When Sen. Mark C. Montigny first entered the political world in 1993, his experience was limited to the decade of community work he completed at UMass Dartmouth and the surrounding area. 

He was young, passionate and a bit unfocused, he said. But after 16 terms in office, Montigny feels confident in the progress he’s made and that his seniority will only further benefit him. 

Running for his 17th term in office, Montigny looks to keep his Second Bristol and Plymouth seat, which includes the city of New Bedford and the towns of Acushnet, Dartmouth, Mattapoisett and Fairhaven.

While the bigger political world has been “soured” for him, Montigny said he’s never felt that way about his district because he grew up here. 

His constituents are his friends, family, neighbors — his community. He said this connection to the district, in addition to his experience in the senate, have shaped the way he does his job and what he focuses on when writing laws.

He added how he hasn’t fundraised for his campaign in 15 years.

“It's gross the influence of money in politics,” Montigny said, highlighting how some politicians become dependent and almost “addicted” to money from special interest groups. “It's dirty money — to me, it's trying to influence, which usually means stop good public policy.”

Montigny refers to himself as “a policy guy” and said the key to succeeding in the legislature is to listen to what the district is saying it wants and needs.

He highlighted how when he first started, utilities bills were some of the highest they had seen in the area and he had gone a bit “aggressively” after the electric company. After his “harsh” behavior was pointed out to him, he said it was a “badge of honor” because it was something that truly mattered to his constituents and that was how they felt.

Montigny said one of the more defining subjects of his career has been in the realm of health care expansion, which included the state senior citizen prescription pharmacy plan and a bill he completed with former Rep. John McDonough that helped insure approximately 200,000 kids.

“[It was] the first universal health care plan for children in the country,” he added. “This was like moving mountains, and thousands of those kids, a disproportionate number, are from districts like mine.”

Each legislative session continues to advance the work he has already laid the foundation for, Montigny said. Though he isn’t satisfied with the latest session, he hopes to accomplish more in the fall. 

While oftentimes people get discouraged after those sessions, Montigny said he is just as “fired up” and passionate about injustice as he was over 30 years ago.

“It's all personal,” he said. “I try to remember that every day, and I really haven't forgotten it. I make mistakes. I don't have the same attitude I might have had years ago on it, but I think I bring more experience to it, which I hope makes me more effective than ever.”