Lora Wondolowski
for State Representative
1st Franklin district
“I’ve spent my career fighting for environmental protection, education, and fair funding. I never give up, and I will use my experience to advocate for you.”
Teamwork. Results.
Lora was the founding executive director of the Massachusetts League of Environmental Voters, where she collaborated with and pressured the MA legislature. Her leadership and coalition-forming skills helped early MA climate legislation become a reality, including the foundational Global Warming Solutions Act. Lora also worked for national groups like the National Audubon Society and League of Conservation Voters. Climate solutions will be one of her top priorities as State Rep.
Lora moved to Greenfield after a search for an affordable and LGBTQ-friendly city with a downtown community and rural character. Unfortunately, that opportunity no longer exists for young people who want to move to Franklin County. Lora saw firsthand how dire the need for new housing at all scales of affordability is, which is why she became a leader in the Hope Street project to build new housing on an old parking lot.
When public school funding was (yet again) threatened, Lora moved into local politics. After participating in a local team that successfully prevented major funding cuts, Lora was appointed and later re-elected to the Greenfield City Council. Her team leadership was further validated when her colleagues chose her as the council president just a year after she joined.
Lora’s commitment to collaboration yields results again and again. Recently, she was the key leader who brought the public unions into a process to transition town health insurance to the state Group Insurance Commission. Because of her steady hand and listening skills, the town and unions agreed on steps forward within 24 hours and cut a 19% cost increase to only 2%, with more stability in the future.
Lora is a single parent with one kid still in the Greenfield public high school. She works for the Peace Development Fund by day, fundraising for dozens of progressive grassroots organizations locally and nationally. She is ready to scale her work with progressive groups and the city of Greenfield to serve all towns in the 1st Franklin district and boost the Western Mass team to have a louder voice at the State House.
Lora Listens, Leads, and Gets It Done
Top Issues
Rural School Funding
By growing and unifying the team, we can secure more funding for Western Mass. Lora is already a vigorous advocate for school funding from the state, working with our current legislators to make sure Franklin County gets what it needs. Her vision for state leadership includes expanding the local legislator team to partner with a wider set of legislators in Western Mass and form a stronger coalition that can force changes to the state funding formulas and catch every possible opportunity to bring home additional funding.
Available and Affordable Housing
By thinking regionally, we can build new housing in Franklin County that people can afford while matching the right kind of building to the right setting. Lora has already been a leader in making progressive visions of new housing a reality with the Hope Street project. Her vision for state policy includes pursuing a regional approach to 40B processes and other zoning so that farmland is not jeopardized while lots of new housing can be built.
Farms and Climate
By investing in new transportation, farm resilience, and clean energy we can not only preserve but grow and strengthen our economy and communities. Lora knows that our farms and wild lands are both the heart of our economy and our identity in Franklin County. From state support for agriculture to full funding for regional transportation authorities, there is a lot Lora will do as State Rep to strengthen our rural areas. Given the need for vast amounts of new clean energy, there is both an opportunity for workforce and economic growth as well as a need to match the right solutions to the right locations.
I want to hear from you!
My priorities start and end with you. Tell me what’s working, what’s not, and how I can help. Whether you’re concerned about your child’s school or simply need help filling out a complicated form let me know.