The Massachusetts primary is next Thursday, Sept. 8. Five candidates are vying in the Democratic primary for the state representative seat now held by retiring Rep. Timothy Madden; two other candidates not enrolled in any party will appear on the November ballot. The Gazette emailed customized questionnaires to each announced candidate for office asking them to answer two general questions: why Martha’s Vineyard voters should elect them and what their qualifications were for office. The legislative candidates were also asked about their priorities.

Jessica Lambert
Falmouth Democrat
State Representative Candidate

Statement

I believe that government must be responsive to people’s needs and improve people’s lives. That is why I want to be your state representative. I want to represent Martha’s Vineyard and Martha’s Vineyard’s needs on Beacon Hill.

It is important that the representative for Martha’s Vineyard be an advocate for the Island by listening to their constituents, examining problems from every angle, finding implementable solutions and having the courage to lead. I believe that it is an elected official’s duty to listen to and represent the interests of the people they serve. I have spent the past several months meeting and talking with as many Islanders as possible, listening to your concerns, and gaining an even more in-depth knowledge of the issues we face. The Island deserves a representative that understands our unique environmental, economic and societal challenges. As your state representative, I will dedicate my energy, ingenuity, knowledge and experience to this cause.

Qualifications

We have a unique district. The sea gives wealth, beauty and purpose to our community and it also bring challenges. My background makes me uniquely qualified to address these challenges. I am a conservation biologist, and I have spent the past decade working on environmental, economic policy and resource management. I am a homeowner. I live, work and am involved in our shared community. I was raised by a single parent, my mother is a teacher, and I have witnessed first hand the financial challenges that face many members of our community.

I am cochairman and CIO of Next Generation Energy Initiative Inc. (NGEI). In addition to my work at NGEI, I am president of the International Society for Biophysical Economists. From 2010 to 2012 I administered NSF funded research on the impact of the BP oil spill. Prior to my appointment at NGEI, I served as an intern for the White House Ocean Policy Task Force and the Office of Energy and Climate Change.

Priorities

Climate change: One of my first priorities if elected to office is to improve community, environmental and economic resilience to the ever increasing hazards of climate change and sea level rise. Opioid and addiction: We need to address the opioid crisis. This issue is very personal for me. My uncle was an addict. I watched as his addiction to prescription drugs ended his employment, his family and eventually his life. We need to dedicate more resources to prevention and we need to extend assistance beyond detox clinics.

Affordable housing: We need to take a survey of the current housing stock and find a local approach to providing Islanders with affordable housing.

Waste treatment: We need a better composting and recycling program in the commonwealth of Massachusetts. There is a growing trend to have commonwealth citizens pay to use recycling and composting facilities. This financial disincentive is adversely impacting the recycling and composting habits of our residents.