Radio Worcester to Host 15th Worcester District Democratic Primary Debate

Radio Worcester will host a Democratic primary debate featuring the two candidates seeking to represent the 15th Worcester District in the Massachusetts House of Representatives.

Incumbent State Representative Mary Keefe and challenger Ron Waddell will meet Wednesday, August 26, at the American Legion, located at 326 Plantation St. in Worcester.

Doors will open at 6 p.m., with the debate beginning at 6:30 p.m. Radio Worcester’s Hank Stolz will serve as moderator.

The debate will also be streamed live at RadioWorcester.com, giving residents an opportunity to listen even if they cannot attend in person.

15th Worcester District Debate Information

Date: Wednesday, August 26
Doors open: 6 p.m.
Debate begins: 6:30 p.m.
Location: American Legion, 326 Plantation St., Worcester, MA 01604
Moderator: Hank Stolz, Radio Worcester
Candidates: State Representative Mary Keefe and Ron Waddell
Live audio stream: RadioWorcester.com

Meet the Candidates

The Democratic primary presents voters with a choice between an incumbent emphasizing her legislative experience and record in the State House and a challenger running on his community leadership and call for a different approach to representation.

State Representative Mary Keefe

Mary Keefe has represented the 15th Worcester District in the Massachusetts House of Representatives since 2012.

Before joining the Legislature, Keefe served for 12 years as executive director of the Pleasant Street Neighborhood Network Center. Her official website describes her as a community organizer and progressive advocate and identifies her as a founding member of the Progressive Democrats of Massachusetts.

Keefe currently serves as vice chair of the Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure. She also serves on committees focused on agriculture, state administration and regulatory oversight, and tourism, arts and cultural development.

She is the House co-chair of the Legislature’s Criminal Justice Reform Caucus, where her work has focused on protections and services for incarcerated people, changes to the criminal legal system and policies intended to reduce recidivism.

According to Keefe’s website, her broader policy priorities include education, affordable housing, fair labor and wage practices, arts and culture, environmental justice, public health and human services.

Her legislative priorities for the current session include proposals addressing automated sealing of eligible criminal records, fairness and timely access in the parole process, educational rights for incarcerated youth, protections for Massachusetts schoolchildren from pesticides, access to safety-net programs, community health-center staffing, local arts engagement and pollinator habitat.

More information about Keefe and her legislative priorities is available at RepMaryKeefe.com.

Challenger Ron Waddell

Ron Waddell is a Worcester nonprofit leader, entrepreneur and father who has lived in the city for more than 20 years.

According to his campaign website, Waddell spent 12 years working in construction management before moving into nonprofit leadership. In 2018, he co-founded Legendary Legacies, a Worcester organization focused on interrupting cycles of violence and addressing the underlying conditions that contribute to community harm.

Waddell’s campaign says his community involvement has included serving as an inaugural driver of Worcester’s Bookmobile, representing Lake View School on the Citywide Parent Planning Advisory Council and co-chairing the Coalition for a Healthy Greater Worcester. He has also served with organizations including the Greater Worcester Community Foundation, Worcester Education Collaborative, Worcester Public Library Board and Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce.

His campaign platform focuses on public safety, education, small-business growth and government transparency.

On public safety, Waddell calls for community-focused approaches that strengthen cooperation among residents, community organizations and public-safety professionals. His campaign emphasizes prevention, youth programming and community engagement.

His education platform calls for investments in schools, teachers, mentorship and youth-development programs. On economic issues, he advocates reducing barriers for small businesses and helping local entrepreneurs access the resources they need to grow.

Waddell has also made government transparency a central theme of his campaign, calling for clearer information about public decisions and spending, increased opportunities for public participation and more direct communication between elected officials and residents.

More information about Waddell and his campaign platform is available at WaddellForWorcester.com.

A Conversation About the Future of the District

The debate will give voters an opportunity to hear directly from both candidates about their experience, priorities and plans for the neighborhoods that make up the 15th Worcester District.

The district includes Ward 3, Precinct 4; all of Ward 4; Ward 5, Precinct 3; and Ward 10, Precincts 1 through 5.

Topics may include housing affordability, public safety, education, economic opportunity, constituent services, government accountability and the role of state government in addressing challenges facing Worcester residents.

Attend or Listen Live

The public is invited to attend the debate at the American Legion on Plantation Street. Doors open at 6 p.m., and the program begins at 6:30 p.m.

Those unable to attend can listen to the live audio stream at RadioWorcester.com.

Radio Worcester is committed to creating opportunities for local residents to hear directly from candidates and participate in conversations about the issues affecting their neighborhoods.

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