the most pressing issue facing the state and the district.

"While the state has increased funding for Chapter 70 education aid over the past 10 years," Eldridge said, "we need to do more for Special Education Circuit Breaker, regional school transportation and schools, English Language Learner (ELL) students, healthcare costs, and low-income children. That is why I voted for the Foundation Budget Review Commissioner (FBRC) recommendations as State Senator this session, and I will fight to pass it into law next session, if re-elected. We need to make sure that every child, regardless of their circumstance, and what community they grow up, has a great education."

Eldridge argues that his opponent's campaign has been "very negative" and "divisive" and "without any new ideas to improve the district."

"I have run a positive campaign for re-election highlighting the legislation and policies that I will fight for, in order to make a difference in people's lives, including state funding for education, investing in transportation, expanding clean energy, protecting the environment, improving access to quality healthcare, and creating jobs," he said.

Other issues Eldridge lists as priorities are investing in transportation; expanding clean energy; protecting the environment; making healthcare a right; and creating jobs.

"I'm proud of my legislative accomplishments, and that I work on such a wide variety of policy areas, to make a difference in the lives of every constituent in the Middlesex and Worcester district," Eldridge said. "Specifically, I am proud of filing and passing legislation on education, including increasing Chapter 70 aid for schools and requiring anti-bullying programs in schools; transportation funding, to help improve the Fitchburg and Worcester commuter rails, build the Bruce Freeman and Assabet River Rail Trails, and expand regional transit bus service; combat climate change, by increasing incentives for solar panels to expand clean energy and increase oversight of utility companies to seal gas leaks; reforming the criminal justice system, by embracing restorative justice and reducing mass incarceration; and improving government transparency, by reforming public records law, strengthening rules reform, and putting the state budget online.

"In addition, I am proud of the dedication and persistence by my staff and me on providing constituent services, moving community projects forward, and having a strong presence in each of the 14 communities of the Middlesex and Worcester District.

"I take strong positions on issues, because I see the struggles and challenges that the communities in the district face, and that too many people face in their daily lives, whether it's providing the best education possible for their children, making a living, having a great quality of life, affording healthcare, or facing an uncertain future of global warming. These problems will not be solved by middle of the road proposals, but bold ideas."

Photo Credit: Charlene Arsenault