Whipps Lee sets up 'Second Franklin' rematch

Whipps Lee sets up 'Second Franklin' rematch 

Eryn Dion
News Staff Writer

REGION — Athol Selectman Susannah Whipps Lee, a Republican, has returned her paperwork with the required signatures and will appear on the Sept. 9 primary election ballot, challenging incumbent state Rep. Denise Andrews, D-Orange, for a seat representing the Second Franklin District on Beacon Hill.

The two previously squared off in the highly contested 2012 election for the same seat, with Ms. Lee losing by only 200 votes. The selectman said that the response to her last campaign and the lack of economic leadership in Boston inspired her to campaign again.


“The response from people throughout the district has been tremendous,” said Ms. Lee. “The people in this district are concerned with economic development and job creation.  In the past six years my company has doubled the size of its workforce.  I am the only candidate in this race that has a proven history of private sector job creation.”

Ms. Lee also said that this year’s campaign will focus on municipal aid and cuts directed at the Second Franklin District over the past two years.

“Municipal aid is not charity or a hand-out from the state, it is our tax dollars that go to Boston and never seem to find their way back to the people who have worked for them,” she said. “I will fight to restore municipal aid and work to eliminate waste, fraud and abuse in our governmental agencies.”

Opposition to the gas tax and responsible government spending also round out Ms. Lee’s economically focused platform, according to her website.

A nine-year veteran of the Athol Board of Selectmen, Ms. Lee has served on a variety of board and committees in her hometown.  She is also part-owner and an employee of Whipps, Inc., a company based in Athol that manufactures water control products.

The Second Franklin District is comprised of 12 towns – Athol, Belchertown, Erving, Gill, New Salem, Orange, Petersham, Phillipston, Royalston, Templeton, Warwick and Wendell.

Karen Anderson, a Republican from Orange, has also announced her intention to run against Rep. Andrews and Ms. Lee. The primary election will be held Sept. 9 and the general election will be on Nov. 4.