Longtime state Senator Susan Fargo, who sponsored legislation to ban smoking in the workplace, announced yesterday that she will not run for reelection.
Fargo, who is currently serving her eighth term representing the Third Middlesex District, had said in November that she planned to run again. But yesterday she said she has decided she would prefer to go out at “the top of my game,’’ and her change of heart will leave her seat up for grabs in the state election this fall.
“I will have been in the Senate for 16 years,’’ said Fargo, a Democrat of Lincoln, referring to when her term expires at the end of this year. “I think it’s time to move on. I wanted to make a decision so that anybody else who’s interested and has something to offer can begin laying the groundwork’’ to run for the seat.
Lexington Democrat Mike Barrett, a former state senator and gubernatorial candidate, announced last fall that he would run for the seat; on the Republican side, Concord Selectman Greg Howes and Tea Party activist Sandi Martinez of Chelmsford have announced bids.
The district covers Bedford, Carlisle, Chelmsford, Concord, Lexington (precincts 3, 8, and 9), Lincoln, Sudbury (precincts 1 and 4), Waltham, and Weston.
The deadline for candidates to return nomination papers for the race is May 1 and the primary election will be Sept. 6, according to the Massachusetts Secretary of State’s Office.
Barrett said yesterday that Fargo’s early withdrawal from the race was a “classy act’’ that ensures there will be a competitive race for the seat. He said he expects other Democrats will now consider joining the race, and he welcomes them into the fray.
Fargo, who said she is in her 60s, has served as chairwoman of the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Public Health, and said she is contemplating whether to continue her career by pursuing remedies for racial and ethnic health disparities.
Among a long list of laws she helped pass during her tenure, Fargo highlighted legislation she sponsored to ban smoking in the workplace to protect workers from the long-term dangers of smoke inhalation. The statewide ban kicked in during 2004, and she said research has shown the ban has saved hundreds of lives and millions of dollars in health care costs.