Incumbent state Rep. Margaret Scarsdale, D-Pepperell, who’s been serving as the area’s state representative since 2022, will face off against restaurateur Chris Lyons, a Republican from Ashby in the election on Tuesday, Nov. 3.
Approaching the election, Scarsdale points to several accomplishments she’s made in office including funds secured and problems addressed, while Lyons says he hopes to bring his business acumen and commonsense approach to Beacon Hill.
The district includes the towns of Ashby, Dunstable, Pepperell and Townsend plus parts of Groton and Lunenburg.
Scarsdale
“I am very excited about the opportunity to continue to serve the First Middlesex District as the full-time, committed, passionate and successful representative,” Scarsdale said. “We have probably had one of the most successful two years of any elected state rep … leading the effort to bring that emergency facility to Groton,” after the Nashoba Valley Medical Center closed in 2024. “I spearheaded those talks and formed the coalition, and now we are having an emergency facility run by UMass Memorial Medical Center open in February 2027.”
She said she also worked on a measure, which was supported by 272 school districts, to set up a commission to reexamine the state’s school funding formula, which she signed into law in July.
Scarsdale said she’s been out talking to people in the district and “I have had so many people say to me, ‘I just don’t feel anyone cares. I don’t feel heard. And after talking to you, I feel that.’ And that is so rewarding. … people have been so disenfranchised, but I genuinely care. It is my mission in life to care about you and fix what your problems are.”
And part of doing that is forging partnerships with local and state leaders. “We have to work together.”
Scarsdale said she also pushed for the maximum money possible for the district in local aid as well as separate school and roads initiatives. And just Friday she was in Lunenburg with a check to buy automatic external defibrillators, which was another item she had sought.
She said she’s looking forward to “Just the opportunity to continue this work, to build these relationships and really get some long-term issues solved and do that with bipartisan support.”
On economic development, Scarsdale says she’s “sponsored legislation aimed at making our communities more attractive to businesses, including through modernizing our employment laws and enabling new tax credits.”
On legislative transparency, she “supports legislative transparency and audits” and “is committed to providing timely, effective constituent services, regularly attends community events across her district, and is a full-time representative.”
Her website touts her as “a proven leader who shares your priorities” someone who “rolls up her sleeves and delivers” and someone “who never backs down from a tough fight.”
Lyons
Lyons, a former restaurant owner who now serves as a consultant for the Logan’s Table restaurant in downtown Leominster said that while he’s succeeded in business he sees some concerning challenges in the world outside of that, which his children and grandchildren are faced with, and which he’d like to try to do something about.
“When I look at the opportunities for my kids and grandkids in Massachusetts, I just couldn’t stand idly by any longer,” Lyons said.
He said he thought, “If not me, who? And here I am,” headed into an election, and looking to win.
“As a businessman, I balance budgets and I audit my companies. … The top priority is getting the audit that people voted for in 2024.”
With that in hand, the Legislature should be able to “find out any waste and fraud or mismanagement of funds … everything starts with the audit. … We have to understand our budget.”
He said the trend in government that he’s seen in recent decades is worrying.
“Government should be more accountable. Our state budget has doubled since Charlie Baker was governor. It’s getting out of control. … And people are struggling out here.”
He said the government should promote reliable energy choices instead of propping up green-energy options that don’t make sense financially without flooding them with subsidies.
“I’m a law and order guy,” Lyons added, saying, “Our government should allow our police to work with state and local authorities to make enforcement simple. If we work together, state, local and federal, things could be a little bit easier and people won’t get caught in the fray.”
Lyons also said he believes in having voter ID.
“As long as we have people coming into our state — last I heard there were 800,000 immigrants, legal and illegal, that you don’t necessarily know who they are … you need an ID for a lot of things and the most important civic right or duty we have is voting for our officials. … I think it’s important that you identify yourself. Voting is fundamental and not every country has it. I think we should (get it right), as important as it is.”
He noted as a chef and in the hospitality business he’s worked with a lot of immigrants. “I have worked alongside many, many people from various countries. I’m not saying any of this because I don’t like immigrants. I’ve met some great people who work hard … I have friends from Brazil, Guatemala, and they’re the ones who are concerned about illegal immigration, concerned for their jobs. I want to stand up for people who have come in here and done it the right way.”
But while many of the immigrants have become his friends, he said it can take a toll on the education system, food security, housing … “all those things are affected when you pour in people. Put too many people in the mix, and you’ll have trouble.
He also said he wants to focus on education.
“I’m big on education, I think more money should go back to the cities and towns when it comes to education. I don’t know that we make education a priority. People will brag (about Massachusetts top ranking nationwide on some tests) but the MCAS scores just came out and some were down.”
He said it seems the way the state is set up “works for some,” but not all.
“I live in Ashby, Mass., where our elementary school is closed because we have a regional school district that couldn’t afford to keep it open.”
And he said there’s a similar problem in Townsend.
“I don’t know that we’re putting as much money into education as we could.”
“I love Massachusetts. If I didn’t love Massachusetts, I would just up and leave. I am trying to make a difference. It’s very expensive to live here, for people in their 20s and 30s it’s very hard for them to live here. … We cannot just keep going the way we are going. We can’t just keep increasing the budget.”
He said a few votes he saw take place recently made him wonder about the state’s priorities, including approving free calls for inmates, and voting down a measure to prioritize veterans, the disabled and seniors in the state shelter program.
“That was the last straw for me. How can we not take care of the elderly, veterans and seniors before we take care of people who just arrived in our state.”
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