Lorena Betts

Lorena Betts earned a high school diploma from Escola Rosa Frigger Piovezan in Brazil. She also attended Southern New Hampshire University. Her career experience includes working as a community organizer.[1]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I'm a mom, civic educator, and community organizer in Lowell and North Chelmsford, not a career politician. I came here for my education, carrying the values of parents who fought for democracy under a dictatorship, and this community welcomed me with open arms. I know what happens when people stay silent, so when our democracy was threatened I organized, leading No Kings rallies in Chelmsford that brought thousands of neighbors together. I'm running for State Representative because Beacon Hill has grown disconnected from what families face every day, from being priced out of housing to the rising cost of living. I'll be accessible and accountable, holding regular town halls and office hours.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Housing people can afford. Families are being priced out of Chelmsford and Lowell. I'll work to expand downpayment assistance for first-time homebuyers and support building rental housing that working families can actually afford, so people can stay in the communities they call home.An economy that works for working families, not special interests. I'll work to break the utility monopoly and hold companies like National Grid accountable for price hikes, support investment in local farmers to create jobs and lower food costs, and protect programs like home-care PCAs and fuel assistance that seniors and families rely on.Transparency and accountability on Beacon Hill. I'll support an audit of state spending so public funds serve people, not monopolies, and I'll be an accessible representative who holds regular town halls and office hours. You'll always have my number.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Housing affordability, the cost of living, and public health. I'm focused on building housing working families can afford, lowering everyday costs by breaking utility monopolies and investing in clean energy and local farmers, and protecting health care through MassHealth funding, bulk purchasing to cut prescription drug costs, and support for Medicare for All. I care deeply about climate resilience, including weatherization, community solar, and cleaning up the Merrimack River and Freeman Lake, and about education, making sure Lowell and Chelmsford get their fair share of education dollars and strong career-technical pathways to good local jobs.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

My parents. They fought for democracy under a dictatorship and taught me that freedom isn't guaranteed, it's defended by ordinary people who refuse to stay silent. I carry that with me every day. I also look up to the neighbors and organizers who show up without titles or cameras: the ones who run food drives, pack town halls, and knock on doors for causes bigger than themselves. When we organized the No Kings rallies in Chelmsford and Lowell, thousands of them reminded me what democracy looks like up close. That's the example I want to follow: courage, service, and staying close to the people you fight for.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Accessibility, honesty, and courage. An elected official works for the people, not for special interests or their own career, so they should be reachable, hold regular town halls and office hours, and answer for every vote they take. They should tell the truth even when it's inconvenient, and fight for transparency and audits so public money serves people instead of monopolies. And they need the courage to speak up when something is wrong, even against their own party or powerful interests. I learned that from parents who fought for democracy under a dictatorship: staying silent is how communities lose their voice.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

A State Representative has three core jobs. First, represent the district: listen to Lowell and Chelmsford residents, hold regular town halls and office hours, and vote the way the community's interests demand, not the way leadership or lobbyists want. Second, deliver results: write and fight for laws that make housing affordable, lower the cost of living, and protect health care, and make sure the district gets its fair share of state funding for schools and services. Third, hold Beacon Hill accountable: demand transparency and audits so public money serves people, and help constituents cut through state agencies when they're stuck.

What legacy would you like to leave?

That people felt heard, and that it changed things. I want families to be able to afford to stay in Lowell and Chelmsford, seniors to never have to choose between medicine and heating, and neighbors to trust that someone on Beacon Hill actually answers to them. More than any single bill, I want to leave behind a habit of participation: people who learned they can organize, show up, and win. If the next person who feels priced out or unheard decides to run, knock on doors, or speak at a town hall because they saw it was possible, that's the legacy I'd be proudest of.

What do you perceive to be your state's greatest challenges over the next decade?

Massachusetts' greatest challenge is affordability. People are being priced out of the state they grew up in. Rent and home prices keep climbing, and families are leaving because they can't make the math work. Close behind is the broader cost of living, from utility bills and health care to child and elder care. We also face a climate reckoning, with aging infrastructure, flooding, and rivers like the Merrimack that need protection. And underneath it all is a trust problem: too many people feel Beacon Hill answers to monopolies and insiders, not to them. If we don't fix affordability and rebuild that trust, we'll keep losing working families and young people.

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

Compromise is necessary to get things done, and I'll work with anyone who genuinely wants to make life more affordable for working families. Passing a strong housing bill or actually lowering costs usually means finding common ground. But there's a difference between compromising on the details of a solution and compromising on the people you serve. Some things are never up for negotiation: every person's basic dignity, equal worth, and human rights. I won't trade those away, or housing, health care, and democracy, to keep the peace with monopolies or party leadership. Compromise is a tool for treating people with respect and delivering results, not an excuse for Beacon Hill to stall.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Organizations:

Act On Mass, Working Families Party, Mass Alliance, Reproductive Equity Now, Progressive Mass, Clean Water Action, 350 Mass Action, Lowell Together, Massachusetts Peace Action, Miranda Warning System (more to come).

Community:

Dr. Robert Forrant (UML professor); Dr. George Pappas; former Chelmsford Immigration Judge Dierdre Heck; Chuck Caragianes & Paulette Renault-Caragianes; Deb Belanger; Marcia Cassidy; Thao Lan; John Moses; Alessandra Lopes; Lexi Lattimore.

Officials:

State Senator Jamie Eldridge; Governor's Councilor Mara Dolan (District 3); Connor Murray (candidate, State Rep 18th Essex); Angelo J. Taranto (former North Chelmsford School Committee Chair).