PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Andrea Harrington believes experience matters when it comes to the state Senate.

 

But she's not referring to experience in the State House. She's referring to experiences at home. 

 

"I have the experience and skills to really fight for this district in Boston and that's because I grew up here. I graduated from Taconic High School. My grandparents were rank and file at General Electric. My husband owns a small business. I have kids here in public school. I've been working with my clients every day. I know what people are experiencing because I am experiencing it, too," Harrington said. 

 

"I worry about the same things as the voters are: How am I going to pay my mortgage? Are my kids getting the best education they can get? How am I going to help my parents in their retirement? What are we going to do with my 80-year-old grandparents who can't live alone in their house anymore? I know what people are going through."

 

The defense attorney is running for the senate seat being vacated by Sen. Benjamin Downing. Harrington says she is the best candidate for the job because she truly understands the issues the residents are facing and she has the training to articulate it and fight on behalf of the county.

 

"The experience of decision-makers matters and I see that in court every day. Our state Legislature is 25 percent female and that's shameful. We need to have a more diverse legislature. We need to have more women in politics because I bring with me my experience. I've been on unpaid maternity leave and had to put groceries on my credit card. I've had those days when I am supposed to be in court and my kids are sick. I've paid $800 a month for my kids to go to preschool. I've made those hard choices," Harrington said. 

 

Harrington is seeking the Democratic nomination and is up against Northern Berkshire Community Coalition Executive Director Adam Hinds and attorney Rinaldo Del Gallo. The winner will face education consultant and Republican Christine Canning in the general election.

 

On Tuesday, Harrington opened her office on North Street to serve as the home for the campaign.

 

"We definitely wanted to have our campaign headquarters in Pittsfield. It is the largest concentration of voters in the entire district and is centrally located, and Pittsfield is key to economic development," Harrington said. "This is our base for our entire campaign. This is where volunteers meet when we go out to canvass, where volunteers come to make phone calls."

 

Harrington says she is running on a progressive campaign with a top focus on economic development and improving the education system. 

 

"This is the most progressive district in the entire state. I feel incredibly lucky and excited that I get to be a candidate for state Senate in this particular district. I share the values of the voters that I am speaking to. I know that state Sen. [Stan] Rosenberg wants a strong progressive in this position so we can push the rest of the state on things like closing corporate tax loopholes, the millionaires tax, supporting education, expanding economic opportunity here and supporting our local labor unions," Harrington said.

 

She hopes to fight for more education funding from the state to help every community in the district which is having to make cuts to the system to keep up with rising costs. She said the state hasn't been providing enough support while loading up on mandates. She says providing job training and top notch education is a major step in improving the economy. 

 

"For me it is all about economic development and expanding economic opportunity. That is the No. 1 priority," Harrington said.

 

"We have challenges with our declining population. Our population is aging, and I am determined to bring more economic opportunity here. In my legal training I've been trained to look at the roots of a problem. We see an increase in opioid use and in crime. We see our young people moving away and not coming back. That is all about economic opportunity."

 

She is calling for a collaborative effort to create a district-wide economic development plan to help the local businesses and unions instead of having the dollars shipped out of state or country. Her economic focus has earned her the endorsements of both Western Massachusetts Carpenters Union Local 108 and SEIU Local 888. 

 

"Boston is not going to save us. We are going to bring more jobs, keep more money here, by working together. Sabic closing in Pittsfield affects the entire region. We are all in this together and we need to have a unified approach," Harrington said.

 

Further, she is placing environmental policy high on her priority list for both health and ecology reasons but also for economics. 

 

"It is also important to our economy because Berkshire County and the Pioneer Valley, people come here because it is a beautiful place to come. It is a brand and the idea of having toxic waste dumps in Southern Berkshire County is antithetical to what people think of the Berkshires being," Harrington said.

 

Those priorities are similar among all of the Democrats seeking the position. Harrington plans to not only roll out her platform to show how she can build a collaborative effort but at the same time let voters know that she truly understands what they are going through. 

 

"It is all about stories and knowing what people are going through," Harrington said.