With primary elections just around the corner, there are two Republicans competing for state Senate, hoping to unseat incumbent Democratic Sen. Julian Cyr in representing Cape Cod and Islands.
The Cape and Islands district encompasses nearly 185,000 residents in 19 towns; out of the 40 Massachusetts Senate seats, 37 are held by elected Democrats.
Candidates Daralyn Heywood and Christopher Lauzon, both of Barnstable, are Cyr’s only two opponents. Cape Cod, Nantucket, and Martha’s Vineyard residents have not elected a Republican to the Senate since Henri Rauschenbach’s 1998 win.
Lauzon currently works for his family-owned business as an auto mechanic, and according to his campaign, hopes to suspend the gas tax to alleviate impacts of inflation. Lauzon emphasizes relying less on the federal government, and instead supporting local aid efforts. If elected, Lauzon aims to “reduce and streamline state regulations” on education, law enforcement, and how municipal services are provided.
Per his campaign website, Lauzon says he aims to “challenge the Beacon Hill insiders to lower taxes and eliminate harmful regulations that stifle productivity and devastate the economy.”
Lauzon’s campaign promise focuses on the working class with homes, to “make living on the Cape and Islands more affordable.”
In a debate between Heywood and Lauzon broadcast on the Pat Desmarais news podcast,
Lauzon said he feels the Cape and Islands lack “adequate representation” with Cyr. He said the reason for his campaign is to “address the inequity” in representation.
Heywood is a military veteran who now works as a private investigator, and has served in Massachusetts law enforcement in varying capacities.
Heywood said in the debate that she plans to focus on the public schools, which currently “are not serving our students,” as there is a lack of oversight in the education system, and is an advocate for free speech and “free parenting.”
Lauzon and Heywood are avidly opposed to the recently passed bill allowing undocumented immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses, with Heywood calling the law “illogical,” as it is “demoralizes society.” Heywood said state officials, specifically police chiefs who support the bill, are “weak.”
Lauzon said “the way the bill was crafted opens the door to fraud — possibly voter fraud.”
In addressing their voting history, Lauzon called himself a “Cape Cod Republican” who “represent[s] conservative values,” and had voted twice for both Governor Charlie Baker and former President Donald Trump. “I am my own person,” Lauzon said in the debate. “I make my own judgments.”
Heywood described herself as “a Republican who is loyal and honest and true to the Constitution. “Under the red, white, and blue, we all have the same rights that need to be protected in the same way,” she said.