Voters in the 18th Worcester District will have a choice this fall as Democratic challenger Jen Heck seeks to unseat Republican State Representative Joe McKenna, who has represented the district on Beacon Hill since 2015.

The district, which includes Webster, Douglas, Sutton, portions of Oxford and a precinct in Uxbridge, has not seen a contested race for the seat since McKenna was first elected more than a decade ago. While the candidates come from different professional backgrounds and political parties, both say affordability has become the defining issue facing residents and both argue they are best equipped to represent the district’s future.

Heck, a Sutton resident and documentary filmmaker, is making her first bid for elected office after a career she says has been built on listening to people, solving problems and telling complex stories.

McKenna, meanwhile, is seeking another term by highlighting his legislative record, local projects and continued opposition to policies he says have made Massachusetts increasingly unaffordable.

Heck: “People want something different.”

Heck said her decision to run stems from both professional experience and personal conviction.

A filmmaker and producer whose work has taken her across the United States and internationally, including projects in the Middle East, Heck said her career has taught her to approach disagreements by first understanding the people involved.

“People want something different, and that begins with perspective,” Heck said. “My entire career has been about learning to listen and knowing what questions to ask.”

One documentary that particularly shaped her perspective followed Palestinian and Israeli women who sought friendship despite decades of conflict. She said the experience reinforced her belief that most people share similar goals despite political divisions.

“Most people want the same thing, which is a safe place for their family, affordable housing, food, gas and the ability to build a good life,” she said.

Heck said that now more than ever, political polarization has created what she describes as a “crisis of community.”

“People are supposed to disagree. It is natural,” she said. “What isn’t natural is the unwillingness to acknowledge opposing points of view.”

She pointed to conversations she had with McKenna during debates surrounding the MBTA Communities Act as an example of productive bipartisan dialogue. Although the two differed on broader policy questions, Heck said they found common ground on concerns specific to Sutton and believes elected officials should be willing to challenge their own parties when local interests demand it.

Her campaign focuses on three priorities: affordability, education and rebuilding public trust.

Heck said affordability extends beyond housing to include childcare, utilities, health care and transportation, while education has become increasingly important as artificial intelligence changes how students learn.

“I see education as national security, especially in the age of AI,” Heck said. “Kids need to learn how to use new technology without surrendering the independent thinking they need to understand it, question it and lead it.”

She also said she hopes to encourage greater civic engagement and transparency.

“I plan to work with everyone,” Heck said. “In order to get the best ideas, your own have to be challenged.”

Early in 2025, Heck’s mother died from pancreatic cancer, a loss she said further strengthened her commitment to serving the community where she was raised.

“My mother is buried here, and this is my ground to protect,” she said.

Describing her campaign as grassroots, Heck said she is balancing campaigning with work and raising a family.

“I’m a working parent,” she said. “I’m building this campaign in any little bit of free time I can get because I care.”

State Rep. Joe McKenna

McKenna emphasizes experience and affordability

McKenna is campaigning on his record after more than 10 years in office, arguing that Massachusetts residents are increasingly struggling with the cost of living and need continued representation willing to challenge the Democratic supermajority on Beacon Hill.

“My time serving the 18th Worcester District is incredibly rewarding,” McKenna said. “I’m proud to be a voice for those middle- and low-income workers being priced out of their own homes.”

Asked what issues he hears most often from constituents, McKenna gave a one-word answer: affordability.

“Numbers 1, 2, and 3 are all affordability,” he said. “Whether it is our cost of housing, cost of our utility bills, cost of our education, or cost of our childcare, it is all out of control.”

McKenna attributes many of those rising costs to state energy and climate policies, arguing they have increased utility rates and construction expenses. If re-elected, he said he plans to continue advocating for policies aimed at reducing costs while increasing government transparency and accountability.

“I look forward to continuing to advocate for an affordability agenda to help Massachusetts residents stay Massachusetts residents,” he said.

McKenna also said he wants to increase state investment in local aid, education and infrastructure while continuing to support audits and other oversight measures.

Looking back on his tenure, McKenna highlighted several accomplishments, including helping establish a Head Start facility in Webster, serving on the state’s Rare Disease Advisory Council, and sponsoring legislation creating a Foster Parents Bill of Rights.

He also pointed to ongoing transportation and economic development initiatives throughout the district, including road safety projects in Webster, Oxford and Uxbridge and efforts to support downtown revitalization and business growth along the Route 146 corridor.

When asked what distinguishes his candidacy from Heck’s, McKenna pointed to the partisan makeup of the Massachusetts Legislature.

“The communities of Webster, Douglas, Sutton, Oxford and Uxbridge deserve a representative with a track record of standing up to the one-party supermajority that is the State Legislature,” he said. “This district deserves better than that.”

McKenna said conversations with voters continue to reinforce his priorities.

“The biggest things I hear about while campaigning are frustrations with Beacon Hill,” he said. “One-party government is bad for Massachusetts, and our residents are feeling the impact.”

Although he has represented the district for more than a decade, McKenna said his connection to the area remains one of the most important aspects of his campaign.

“I would like voters to know how deeply I love the communities of this district,” he said. “I have never left south-central Massachusetts and know the people and communities that I have lived in my whole life.”

Campaign taking shape

While Heck and McKenna disagree on many policy questions and offer different visions for state government, their campaigns have centered on several of the same themes, particularly affordability and the future of the district.

Heck argues new leadership, bipartisan collaboration and greater civic engagement are necessary to address rising costs and rebuild public trust.

McKenna maintains that his legislative experience and willingness to oppose Beacon Hill’s Democratic majority make him best suited to continue standing for the district while focusing on affordability, local aid, and government accountability.

As Election Day approaches on November 3, voters across the 18th Worcester District will have an opportunity to weigh two distinct backgrounds, governing philosophies, and approaches to addressing the challenges facing their communities.

To stay informed on each candidate’s schedule and positions, visit their websites: McKenna’s campaign website is www.repjoemckenna.com and Heck’s website is www.heckyeah2026.org