Paul Jacques, a firefighter and union official, is planning on running for state representative in the 4th Bristol District next year against incumbent Steven Howitt.
The district includes all of Seekonk and Rehoboth, along with Precincts 1 and 2 in Norton and Precincts 4 and 5 in Swansea.
Jacques, 44, a Rehoboth Democrat, has been politically active for several years, supporting other candidates, but has never run for office himself.
He said he believes he can make a difference at the Statehouse and will formally announce his candidacy soon.
“I’ve been thinking about it for a couple of years and thought I would pull the trigger on it,” he said.
Jacques has already formed a political committee and filed the paperwork for the committee with the state Office of Campaign and Political Finance.
An Attleboro firefighter for 20 years, Jacques is also the legislative agent for the Professional Firefighters of Massachusetts.
As a firefighter and Iraq War veteran he said he has years of experience with veterans’ and public safety issues.
Howitt, R-Seekonk, is a former selectman and is in his third term in the House.
Next year is a presidential election year, which means more Democrats are likely to turn out to vote, so Howitt said he will have to work extra hard to get re-elected.
He said he knows he has done a good job in the Legislature and works full time at representing the district.
Howitt is one of the better-funded local state representative candidates. His 2014 year-end report said he had $50,000 in his campaign account, but Howitt said he is now up to about $80,000.
He defeated incumbent Democrat Steve D’Amico in 2010 and then won re-election in 2012 against Keith Carreiro of Swansea.
In 2014 he ran unopposed for re-election.
Howitt sits on committees dealing with transportation, licenses and tourism.
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