title of chief financial officer. She has made economic development the focus of her campaign, saying she is the best candidate to bring jobs to Western Massachusetts "because I already have."

Until this campaign, Sharron's political experience had been confined to the Worthington Planning Board. Asked why she decided to run, she said, "Because I was at a point in my life where I had the skills required and the ability to give back."

As an example of her approach, Sharron said she would look to companies such as investment giant Fidelity, which are pulling jobs out of Massachusetts. "I'm sure we can pull some of those jobs back. I'm sure that we can talk about it and create the kind of campus environment (they want)" in Western Massachusetts.

She said the financial service industry is a perfect fit for Western Massachusetts because it is information-based and doesn't need the infrastructure of a large airport or a superhighway. "What they need is bricks and mortar, and we have plenty of that," Sharron said.

Ware, 56, of Williamstown said she would bring her experience as a selectman, a mother and an advocate for the health care needs of the elderly to Beacon Hill, where that combination of "practical experience, professional experience and life experience" would be an asset.

"I think that there is a fine line between not wanting to be a creature of the Legislature, where you haven't had many of the same experiences as your constituents have, and on the other hand not having any experience legislating at all," she said.

As an elected member of the Democratic State Committee and a former selectwoman, Ware said she would "go to Boston and deal with people on the level of a peer." Her background and stances have helped her secure endorsement from the Massachusetts Women's Political Caucus and the Berkshires for Progressive Change.

Ware is regional director of the SHINE program, based at the Elder Services office in Pittsfield, which helps elderly residents understand Medicare and Medicaid. Most recently, she led that office's efforts to help senior citizens enroll in new Medicare prescription drug plans.

"As a selectman, I have seen the effect the state budget has on cities and towns and school districts. As an employee of Elder Services in Berkshire County, I have seen what the state can do for the good of people, and making them feel secure at home," she said.

Zelazo, 53, of Adams said he was motivated to run for Senate in opposition to Berkshire District Attorney David F. Capeless' decision to prosecute several alleged first-time drug offenders on stern school-zone charges that carry a mandatory two-year jail sentence.

Zelazo, who is a stay-at-home caretaker for his parents, said the other candidates in the race spend too much time talking about all the state dollars they will bring home for the district.

Like them, he said, he would work for money to reimburse regional school systems for busing and look for cash to help projects such as the Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield. Unlike them, he said, he would focus on the bigger picture.

By focusing too much on economic development, he said, candidates act as if the school system should be designed to meet the needs of businesses, not children.

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