Attention Winchester Democrats: Both these men want you to send them to Beacon Hill

Two Winchester men will compete for the 31^st Middlesex district’s democratic nomination.

Last week, Democrat Jason Lewis announced his intentions to challenge incumbent state Representative Paul Casey for his seat in next year’s primary election.

Unless toppled by a Republican candidate in the general election, the winner will most likely represent the district, which includes Stoneham and Winchester.

Lewis has raised more than $10,000 for his budding campaign and will be holding a kick-off event Oct. 25, at 7 p.m. at 16 McCall Road in Winchester.

“We’re ready to start ramping up the campaign,” said Lewis. “I’m looking forward to meeting people from all across the district, listening to their concerns, and talking about how to move our communities forward.

Casey was first elected to the state legislature in 1989. He’s now serving his 10th term.

The primary election is set for September 2008. Secretary of State William Galvin has not yet established a date, but state primaries are usually held the second or third week of the month, according to a representative from Casey’s office.

· Ensuring that our children have access to a high quality public education

· Expanding access to affordable healthcare for all our citizens

· Ensuring that our state government is doing everything possible to address the fiscal crisis facing our towns

“I believe that all children in Winchester and Stoneham, and across the commonwealth, should have access to a high quality public education,” Lewis explained, referring to his first priority. “We must ensure that our schools have the funding they need to offer a well-rounded curriculum, keep class sizes down, and attract and retain excellent teachers. I will work to advance education reform efforts to expand access to early childhood education, provide full-day kindergarten, increase investment in math and science, and expand access to public higher education.”

Following the current national debate, Lewis hopes to keep his sights set on affordable healthcare for all, working from within the trendsetting Bay State legislature.

“I am committed to making high quality, affordable healthcare available to all residents in Stoneham and Winchester and across Massachusetts,” Lewis said. “I will also pursue efforts with consumers, businesses, healthcare providers, local government, and state government to better manage and control healthcare costs.”

And as Winchester and Stoneham, like practically every other town in the commonwealth, face sticky fiscal situations, Lewis has pledged to maintain a steadfast fiscal conscience.

“Our state government must do everything in its power to address the fiscal crisis facing Stoneham, Winchester, and many other towns and cities across Massachusetts,” he said. “I will work to significantly increase local aid while also finding new ways for our communities to raise revenue, better manage their expenses, and reduce their reliance on residential property taxes.”

Few candidates, however, would come out against any of those goals. One true point of contention between the two camps may arise from their polar stances on equal marriage rights.

Several months ago Casey supported a ban on same-sex marriages in the state, while Lewis has pledged to support equal rights for all residents.

“I support same sex marriage rights and will oppose any effort to write discrimination into the Massachusetts State Constitution,” Lewis explained. “I will work to ensure that our state government protects and respects all families in Winchester and Stoneham.”

Lewis opposes the “death penalty and will oppose any effort to bring capital punishment into our state.”

“I will pursue efforts to close corporate tax loopholes that cost us hundreds of millions of dollars each year in lost tax revenues,” he said. “These tax loopholes drain funds from our cities and towns, schools, healthcare programs, public safety and other important public needs. They also result in a higher tax burden on families and residential property owners.”

Prior to announcing his legislative aspirations, Lewis, a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Business School, pursued a successful career in the software industry.

A resident of Winchester since 1998, he has been active in the community, serving on the Master Plan Steering Committee, Finance Committee, Superintendent Selection Committee for the public schools, and the Board of Trustees for the Winchester Foundation for Educational Excellence.

“I have experience running a business,” Lewis said in a press release. “I’m also a parent and dedicated community member. I don’t have a traditional political background, which I believe will help me bring a fresh approach and new ideas to the State House. Families in Stoneham and Winchester are concerned about the quality of our schools, access to affordable healthcare, and making sure that vital local services are adequately funded. We can do a lot better on all of these issues, and that’s my priority.” 

Lewis, a first time candidate, and his wife, Susan, have two young daughters.

Casey is also a Harvard graduate. The current representative also earned a Masters of Business Administration from Boston University and a Masters of Public Administration from Suffolk University.

Casey resides in Winchester with his wife Sonja and his three children, Alexandra, Spencer and Trevor.

Prior to his election to the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1988, he served as a tax examiner and corporate analyst for the state Department of Revenue. He began his political career in 1986 upon being elected to Winchester Town Meeting, of which he is still an active member.

A longtime supporter of the American Cancer Society, Casey has worked on the Board of Trustees for the Leukemia Society, and is an Incorporator for Winchester Hospital. He is also a trustee for the Cummings Foundation and the Bartlet School, and a former Golden Gloves boxing champion (1983-84).

Casey has played with the Boston Rugby Club and completed the 100th running of the Boston Marathon.

He currently serves on the Committee on Steering and Policy, Committee on Labor and Workforce Development and the Committee on Election Laws.

Lewis promises to stay focused on the future by targeting economic development and “pursue targeted efforts to encourage research and innovation in growth industries, such as technology and life sciences, that lead to improved global competitiveness and new job creation in Massachusetts.”

“I will also work to strengthen education, training, and workforce development,” he said.

Throughout his career as a state representative, Casey served as the House Chairman for the Joint Committee on Taxation for two terms. From 1999-2000, he was Chairman for the Joint Committee on Public Service, where he kept an eye on more than $30 billion in public pension funds and sponsored legislation to support active and retired public servants.

Before that, he served as Chairman for the Joint Committee on Public Safety. Under Casey’s leadership, the legislature passed the nation’s “toughest and most comprehensive gun control law in the nation,” according to a spokesman from his office.

His other legislative assignments have included Assistant Majority Leader, Vice-Chairman of the Committee on Banks and Banking, and a ranking member of the House Committee on Ways and Means. He was also assigned to the Joint Committee on Transportation, as well as the Special Commission on Veteran’s Affairs (where he served as vice-chairman). 

Where Lewis lacks in experience, he hopes to make up by delving deep into the issues.

“I will advocate for active and concerted efforts to address environmental issues, including global warming, clean air, and clean water,” he said. “I also support efforts to develop clean and renewable energy sources that reduce global warming, reduce our reliance on foreign oil, and drive innovation and economic growth in Massachusetts.”

Female reproductive rights may be another contentious issue over the next year, as the race heats up.

“I support a woman’s right to choose and will oppose any effort to restrict access to reproductive health services,” Lewis explained. “I support efforts to expand access to reproductive health services to keep women safe and protect these important rights.”

“It’s important to have leaders who share our values and really listen to our concerns,” said Gloria Legvold, longtime Winchester resident and Campaign Chair. “Jason brings a strong combination of business acumen, understanding of social justice issues, and a commitment to represent everyone in our community.”

Lewis and his wife settled in Winchester in 1998, where they are raising their two daughters, Sophie, 8, and Jessie, 5. Sophie is a third grader at Ambrose Elementary School and Jessie will be entering kindergarten at Ambrose next year.

Lewis coaches Sophie’s soccer team. His wife, Susan, is a Web producer for the PBS science series NOVA. She served as the Co-President of the Winchester Family Action Network and is an active library and classroom volunteer at Ambrose.

The fledgling candidate attended public high school in New Jersey. With the help of merit scholarships, he graduated from Harvard College in 1990 with a degree in economics with high honors. He worked for McKinsey & Company in global management and strategy consulting.

Later, he attended Harvard Business School. After receiving his MBA, Jason launched a successful career in management and marketing in the software industry, with RSA Security in Bedford and later Endeca Technologies in Cambridge.

He serves on the Winchester Master Plan Steering Committee and the Winchester Finance Committee. He previously served on the Superintendent Selection Committee for the Winchester public schools, and is on the Board of Trustees for the Winchester Foundation for Educational Excellence, and the leadership team of Stand for Children, a nonprofit grassroots group that advocates for adequate state funding of education.

Born in South Africa in 1968, Lewis moved with his family to the United States at 12 years old.

Having witnessed firsthand the injustice of the apartheid system, he said he is “deeply committed to our democratic values and social justice.”

Staff Writer Eric Tsetsi contributed to this report.