SOUTHWICK — Jason M. Perron, Air Force veteran, career law enforcement officer, and former Southwick Select Board member and chair, has announced he is running for the 3rd Hampden District seat in the House of Representatives.
“The people of this district deserve representation that puts people over party,” Perron said in his announcement. “Too often, decisions made at the Statehouse feel disconnected from the real lives of the people they affect — especially out here in Western Massachusetts.”
Perron is running as an Independent because he believes voters deserve representation that is focused on people, not party politics.
He joins Democrat Tom Hendrickson in a bid to claim the seat of Republican incumbent state Rep. Nicholas Boldyga, who didn’t return a message to indicate whether he will be seeking reelection.
Perron has spent nearly three decades in public service as an Air Force veteran, a career law enforcement officer and a former Southwick Select Board member.
“My years in the Air Force and as a police officer provided me with examples of great leadership,” he said. “It taught me that leadership is earned through discipline, accountability, and service — not titles.”
“Standing my ground and doing what was right in negotiations wasn’t always pleasant or comfortable,” Perron said. “But leadership means making difficult choices and seeing them through.”
Perron said Western Massachusetts deserves a representative who shows up consistently in every community — not just during election season.
He racked up a string of accomplishments while serving on the Select Board, including spearheading the effort to establish the municipal aggregation program in Southwick.
He also brought forth proposed zoning and policy changes to support responsible economic development and authored the town’s flag policy to prevent constitutional and civil rights conflicts.
His decision to run came from something he has believed for a long time: he is not the type of person who can sit back and complain, he said.
“I listened to people say for years that they weren’t getting what they needed from government,” he said. “But I also watched election cycles go by where almost nobody stepped up to run and do better. When the last election cycle went by, and there was only one candidate, that’s when I really started thinking seriously about whether I should do this.”
Perron compares this campaign to the biggest “firsts” in his life — Southwick High School as the new kid, basic training, becoming a police officer, husband, father and serving on the Select Board.
“Every one of those moments forced me to learn, grow and earn it,” he said. “And I walked into the Select Board the same way — learning and growing — and I proved to myself that I am capable.”
Perron said his campaign will focus on cost-of-living, energy costs, government transparency, fair funding for Western Massachusetts and practical public safety policy.
“Massachusetts has become one of the most expensive places in the country to live,” Perron said. “Families are getting squeezed from every direction — energy, housing, healthcare, taxes and everyday costs. We need a representative who understands what it’s like to live here, work here, raise a family here and fight for this region to get its fair share.”
“I answer to the people of this district,” Perron said. “And I’ll work with anyone — Republican, Democrat, or Independent — if it helps our towns and our region.”
Perron lived in Blandford as a child, attended Gateway Regional schools, graduated from Southwick High School, lived in Granville, lived in Southwick from 1990 to 1993 before joining the Air Force, spent more than 20 years living in Westfield raising his family and serving the public, and returned to Southwick in 2019.
“I’m not running against anyone,” Perron said. “I’m running for the people of this district.”
The 3rd Hampden district includes parts of Agawam and Feeding Hills and the towns of Southwick, Granville, Blandford, Tolland, Russell, Montgomery, Huntington, Chester and Middlefield.
For more information about Perron, visit https://candidates.goodparty.org/jperronfor3rdhampden or email him at jason14xxx@gmail.com
