Michael Rodrigues, the state representative for Westport and thousands of Fall Riverites, announced Monday he will run for the Senate seat soon to be vacated by longtime colleague Joan Menard.
Rodrigues first entered the Legislature under similar circumstances. He was elected to the House in April 1996, taking the remaining term of Edward M. Lambert Jr., who left to become the Fall River mayor. His most notable experience at the time was a stint on the Westport Finance Committee but he won the seat easily, beating former Westport selectman Richard Desjardins, a Republican, by more than 2 to 1.
That fall, Rodrigues won a second term, again by a wide margin, beating Fall River lawyer John O’Neil.
He is a vice chairman of the Joint Committee on Public Service, and a member of the House Committee on Ways and Means, and Joint Committee on Housing.
In the race for Menard’s Senate seat, Rodrigues, 50, [...]

Original post by Grant Welker