State senate candidate talks about heated 4th district race

The Democratic candidate in one of this season's hottest state senate races spoke Wednesday about her campaign platform, which focuses largely on women's and children's issues, and about women in politics. In her speech at the Law School, Allyson Schwartz, who is in the midst of a campaign for the fourth district seat against Republican incumbent Joseph Rocks, described herself as "aggressive and tough, which isn't the same as nasty and mean." "As a woman and a newcomer, I was underestimated in the primary," she said. "No one expected us to out-organize my opponents." Schwartz garnered 50 percent of the Democratic vote in the May primary. Her 45-minute talk centered mostly around her platform, which focuses on such issues as Head Start programs, drug education and abortion rights. Unlike many politicians, Schwartz's background is in health and social services rather than law. When questioned about her opponent's campaign strategy, which she said focuses on the fact that she is a pro-choice woman from New York, Schwartz replied that she "blasts Joe Rocks whenever they are together." Schwartz laughed when she was asked about the resources she draws on for the race. "You have to have a lot of guts, an emotional support system, and the willingness to ask people for money," she said. The crowd seemed to warm to Schwartz's enthusiasm. "She seems geniune and sincere, and it's refreshing to see a young woman involved in politics on a state level," said Lauren Liss, a second-year law student. Meryl Icove, also a second-year law student, said it was "rare" that a candidate would speak so honestly about her platform.

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