Bailey Kicks Off State Senate Campaign

State Senate candidate Jeff Bailey says his campaign will be about "jobs, jobs, jobs," but not ones in the casino industry.

The Attleboro pastor officially kicked off his campaign Thursday evening at the  in Foxborough. He will attempt to unseat Democrat James Timilty, the current representative of the Senate district that includes Attleboro and Seekonk as well as Foxborough, Mansfield, Medfield, Norton, Rehoboth, Sharon and Walpole.

"I'm not in favor of casinos," said Bailey as he spoke just a little more than a mile from the site of the proposed Wynn Resort in Foxborough. "Even before the law was passed, I was against it. I'm against it on principal. It's not the kind of economic development we need."

Bailey has been the senior pastor at in Attleboro for 23 years and established the church's K-12 academy in 2001. He was the school's first principal and now serves as superintendent. Bailey also teaches an AP class in history.

During his speech, Bailey spoke about a Virginia pastor named Peter Muhlenberg who left his church to join the forces of the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. While he wasn't comparing his decision to run for office to Muhlenberg's choice to fight, Bailey said he is hearing the call of public service.

"Muhlenberg was criticized by his brother, who was also a pastor," Bailey said. "He said, 'You are a pastor and you aren't supposed to do these things.' He respond to his brother, Frederick, and he said this, 'I may be a member of the clergy, but I also am a member of society.'"

Bailey said, "I may be not quite qualified to stand in his shadow, but I'm proud to stand in his tradition."

The candidate's supporters say his background makes him the best person to represent the district.

"No. 1, he's a man of integrity," said Attleboro resident Tom Larkin. "He is not in this for self-promotion, he is in it to do the right thing."

While he is proud of his 23 years in the clergy, Bailey doesn't want it to be a campaign issue.

"I'm not going to make it an issue and I hope my opponent doesn't," he said.

Bailey said it is time to change things on Beacon Hill.

"Every time you turn around, someone is being indicted," he said. "The last three speakers of the House are convicted felons and we have more indictments coming. The probation scandal is out there. Our state government has been run by a party that believes its patronage is something that needs to be treasured. I say it's time to end that patronage and to end the ruling of the professional political class."