EASTHAMPTON — Easthampton City Council President Homar Gomez is ready to make the leap to Beacon Hill after concluding his uncontested bid to represent the 2nd Hampshire District in the State House.

Once he is sworn into office in the new year, Gomez plans to make himself readily available to the district’s constituents, bringing the leadership style and advocacy he found success with in Easthampton to a larger scale.

Gomez will replace Dan Carey, who was elected on Tuesday as Hampshire County’s clerk of courts, as the state representative for the district, which includes Easthampton, Granby, Hadley and South Hadley.

He hopes to use his new position to advocate for the needs of western Massachusetts, focusing on expanding social services, environmental initiatives and programs to address food insecurity, as well as addressing other constituent needs as they arise.

“I know I can make a difference,” Gomez told the Gazette when asked about the motivation behind his campaign. “I know because of the knowledge I have, the experiences I have in my life, I know I can bring a different perspective to government.”

Plans for the State House

One thing Gomez feels Easthampton does well is providing social services to the community, especially by making social workers available to work with individuals and families in need. He sees room for such services to be expanded in Easthampton and the rest of the commonwealth through increased state support for social service initiatives.

“I think the government needs to provide more funding for social services,” said Gomez. “We need to be more proactive to provide those services at the school level, at the city level.”

Along a similar vein, Gomez plans to advocate for increased access to good, healthy food for those facing food insecurity, especially when it comes to the cost burdens surrounding food and the stigma that often prevents those in need from asking for help.

“Sometimes people are ashamed asking for help, but I know the needs are there,” said Gomez. “We need to do everything we can to address prices in food.”

Gomez’s attention to the challenges of food insecurity are largely influenced by his family and upbringing. In Puerto Rico, his grandfather used to make a living cutting sugar cane. But after a long day’s work, he would come home to endure more labor, tending to the family’s farm and producing the food they would eat, which shaped much of Gomez’s mother’s childhood.

When he and his family came to the U.S., they lived in public housing and relied on food stamps. Gomez recalled regularly going to the Amherst Survival Center to get food, and he looks back favorably on these services that allowed him to provide for himself and his loved ones. Now, his goal is to advocate for such programs to be readily available when community members find themselves in similar situations.

A third pillar of focus that Gomez emphasized was environmental stewardship. In particular, Gomez said he has noticed the difficulty that many small communities experience when looking to transition to more sustainable infrastructure, especially when it comes to implementation costs.

Gomez believes a solution could lie in increased grant funding for communities striving to become more environmentally friendly, as well as legislation requiring that state and municipal governments consider environmental factors in their decision making.

Gomez lauded a long-standing ordinance in Easthampton requiring the city to favor fuel-efficiency in new vehicle purchases. He believes this can be expanded to benefit Massachusetts as a whole.

“We need to have a law in Massachusetts that states cars and city vehicles need to be fuel efficient,” said Gomez, adding that it’s time to take climate change seriously and consistently enforce environmental regulations.

Growing up in Puerto Rico’s tropical climate, Gomez witnessed the dramatic increase in hurricane-borne destruction as climate change worsened. Then, just last year, the Pioneer Valley witnessed flooding “like never before, and it’s because of climate change,” he said.

“We have to leave the world a better place for our grandchildren,” he added.

But Gomez said he also recognizes that the needs of constituents are ever-evolving, and that he plans to be a visible presence in the communities he serves, ready to lend an ear to community concerns.

“With my personality, I want to be everywhere,” he laughed, saying that he plans to hold regular office hours in local libraries, senior centers and other accessible, casual settings. He said that town and city hall office hours can seem “intimidating” to many people, so he hopes to create a laid back, welcoming atmosphere where people can get to know him and express their thoughts.

A common concern among western Massachusetts communities is that the State House tends to focus many efforts on the eastern part of the state. Gomez said that as soon as he enters the State House, he hopes to work closely with the coalition of western Massachusetts officials there to advocate for the region.

“I was a high school softball coach, so I know how to work as a team. With the western Mass. delegation, we have to work as a team to let Boston know we are here,” he said. “If we’re not working all together, we’re not going to get what people need.”

Officials confident inGomez’s future

At an election night watch party for Gomez’s campaign, Easthampton government officials expressed hope and excitement for what Gomez’s representation will bring.

“I’m very proud of Homar. I think he’s worked very hard and deserves this upgrade in position,” said Salem Derby, Easthampton’s City Council vice president.

Derby said that, once Gomez resigns, he will likely replace him as the council’s president, but the main priority will be finding someone from Gomez’s precinct to fill the new council vacancy.

Easthampton Mayor Nicole LaChapelle also expressed great respect and enthusiasm for Gomez.

“Easthampton has seen the very best of Homar as City Council president — the fair way he conducts the meetings and the research he conducts on issues,” said LaChapelle. “I have no reason to believe that his state rep. tenure is going to be any different.”

City Councilor Koni Denham expressed similar sentiments.

“I think if his leadership is anything like his tenure on council, he’ll always try to find the common ground,” said Denham. “I think he has the needs of the community at the forefront of his mind. … He’s going to make himself accessible to everyone, just like Dan did.”

Gomez will be sworn into his new position on Jan. 1, but in the meantime, he’s already been busy meeting with local leaders and continuing to get to know the constituents he will now represent.

Alexa Lewis can be reached at alewis@gazettenet.com.