Politics & Government

Republicans Candidates Stress Making Mass. Business Friendly, Cutting State Spending

GOP candidates for the Massachusetts House of Representatives and State Senate gathered in Watertown on Monday night.

The Republican hopefuls running for state representative and state senate stressed the need to make Massachusetts more business friendly and to cut spending by the Legislature, during a candidates night in Watertown.

The GOP candidates met supporters Monday night at a meet the candidates event at the Marine Corp League's .

Steve Aylward of Watertown, who recently was elected Republican State Committee Man, said he wants to stress the values of the Republican Party. He is running for the Second Suffolk and Middlesex State Senate seat, which represents Watertown, Belmont and parts of Boston, including parts of Allston, Brighton, the Back Bay and the Fenway.

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"I am proud of our message and we should push what we believe in," Aylward said. "I believe in financial issues, but I believe we should stay with and push the social issues, such as crime and abortion."

Tomi Olson, a 20-year member the Belmont Town Meeting and chairwoman of the Town Republican Committee, is the lone Republican in the race for the 24th Middlesex House seat. A number of Democrats and an unenrolled candidate are running for the seat (covering Belmont, and parts of Arlington and Cambridge), which opened up when Will Brownsberger was elected to the State Senate. 

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She said her experience as a wife, mother, financial adviser and an educator will help her serve in the Legislature. 

"I know what it means to be held (financially) accountable quarterly, and to be accountable to regulators," Olson said. "In the same way I will be accountable for the way taxpayers' money is spent."

Francis Stanton of Waltham faces Democrat John Lawn for the 10th Middlesex State Representative seat, which includes parts of the West Side of Watertown, the south part of Waltham and parts of Newton.

He would like to improve the business atmosphere in the Bay State, which he called one of the "least friendly to business in the nation." 

"I would begin by giving tax breaks to small businesses, entrepreneurs and citizens so they can save money and spend more," Stanton said.

Stanton said he opposes the local option restaurant taxes that increased the sales tax from 5 percent to 6.25 percent.

Aylward, who helped organize the candidates night, hopes to give Brownsberger a tough race, but he said his candidacy has a dual purpose.

"We may not be able to win the seat, but it will get the message out and get people out to vote for candidates who have a real chance, like Scott Brown," Aylward said.

Follow Patch for more coverage of the Republican Candidates Night. Candidates hoping to challenge Edward Markey also attended the event.


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