Paul Donato: Candidate Profile 35th Middlesex District

MEDFORD, MA — State Rep. Paul Donato is among two Democrats vying for state representative in the 35th Middlesex District. Donato, a 19-year veteran of the State House, faces a primary opponent in Nichole Mossalam.

Donato, 78, graduated from Medford High School and has served on the Medford City Council and School Committee. He has two children and eight grandchildren, one of whom works in the Secretary of State's office.

Donato attended the University of Massachusetts Boston and worked as a manufacturing representative for 40 years.

Why are you seeking elective office?

I am seeking a return to office to continue the work I have done for constituents in my district with ensuring a quality public education for all, the best health care for all, rebuilding our transportation system, and continuing to promote and develop our economic infrastructure with clean and renewable energy, and the latest in life sciences and the bio-tech industry.

How would you rate the state's response to the coronavirus pandemic on a letter-grade scale (A, B, C, D or F), and how would you explain that rating?

I would rate the state's response with a solid B, with the Governor and his administration mobilizing the resources of state government to protect our most vulnerable citizens, provide uniform and open access testing, and levying the considerable assets of state government to provide an income, housing and food safety net.

Is Chapter 40B, the state's affordable housing law, working, and if not what would you change?

The law worked better in the beginning, as it was originally designed to stimulate and promote affordable housing, but the developers have often used this loophole to build out of scale development that suggest spot zoning.

What steps, if any, should the state take toward police reform?

I am a supporter of the proposal by the legislature's Black and Latino Caucus for police reform

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform

I believe in the fundamental role of government to help those less fortunate, and I have spent my entire career helping those in need, and will continue to close the wealth-income divide.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I have experience to get the job done day in and day out, and in this unprecedented time, we cannot afford on the job training or a learning curve time lag.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

Malden: Earmarked over $2 million for the restoration of the Oak Grove MBTA station; Directed over $2 million for Smart Street Program on Exchange Street; Secured millions in crucial COVID-19 PPE funding for Malden schools; Garnered resources to outfit the DPW with new, state of the art equipment.

Medford: Designated over $450,000 for Medford street scape repair citywide; Provided funds to renovate WWI Memorial; Allocated over $250,000 for the restoration of the Chevalier Theater, stimulating Medford Square's business district; Secured over $1.5 in vital COVID-19 PPE funds for Medford Schools.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

A quote: "Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much because they live in a gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat" --- Theodore Roosevelt

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I am honored to serve as the State Representative for the 35th Middlesex District. This position is a commitment I take seriously and I will continue to fight for those less fortunate and strive to ensure that our community has the resources to promote and move the great cities of Medford and Malden forward.