Candidates emerge for Mass. Blackstone Valley House seat
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BELLINGHAM – Three would-be candidates have announced their intentions to t run for the 8th Worcester District state representative seat, which represents the towns of Bellingham, Blackstone, Millville and Uxbridge.
Tossing their hats into the ring recently were Democrats t Kevin J. Tagliaferri of Bellingham and Patrick Malone of Uxbridge. They join Republican Michael Soter of Bellingham as potential candidates for the seat, which is being vacated in November by Republican state Rep. f Kevin Kuros. Kuros is not seeking re-election and will challenge longtime Worcester t Register of Deeds Anthony J. Vigliotti next year.
Tagliaferri, 57, is chairman of the Bellingham Democratic Town Committee. He is an attorney specializing in criminal defense, juvenile law, bankruptcy, consumer law and school law.
He earned his Juris Doctor degree from the Massachusetts School of Law in 2001and before that he was awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree in education and political science from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 1985.
He was admitted to the Massachusetts Bar Association in 2002.
Tagliaferri is also a member of the Norfolk Bar Association, Lawrence Bar Association, and Essex County Bar Advocates, Inc.
He is a member of and volunteer with several organizations, including the United Way of Tri County, JAG Council (Milford), Metrowest Legal Services in Framingham, and the Volunteer Lawyer’s Project.
“I’m a proud, lifelong Democrat willing to take on the challenge of campaigning to win this state representative seat and work hard for the people who live in this district, if elected,” Tagliaferri said.
Malone, 21, is a lifelong resident of Uxbridge. A 2014 graduate of Uxbridge High School, he recently graduated from the University of Massachusetts Amherst where he was the treasurer of Pi Sigma Alpha, a member of the National Political Science Honors Society, and marketing director for the UMass Theatre Guild, UMass Amherst’s oldest student organization.
He graduated with a Bach- elor of Arts in political science and economics.
Malone is a State House administrative assistant for state Rep. Denise Garlick and the Joint Committee on Mental Health Substance Use and Recovery.
He is also a former volunteer for the Paul Feeney for State Senate Campaign and a a former American Naval policy research assistant.
Malone is a hardwood flooring apprentice and gardener as well as a guitarist, pianist and composer.
He is a volunteer at Camp Sunshine and the People First Food Pantry in Uxbridge.
“Many of the issues facing the 8th district rise above partisan politics and are core, fundamental issues related to the needs of the community,” Malone says. “I have the dedication, work ethic, and judgment to be a strong advocate for the towns of Uxbridge, Blackstone, Millville, and Bellingham and I will represent the constituents of the Blackstone Valley with a strong, tireless and earnest voice.”
He says his priorities will be addressing water pollution, the opioid epidemic, education and infrastructure.
Soter, 43, announced his candidacy late last year. He is currently chairman of the Bellingham Board of Selectmen, a panel he has served on for the past six years.
Soter attended Nichols College and currently works in sales with the Father’s Table Desserts
Follow Joseph Fitzgerald on Twitter @jofitz7