Danny Jin is reporting for The Berkshire Eagle that Gina Divola, a self-described “America first” Republican, has announced she is running against Democrat incumbent Tricia Farley-Bouvier for Pittsfield’s seat in the Massachusetts House. Divola, 32, of Pittsfield, said she left her job as a nursing assistant because she felt a COVID-19 vaccination requirement infringed on her medical and personal freedom. She now runs a business called Maga Cleaning Services. Divola cites election integrity and medical freedom as top concerns for her campaign. “I believe that we are endowed by our creator, which is God, not government,” she said. She opposes mail-in voting and voting drop-boxes. Farley-Bouvier, 57, co-chairs the House Progressive Caucus, and has served as the Pittsfield representative since 2011 and plans to run for reelection. Comparing herself to Farley-Bouvier, Divola said she is “more for the America first idea.” She expressed opposition to allowing undocumented immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses, a bill that Farley-Bouvier worked to push through the House, where it passed by a large margin. The most recent Republican to represent Berkshire County in the State House was Shaun Kelly, who represented the 2nd Berkshire District from 1991 to 2005. “I’m aware this is a pretty Democratic-voting, liberal-leaning area, but I think what’s important is a lot of voters were starting to wake up to the idea that we’re getting misrepresented, being strung along for agendas more than things that actually concern us,” Divola said. Candidates for state representative must receive 150 certified signatures to appear on the ballot in November. Read the full story in The Berkshire Eagle.