Lisa Arnold (Massachusetts)

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Lisa Arnold

Democratic Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

September 1, 2020

Personal

Profession

Chief of staff

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

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Lisa Arnold (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Massachusetts House of Representatives to represent the 17th Middlesex District. She lost in the Democratic primary on September 1, 2020.

Arnold completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Click here to read the survey answers.

In 2020, Arnold participated in a Candidate Conversation hosted by Ballotpedia and EnCiv. Click here to view the recording.

Biography

Lisa Arnold's professional experience includes working as the chief of staff in the Internet of Things Division for Cisco Systems.

Elections

2020

See also: Massachusetts House of Representatives elections, 2020

General election

General election for Massachusetts House of Representatives 17th Middlesex District

Vanna Howard won election in the general election for Massachusetts House of Representatives 17th Middlesex District on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Vanna Howard (D)	99.2	12,481
		Other/Write-in votes	0.8	95

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 12,576
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Massachusetts House of Representatives 17th Middlesex District

Vanna Howard defeated incumbent David Nangle and Lisa Arnold in the Democratic primary for Massachusetts House of Representatives 17th Middlesex District on September 1, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Vanna Howard	43.8	2,724
		David Nangle	31.9	1,986
		Lisa Arnold	24.1	1,495
		Other/Write-in votes	0.2	11

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 6,216
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Watch the Candidate Conversation for this race!

Endorsements

To view Arnold's endorsements in the 2020 election, please click here.

Campaign themes

2020

Candidate Conversations

Candidate Conversations is a virtual debate format that allows voters to easily get to know their candidates through a short video Q&A. Click below to watch the conversation for this race.

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Lisa Arnold completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Arnold's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Lisa Arnold holds a Master's Degree in Quality Systems Management and has held multiple leadership positions at a Fortune 500 company over the last 20 years. As Chief of Staff, she has been responsible for the management of a $1 billion budget, as well as a growing business. Lisa's passion for problem-solving and working with people of differing opinions and backgrounds to find solutions make her the best person for the job. Lisa specializes in helping teams get things done and holding them accountable to ensure their success. Lisa has lived in Downtown Lowell with her husband Charles for the past 10 years. Prior to living in Lowell, they were residents of Chelmsford. They ring in community handbell ensembles, and Lisa is currently serving as the Chair for Area 1 of the Handbell Musicians of America. They are avid cyclists who have been active in advocating for bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure and safety in the Lowell community. Lisa has also been an active member of Solidarity Lowell, a group of community members of Greater Lowell working towards social justice by defending the human rights of all against hate and discrimination.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Our Mental health care system has failed us. During this COVID-19 pandemic, the mental health crisis has become even more urgent. Providers are being overwhelmed with more requests than before. Domestic violence instances are on the rise. People are afraid to use the TeleHealth option because they cannot find a safe and private place to meet with their providers. As your state representative, I will advocate for better access to mental health care and stronger funding for mental health services. I will fight for universal health care and Medicare for all, and widespread and free testing for COVID-19 and whatever disease comes next.
• I am a strong ally in the fight to stop climate change. As a result of climate change, we can expect increases in diseases such as West Nile and Lyme as the insects that carry them move north. I plan to support and expand legislation to transition our current energy systems away from fossil fuels and toward clean, renewable energy. I will insist on government investment in green jobs and infrastructure, while taking care to address the needs of displaced workers and addressing longstanding racial, economic, environmental, and other social inequities that have been built into the system.
• "As voters, we have a right to know how our elected officials vote, so that we can hold them accountable on our top issues." The Massachusetts legislature is one of the least transparent in the country, despite its reputation for being one of the most liberal states. Important legislation that is supported by the majority of Massachusetts residents is killed year after year in back rooms without any public record. Lisa believes in a strong democracy, accountable government, and active voter engagement. As your State Representative, Lisa will bring accountability to the office by making all committee votes public and calling for a roll call vote on all bills that are important to you. Lisa has signed the Voters Deserve to Know pledge.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am passionate about:

• Improving access to care for mental health and addiction services, including criminal justice reforms so that people with addiction or mental illness receive treatment rather than punishment.
  
  
• Fighting climate change by adopting the Massachusetts Green New Deal and addressing environment justice issues;
  
  
• Accountability and Transparency in government
  
  
• Improving the reliability, efficiency and access of public transportation, including bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure;
  
  
• Addressing the affordable housing crisis by addressing homelessness with a Housing First program; with supportive housing options for those with extremely low incomes; and more affordable housing options for the rest of us;
  
  
• Providing education equity and access regardless of zipcode or income.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

We should expect our elected officials to be honest, trustworthy, and law-abiding citizens. They should be held to a higher standard than the ordinary citizen because they are speaking for a multitude of people, and they are making the laws that they are expecting others to uphold. Elected officials also need to be compassionate and empathetic, so that they can hear the stories from their constituents and be able to relate to them in a way that translates into real and impactful change.

My earliest political memory was of President Nixon resigning from office. That moment shaped my view of American politics. America has multiple forms of government in place in order to provide checks and balances. If someone is dishonest in one branch of government, we have other branches of government that will right any wrongs.

Oh, but was I naive! Our current president, the supreme court, and the Senate Majority Leader have all worked together to put a halt to the legislative process, and to completely wipe out any remaining naive thoughts I had about our government ultimately working to protect the people of our country and our democracy. I would like to demand better of our state government, and ultimately of our federal government. This great experiment we call a democracy must not end, and we should demand that our leaders set a positive example in upholding the laws and guiding principles.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I am accountable, honest, and I love data. I like to use data and history to inform my decision making. Because of this, I firmly believe that any new legislation I introduce will be backed up with data to ensure that it will be successful and we won't have to keep going back and fixing it later. I am also skilled at bringing people together to negotiate, and helping them to come to consensus. It is these qualities that will help me to work with my colleagues on important legislation, and to make sure that we address issues that will affect all parties.

In addition, I am known for my follow-through, and if a constituent asks a question or needs assistance, I will always follow through with an answer, or the right person to talk to. In my previous role, people came to me for assistance on a multitude of issues, knowing that I would either know the answer, or find the person who did. That is who I am, and how I live my life... in service to others.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My first job out of college was working as a counselor in a group home for emotionally challenged adolescents. These teens suffered from schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and other debilitating illnesses. Their feelings and circumstances were often misunderstood by their parents and the medical professionals. Having just turned 21, I was still roughly in the same age bracket. In some ways this was a plus, as I could relate to them and their issues. In other ways, this was challenging, as I found myself dealing with the traumatic experiences of others with very little training. I also worked at a temp agency, filling in shifts for other counselors at other group homes during my off hours. It was there that I was exposed to the juvenile justice system at the Key Program in Lawrence. I found the young kids in that system to be funny, energetic, and eager to learn, despite their challenging circumstances. I had these jobs for about 2 years before I realized that the stress from the job was more than I could handle on a daily basis. From there I made the move to technical support, solving a different kind of problem, one phone call at a time.

Having that job did help to inform much of how I see the world today and much of my policy focus. People working in the mental health field do not make a lot of money, and I needed two other jobs just to make ends meet. I often had to choose between putting gas in the car and buying groceries. I would save up for a month to afford one night out with friends, and then limit myself to one drink and the cheapest food item on the menu. I constantly worried that if I got sick, and missed a few days pay, I would not be able to pay the rent that month. This lived experience stays with you, no matter how many years have passed.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

I love jazz! My husband and I met during the resurgent Lindy Hop craze of the 1990's and the big band music always gets me in the mood to dance. I especially love Ella Fitzgerald, and her rendition of "You Make Me Feel So Young" by Josef Myrow and Mack Gordon. A 21st century song that gets stuck a lot is Danzon No. 2 conducted by Arturo Marquez, conducted by Alondra de la Parra, mostly because I love to watch Alondra de la Parra's conducting. She is so animated and makes the music really come alive.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

I believe that it takes all kinds of people with all kinds of experience to make up a legislative body. If the only people running the state are career government or elected officials, then they do not have relevant lived experiences to call upon. As someone who has worked in the private sector my entire career, both in the mental health profession and in high tech, I will be able to draw up on my experiences to inform policy and to influence colleagues. As with any large group, diversity of work and life experiences make that group stronger.

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.

It is beneficial to build relationships with other legislators so that you can understand their priorities, and what motivates them. All transactions require negotiations, and knowing what is important to others is a key part of making those negotiations work. It is important to build trust with colleagues, no matter what profession you are in. Trust is earned, not given, and the best way to build that trust it to cultivate relationships, even with those you do not agree with.

Both sitting legislators and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

The most touching story I heard from a resident was from a woman whose husband is currently in jail awaiting trial. He has been awaiting trial since before the COVID-19 shut down occurred, and was not released to await his day in court. This man is a veteran who suffers from PTSD and depression. Because of the pandemic, he is no longer allowed to have visitors, and has been living in isolation, which has only made his mental state worse. His crime: DUI. While a DUI is serious, in this case it is the symptom of a more serious condition which is his depression and PTSD from his service to our country. His poor choice to drive while intoxicated should not be a death sentence, nor should does it do our society any good to exacerbate his condition through isolation. i would advocate for reforms to our criminal justice system so that people suffering from addiction and mental illness are provided with the treatment and care needed to put them on a path to recovery, rather than subjecting them to punishment which serves only to prolong their illness and hurt their chances at recovery.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

See also

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Footnotes

[show]

Current members of the Massachusetts House of Representatives

Leadership

Speaker of the House:Ronald Mariano

Majority Leader:Michael Moran

Representatives

Barnstable, Dukes, and Nantucket District

Thomas Moakley (D)

1st Barnstable District

Chris Flanagan (D)

1st Berkshire District

John Barrett (D)

1st Bristol District

Michael Chaisson (R)

1st Essex District

Dawne Shand (D)

1st Franklin District

Natalie Blais (D)

1st Hampden District

Todd Smola (R)

1st Hampshire District

Lindsay Sabadosa (D)

1st Middlesex District

Margaret Scarsdale (D)

1st Norfolk District

Bruce Ayers (D)

1st Plymouth District

Michelle Badger (D)

1st Suffolk District

Adrian Madaro (D)

1st Worcester District

Kimberly Ferguson (R)

2nd Barnstable District

Kip Diggs (D)

2nd Berkshire District

Tricia Farley-Bouvier (D)

2nd Bristol District

James Hawkins (D)

2nd Essex District

Kristin Kassner (D)

2nd Franklin District

Susannah Whipps (U)

2nd Hampden District

Brian Ashe (D)

2nd Hampshire District

Homar Gomez (D)

2nd Middlesex District

James Arciero (D)

2nd Norfolk District

Tackey Chan (D)

2nd Plymouth District

John Gaskey (R)

2nd Suffolk District

Daniel Ryan (D)

2nd Worcester District

Jonathan Zlotnik (D)

3rd Barnstable District

David Vieira (R)

3rd Berkshire District

Leigh Davis (D)

3rd Bristol District

Lisa Field (D)

3rd Essex District

Andy Vargas (D)

3rd Hampden District

Nicholas Boldyga (R)

3rd Hampshire District

Mindy Domb (D)

3rd Middlesex District

Kate Hogan (D)

3rd Norfolk District

Ronald Mariano (D)

3rd Plymouth District

Joan Meschino (D)

3rd Suffolk District

Aaron Michlewitz (D)

3rd Worcester District

Michael Kushmerek (D)

4th Barnstable District

Hadley Luddy (D)

4th Bristol District

Steven Howitt (R)

4th Essex District

Estela Reyes (D)

4th Hampden District

Kelly Pease (R)

4th Middlesex District

Danielle Gregoire (D)

4th Norfolk District

James Murphy (D)

4th Plymouth District

Patrick Joseph Kearney (D)

4th Suffolk District

David Biele (D)

4th Worcester District

Natalie Higgins (D)

5th Barnstable District

Steven Xiarhos (R)

5th Bristol District

Justin Thurber (R)

5th Essex District

Ann-Margaret Ferrante (D)

5th Hampden District

Patricia Duffy (D)

5th Middlesex District

David Linsky (D)

5th Norfolk District

Mark Cusack (D)

5th Plymouth District

David DeCoste (R)

5th Suffolk District

Christopher Worrell (D)

5th Worcester District

Donald Berthiaume (R)

6th Bristol District

Carole Fiola (D)

6th Essex District

Hannah Bowen (D)

6th Hampden District

Michael Finn (D)

6th Middlesex District

Priscila Sousa (D)

6th Norfolk District

William Galvin (D)

6th Plymouth District

Kenneth Sweezey (R)

6th Suffolk District

Russell Holmes (D)

6th Worcester District

John Marsi (R)

7th Bristol District

Alan Silvia (D)

7th Essex District

Manny Cruz (D)

7th Hampden District

Aaron Saunders (D)

7th Middlesex District

Jack Lewis (D)

7th Norfolk District

Richard Wells (D)

7th Plymouth District

Alyson Sullivan (R)

7th Suffolk District

Chynah Tyler (D)

7th Worcester District

Paul Frost (R)

8th Bristol District

Steven Ouellette (D)

8th Essex District

Jenny Armini (D)

8th Hampden District

Shirley Arriaga (D)

8th Middlesex District

James Arena-DeRosa (D)

8th Norfolk District

Edward Philips (D)

8th Plymouth District

Dennis Gallagher (D)

8th Suffolk District

Jay Livingstone (D)

8th Worcester District

Michael Soter (R)

9th Bristol District

Christopher Markey (D)

9th Essex District

Donald Wong (R)

9th Hampden District

Orlando Ramos (D)

9th Middlesex District

Thomas Stanley (D)

9th Norfolk District

Marcus Vaughn (R)

9th Plymouth District

Bridget Plouffe (D)

9th Suffolk District

John Moran (D)

9th Worcester District

David Muradian (R)

10th Bristol District

Mark Sylvia (D)

10th Essex District

Dan Cahill (D)

10th Hampden District

Carlos Gonzalez (D)

10th Middlesex District

John Lawn (D)

10th Norfolk District

Jeffrey Roy (D)

10th Plymouth District

Michelle DuBois (D)

10th Suffolk District

Bill MacGregor (D)

10th Worcester District

Brian Murray (D)

11th Bristol District

Christopher Hendricks (D)

11th Essex District

Sean Reid (D)

11th Hampden District

Bud Williams (D)

11th Middlesex District

Amy Sangiolo (D)

11th Norfolk District

Paul McMurtry (D)

11th Plymouth District

Rita Mendes (D)

11th Suffolk District

Judith García (D)

11th Worcester District

Hannah Kane (R)

12th Bristol District

Norman Orrall (R)

12th Essex District

Thomas Walsh (D)

12th Hampden District

Angelo Puppolo (D)

12th Middlesex District

Greg Schwartz (D)

12th Norfolk District

John Rogers (D)

12th Plymouth District

Kathleen LaNatra (D)

12th Suffolk District

Brandy Oakley (D)

12th Worcester District

Meghan Kilcoyne (D)

13th Bristol District

Antonio Cabral (D)

13th Essex District

Sally Kerans (D)

13th Middlesex District

Carmine Gentile (D)

13th Norfolk District

Joshua Tarsky (D)

13th Suffolk District

Daniel Hunt (D)

13th Worcester District

John Mahoney (D)

14th Bristol District

Adam Scanlon (D)

14th Essex District

Adrianne Ramos (D)

14th Middlesex District

Simon Cataldo (D)

14th Norfolk District

Alice Peisch (D)

14th Suffolk District

Rob Consalvo (D)

14th Worcester District

James O'Day (D)

15th Essex District

Ryan Hamilton (D)

15th Middlesex District

Michelle Ciccolo (D)

15th Norfolk District

Tommy Vitolo (D)

15th Suffolk District

Sam Montaño (D)

15th Worcester District

Mary Keefe (D)

16th Essex District

Francisco Paulino (D)

16th Middlesex District

Rodney Elliott (D)

16th Suffolk District

Jessica Giannino (D)

16th Worcester District

Daniel Donahue (D)

17th Essex District

Frank Moran (D)

17th Middlesex District

Vanna Howard (D)

17th Suffolk District

Kevin Honan (D)

17th Worcester District

David LeBoeuf (D)

18th Essex District

Tram Nguyen (D)

18th Middlesex District

Tara Hong (D)

18th Suffolk District

Michael Moran (D)

18th Worcester District

Joseph McKenna (R)

19th Middlesex District

David Allen Robertson (D)

19th Suffolk District

Jeffrey Turco (D)

19th Worcester District

Kate Donaghue (D)

20th Middlesex District

Bradley Jones (R)

21st Middlesex District

Kenneth Gordon (D)

22nd Middlesex District

Marc Lombardo (R)

23rd Middlesex District

Sean Garballey (D)

24th Middlesex District

David Rogers (D)

25th Middlesex District

Marjorie Decker (D)

26th Middlesex District

Mike Connolly (D)

27th Middlesex District

Erika Uyterhoeven (D)

28th Middlesex District

Joseph McGonagle (D)

29th Middlesex District

Steven Owens (D)

30th Middlesex District

Richard Haggerty (D)

31st Middlesex District

Michael Day (D)

32nd Middlesex District

Kate Lipper-Garabedian (D)

33rd Middlesex District

Steven Ultrino (D)

34th Middlesex District

Christine Barber (D)

35th Middlesex District

Paul Donato (D)

36th Middlesex District

Colleen Garry (D)

37th Middlesex District

Danillo Sena (D)

Democratic Party (134)

Republican Party (25)

Unenrolled (1)