Incumbent, challenger vie for Mass. seat
Ryan Fattman will try to hold his post as Democrat Tom Merolli makes his pitch
Republican Incumbent state Sen. Ryan Fattman of Sutton will square off Nov. 6 against Democratic challenger Tom Merolli of Mendon for the senate seat in the Worcester & Norfolk district, which includes Bellingham, Blackstone, Millville and Uxbridge.
Fattman was elected to the state Senate in November 2014, after serv-
ing two terms in the Massachusetts House of Representatives and two terms as a selectman in the town of Sutton. He was the first Republican to win election to the Worcester-Norfolk Senate seat since 1938, when Dr. Wilfred Bazinet was elected from Webster.
On the state Senate’s first day of the 189th session, Fattman offered a further amendment to increase transparency in votes taken on Beacon Hill. The Fattman amendment man-
dated that all recorded votes taken in a senate committee shall be posted no later than 48 hours on the General Court website.
As a member of the House of Representative, Fattman maintained a 100 percent voting attendance record over his four year career. He currently has a 100 percent attendance record in the Senate.
Born and raised in the town of Sutton, Fattman married his high school sweetheart Stephanie (current
Worcester County Register of Probate) and is also a doting father to Hadley Fattman. Ryan and Stephanie have lived in the town of Webster since their marriage in May 2013.
Fattman graduated from Sutton High School in 2003, and went on to study at Suffolk University for his bachelor’s degree. For his master’s degree, Fattman went on to Tufts University, where he was selected for the Harvard University Kennedy School Rappaport Public Policy Fel-
lowship, class of 2008.
Fattman has continuously advocated for increasing local aid funding for local services like senior centers
and education and public safety to cities and towns.
He’s also been at the forefront of the fight to eradicate the opioid crisis. This past summer, he voted in support of legislation designed to help alleviate the growing epidemic of opiate addiction in Massachusetts. Known as the CARE Act, the bill improves access to evidence-based treatment, and expands education and prevention efforts to address opiate abuse.
Major parts of the bill increased access to medication
assisted treatment, increased school-based programs on substance abuse, and mandated prescription practice improvements. The bill also establishes a human service workers loan repayment program, and expands the range of medical professionals who can perform evaluations in order to help meet the needs of those seeking help.
“The CARE Act is a great initiative designed to help combat the opioid addiction crisis, and I hope this is a right step in helping those who need it and provides the resources to do that,” Fattman said.
Merolli, of Mendon, currently serves as assistant trea-
surer for the town of Mendon and is chairman of that town’s Economic Development Committee.
Merolli received a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Westfield State University. During his studies, he ran an organization to provide food for the local homeless shelter, worked as a field consultant for Elizabeth Warren’s Senate campaign, and worked in the office of U.S. Rep. Richard Neal. He has worked in fundraising for nonprofits in Boston and most recently served as the Mendon chairman for Brian Murray’s campaign for State Representative.
He is an Eagle Scout, and once received a National Award of Merit for saving a fellow scout’s life.
“I’d like to bring the people of this district back to the forefront,’ Merolli said. “We have many issues facing us; a school funding formula that hasn’t been updated since 1993, towns in our district that have issues getting clean water, and an opioid crisis which has been growing on our very doorstep.”
“I see so much untapped potential in this district and truly believe we can make it thrive. The industrial revolution started here, and abolition thrived here. It is time for a rebirth. I
believe politics is the best venue to bring about our dreams of a better world, and if you do too, you have arrived at the right place.
“This is more than just a campaign. This is a declaration,” he said. “This is a declaration that the people of this district will not stand to be ignored anymore. This is a declaration that people of this district will not stand for a senator that remains silent while people get rich off of dumping on top of our water supply. This is a declaration that the people of this district will not stand for a senator who avoids the real issues affecting us and instead scapegoats the vulnerable. This is a declaration that this district will not stand with a senator who sides with millionaires over students. This is a declaration about what kind of world we can live in.”
“We can build a health care system that works for all of us,” he said. “We can fix the crumbling roads and revitalize our communities. We can defeat the opioid epidemic and help those battling addiction and their families onto the road to long term recovery. A better world is possible, and I ask that you stand with me to help create.”