Sen. Rausch to Face Franklin’s Dashe Videira in November

October 14, 2024
• In a contested race for state senate, Needham and 10 other communities will decide between a Democratic incumbent and her Republican challenger.

State Sen. and Needham resident Becca Rausch is seeking a fourth term in office, but in order to serve another two years, she’ll need to beat Franklin Republican Dashe Videira. Videira staged a write-in campaign during the primary, and after gaining the required votes, made it onto the November ballot.

Rausch represents about 180,000 people in the Norfolk, Worcester, and Middlesex District, which includes Needham, Dover, Sherborn and eight towns south of that. Rausch chairs the Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources and serves as vice chair on the Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities and on the Senate Committee on the Census.

Over the last legislative term, Rausch worked on early education reform, with the state investing more than $1.5 billion in the sector this year alone. She also highlighted her commitment to youth mental health, which resulted in the creation of Hey Sam, a peer-to-peer anonymous support line. Climate action, maternal health and abortion access and care are all top-of-mind priorities for Rausch, she said.

A former law professor and the only mother in the Senate with children under 10 years old, Rausch said she’s proud to bring personal and professional experience to the position. With less than 30 days until the election, Rausch is looking forward to “a sprint to the finish.”

“I am running a positive campaign focused on my really significant track record of successes,” Rausch said, “both from a funding perspective and from a policy perspective and also from a community-building perspective.”

Videira’s bid for office began just a couple months ago but her involvement in local politics began several years prior. Videira previously ran for School Committee in Franklin and for a seat on the Governor’s Council. As chair of the Franklin Republican Town Committee, Videira encouraged town voters to reject a $6.8 million budget override, which they did narrowly.

Before August, Videira didn’t intend to challenge Rausch, but an interaction with the senator at a Franklin Town Council meeting changed that. After asking Rausch about her amendment to the MA Parentage Act — which addressed the labels surrounding “mother” and “father” on birth certificates — Videira said she was spurred by her fellow RTC members to challenge Rausch in the election.

Her write-in campaign netted her more than 1,000 votes. Videira said she aims to promote fiscal responsibility and transparency and hopes to find the root causes of issues instead of taking “Band-Aid approaches.”

“I think the ideas that I have are coming from a more balanced perspective, maybe asking different questions that really need to just have a platform where it’s available to ask questions,” Videira said. “And I will say, getting more involved in my town, which is the second largest town in the district, I think it’s a good voice.”

First vying for office in 2018, Rausch upset Republican incumbent Richard Ross, who had held his seat since 2010. Prior to Ross, the district was represented by Republican Scott Brown.

In the next legislative session, Rausch said she plans to champion her Plastics Reduction Act, which was passed in the Senate but did not come to a vote in the House. Reproductive health and justice, voting access, election reform, government transparency and more will be on Rausch’s agenda if re-elected, she said.

More work needs to be done, Rausch added.

“People are looking for collaboration and solutions, and that is what I have delivered over the last six years,” Rausch said, “and I look forward to continuing to deliver that stellar service in the years to come.”

Videira expressed concern with the State House’s handling of children’s consent, particularly when it comes to health care and education. Videira said she’s advocating for the protection of parents and children and would like for parents to have better access to their children’s medical records and documented needs in the classroom.

In schools, Videira would like to see more hands-on learning — she previously homeschooled her children. Gardening and spending time outside is critical for children’s development, she said.

Both candidates expressed support for small businesses in the district and education reform on their respective websites.

The candidates will not, however, participate in a pre-election forum. A representative from the League of Women Voters of Needham — a non-partisan organization that typically hosts such events — said they reached out to both candidates, but only Videira said yes. Rausch noted she was not available to participate before the early voting period, which begins Oct. 19, the LWV stated.

In response, Videira’s campaign released a press release dated Oct. 4, stating Rausch is focused more on national politics than local issues. The campaign also reemphasized Videira’s focus on “fostering unity, accountability, and opportunity.”

“It is crucial for voters to hear directly from their elected officials about their positions and priorities. Debates provide an important platform for our constituents’ voices to be heard, which I believe is essential,” the press release states. “I am fully prepared and eager to participate in a debate, and I urge Senator Rausch to prioritize her constituents, even with her busy schedule.”

Rausch spent most of her re-election campaign under the assumption she did not have an opponent — in the spring and early summer, Rausch said she and her staff filled her schedule through the fall. She said “serious candidates jump into a race much earlier than Sept. 3.”

Another factor in Rausch’s busyness is her Jewish faith.

“It is disappointing to have any candidate for public office generate accusations that completely fail to recognize my observance of the holiest part of the Jewish year,” Rausch said in an interview. “All of the Jewish high holidays fall in the month of October this year. I observe those holidays… Unfortunately, my calendar is very full, and I will not abandon my faith and my observance of my faith and my other responsibilities and obligations and commitments.”

A few days after the primary, Rausch’s campaign sent out an email categorizing her new challenger as “an out-of-touch far right opponent.”

In response, Videira said she chooses to live in Massachusetts for a reason. “If I want to be far-right, I think I’d live in Texas or Florida,” she said. As she’s gotten older, Videira said she’s leaned more conservative, and she drew a distinction between herself and Rausch, who she considers “extremely progressive.”

Videira said she hopes to build unity among voters regardless of party affiliation given the current political polarization.

“I think, given the fact that I’m running against a very progressive woman, I’m learning that there’s a lot of middle of the road Democrats that are very frustrated,” Videira said. “So I would love to be given the opportunity to lead with compassion.”

Rausch underscored the importance of this race, stating that “state government is where the rubber meets the road.” In her role, Rausch said she’s able to make an impact on people’s everyday lives.

Her expertise and legislative wins makes her fit for another term, she said.

“I have had such an incredible honor and privilege of serving this district for the last six years, and we have made so many important positive changes for our communities and our constituents and our commonwealth,” Rausch said. “We have more work to do to build on those successes, to generate good outcomes and provide good solutions for people to help make people’s lives, hopefully, a little bit easier, a little bit smoother, a little bit fairer and a little less expensive.”

With a background in psychology and organizational leadership, Videira looks to “build bridges, not fires.” She encouraged constituents to reach out about her campaign.

“The more that I understand what the voters’ top issues are, the easier it will be to really understand what our district needs with representation at the State House,” Videira said. “I’m doing as best as I can to create a platform that feels inviting for people to at least just communicate.”

The election is Tuesday, Nov. 5.