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Unenrolled and Pro-Life,
Ken Henrick wants
to Represent Methuen in the Legislature
Valley Patriot Staff
08/02/06
 Unenrolled & Pro-Life,
Ken Henrick Wants to Represent Methuen in the Legislature
He has spent most of his life serving the
public. As a Marine, an educator, a community activist,
an elected official, and a man who has shown he can top
the ticket in Methuen, Ken Henrick says he is ready to
take on state politics and isn’t afraid to speak his
mind on controversial issues.
Henrick has served three terms as a West End city
councilor, is currently in his third term on the Methuen
School Committee and his second term on the Greater
Lawrence Technical School Committee. He has also served
on the Essex County Selective Service Board and the
Lawrence Council for Children.
He is married, has five children and twelve
grandchildren.
At 67 years old, the retired educator says he wants to
represent Methuen at the State House as an unenrolled
candidate for state representative.
So while the Democrat candidates fight out a four-way
race in the September primary, Henrick says he is saving
his energy for the general election.
I am running as an unenrolled candidate,” Henrick
says proudly. “I was a Democrat all my life but the
Democratic Party today is just too damned liberal. They
are almost socialists. The party left me a long time ago
and so I am running unenrolled with a guarantee to be on
the final ballot against Bob Andrew (the Republican) and
whoever wins the Democrat Primary.”
Asked what his main issues and goals are as a state
representative candidate, Henrick says he is pro-life.
“I have always been pro-life and I always will. I
know that is not too popular in Massachusetts, but I feel
very strongly in preserving human life. I’ve never
been afraid to say what I really believe and I have never
shied away from doing what I think is right, and a
political campaign is not going to change that.”
“When they asked me what were the words I wanted to
put on the ballot next to my name, I listed veteran,
conservative and pro-life,” he recalls.
“But when I went to Ashburton Place to turn in my
nomination signatures, they argued with me that pro-life
was actually two words to stop me from using it. Finally,
they had to go verify it with someone and they let me
keep it. It was worth fighting for. There are so few
pro-life candidates running in this state. It is sad,
really.”
Henrick says he opposes abortion except in those very
rare cases where there is an issue with the life of the
mother or in a case of rape or incest. He also opposes
embryonic stem cell research, but insists that he is not
opposed to all stem cell research. “Some of the
research they have done with adult stem cells is amazing
and I hope we can steer the research in that direction so
that we are not taking a human life while trying to find
ways to save others.”
Henrick is a life-long educator, serving as a guidance
councilor for 27 years at the Greater Lawrence Technical
School. With a bachelor’s degree in industrial
management and a master’s degree in education
counseling, Henrick says education is very important to
him and will be a main part of his platform.
He opposes the MCAS requirement for graduation, supports
teachers unions, opposes vouchers and charter schools,
and will not support building a new Methuen High School.
“I have given that MCAS test several times. And I
believe this 100 percent: a great many teachers
couldn’t pass MCAS if they took it forever. When it
first came out, it sounded all wonderful and it was going
to raise expectations and all that. But since I have
gotten an education on the test itself, I have seen that
there are some kids who will never be able to pass that
test no matter how many times they take it. When you look
at kids like in Lawrence, which is 90% Latino, how are
they going to pass that test?”
Henrick added that he thought each school district should
administer its own type of MCAS test tailored to its
student population. “Let each district with
different populations come up with their own criteria for
their own kids. For the state to say who should graduate
and who shouldn’t isn’t right. There are some
great kids who try as hard as they can and they can pass
all their subjects, but they can never pass it.
Never.”
“Let’s face it, a lot of teachers are lenient,
especially in a vocational school. You have a lot of good
kids who come in and try hard and a lot of teachers are
going to pass them through because they try so hard and
it would be a shame to hold them back. But for the state
to hold them back isn’t right.” He said he
opposes vouchers and charter schools because it takes
money away from public education and leaves the public
school kids behind.
Henrick grew up in Lawrence and moved to Methuen 23 years
ago. He said the condition of Methuen High School has to
be addressed in the next state representative’s
term. “I would favor renovating the school over
building a new one. It is just too expensive and the
state money is drying up. We have 1,800 kids in one
facility that is 30 years old and we have to do
something, but building a new school is too extravagant.
It’s an old building, but not too old to fix it up
and put these kids in a building that serves them
well.”
Henrick says the key to winning the state representative
race and serving as an effective representative after the
election is providing “exceptional constituent
services.”
“When people call me, I keep a book of every call. I
take their name and number and return every single call.
That is what people really want. We are always going to
disagree with people on issues, but when the voter picks
up the phone does your representative get back to you? Do
they do the follow up? Do they address your concerns?
That is what people want in a representative and I am
gong to give it to them.”
Henrick also says he is strong supporter of referendum
petitions. “When the legislature killed the gay
marriage vote, it was wrong. Agree with it or not, the
people demanded a vote and it is up to us to make sure
they get it. It should have been put on the ballot. That
may cost me votes, but so be it. The voters have the
right to vote on it whether I agree with them or not. I
am going to make sure they get representation out of me
when issues like that come up. The same thing goes for
the 5% income tax rollback.”
“Especially with the surplus money we have,
let’s give it back to the people. Like everything
else in the state, temporary means permanent. There is no
such thing as a temporary tax.”
Henrick says that if he wins a seat at the State House he
will have to give up at least one of his other elected
positions. “But I will deal with that when the time
comes. It is important to work with the mayor and I will
do that,” he added.
Henrick supports universal health care. “I truly
think we should have health care for every single
individual in this state. Look at the billions we spend
in Iraq; we are throwing money away like it’s
nothing. Look at the billions wasted on the Big Dig.
Believe me, we can certainly afford to insure everyone.
We find the money when we want to and I think it’s
time we want to.”
Henrick’s son Brian is managing his campaign and is
holding a fundraiser on October 2nd at Jackson’s
Restaurant. Henrick topped the ticket in almost every
precinct in the last election and says he hopes to do the
same this year.
*Send your questions comments to ValleyPatriot@aol.com
The August, 2006 Edition
of the Valley Patriot
The Valley Patriot is a Monthly
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All Contents (C) 2006, Valley Patriot, Inc.
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