For Barry Sanders, the choice of whether to run came down to a desire to help. 

Sanders said that, while he has been able to help thousands of people across a thirty-five year career as a social worker, his more recent position of Taunton City Councilor has given him the ability to have a positive impact on 60,000 people every single day. 

When he learned that Senator Marc Pacheco was retiring, and the opportunity opened up to help 175,000 people across the Third Plymouth and Bristol District, Sanders realized, “I can’t let that opportunity go by without at least making an effort,” he said. 

Sander’s life as a social worker has deeply informed his public service, he said. 

As a Taunton City Councilor, he said he focused on responding to the needs and to the voice of the community he served. 

“I have been for the last seven years a champion for public input,” Sanders said. “Even when some of my colleagues on the council wanted to do away with it or limit it, I stood my ground ... because the people who are our bosses, the people who pay our stipends, deserve to have an opportunity every single week to come and speak to us.”

Sanders has first-hand experience in dealing with the mental health crisis in the community, and says it would be one of his priorities to address if elected. 

“The needs of our community [are] not being met, because the resources are not there,” he said. 

“If you call tomorrow, and started looking around to find a mental health provider, it might take you two or three months to get a first appointment. Meanwhile, you’re anxious, you’re depressed, you’re suicidal, and yet the resources are simply not there. We need to do better for everyone,” he said.

Sanders is also concerned with physical health, and has given testimony in opposition to prior plans from Steward Healthcare to close essential services at his local hospital. He said the government bodies which regulate hospitals need the authority to tell healthcare providers they need to keep essential services like maternal and pediatric health in the community. 

“What we’re really trying to focus on is things that matter to everyday people,” Sanders said. “How can we be helpful in helping people to navigate [their] obstacles and overcome them? And what supports do people need? And we need to do that in a responsible way.”