Public Safety

I’ve spent most of my life in public service, but I am not a career politician. I spent 40 years working for the Yarmouth Police Department, before eventually retiring as Deputy Chief of Police in 2019.

Therefore, public safety is a top priority for me.

• I want to make additional reforms to our criminal justice system to prevent dangerous, violent criminals and drug dealers from walking our streets and threatening the safety of residents and the police who are sworn to protect us.
• While I believe in the ongoing need for comprehensive immigration reform on the federal level, I oppose “sanctuary cities.” I will oppose any effort to make Massachusetts a sanctuary state for illegal immigrants, and I oppose driver’s licenses for illegal immigrants.
• I will make school safety a priority. For part of my career, I served as a School Resource Officer, so I know the importance of this issue and how to achieve safety and security for our most precious resource, our school children.
• Our state continues to be ravaged by substance abuse and illicit drugs, particularly opioids. This is an issue that has also hit close to home for me as I have watched friends and family suffer. I will continue the mission I served as a police officer to fight the opioid epidemic in our state, mixing a tough law enforcement approach with a compassionate public health solution to the problem. I believe needle exchange programs and “safe injection sites,” while well-intended, are the wrong approach.
• I will fight to protect senior citizens, including a push to stop scammers from using “robocalls” that prey on the elderly.
• We must continue to emphasize municipal police training, and support the creation of a training center at Joint Base Cape Cod.

Fiscal Responsibility

As a Republican, I believe it is important for government to be a responsible steward of our tax dollars. We should spend wisely, tax limitedly, and ferret out waste and fraud whenever possible. I also believe the state has an obligation to help support cities and towns and the essential services they provide.

• I will work hard to study state spending trends and make sure fiscal decisions are made to the benefit of the Fifth Barnstable District and its taxpayers.
• I oppose Massachusetts joining the Transportation and Climate Initiative (TCI), and I oppose proposals to increase our state’s gas tax. The voters spoke on this issue – decisively.
• I oppose the so-called “Millionaires Tax”.
• I will push for the state to fund currently-unfunded mandates, including charter school funding.

Infrastructure

We must do all we can to support our state’s network of roads, bridges, and public transit. The maintenance and improvement of these transportation systems is an important issue for public safety, economic development, and quality of life. I will look for responsible ways to invest in these systems and bring them forward for the next generation.

On Cape Cod, we have a special concern – our two canal bridges (which, coincidentally, reside mostly within the Fifth Barnstable District). I pledge to work with federal, state, and local officials to make sure these bridges are properly maintained, expanded/replaced when possible, and that they always remain toll-free.

Local Issues

As a proud resident of Cape Cod, I know how important it is to support our communities. I will work hard to make the Fifth Barnstable District a better place to live and work.

• I will support enhanced Local Aid for towns in the Fifth Barnstable District.
• I will fight hard to support public education and make sure that our schools, students, and teachers have appropriate resources to do their job.
• I will work with state and local officials to protect water quality.
• I will do everything I can to protect and maintain the sanctity of our environmentally-sensitive areas, including our coastline and nature sanctuaries. The vitality of these resources is crucial to keeping Cape Cod beautiful.

Veterans

I never personally served in the military. However, military service runs deep within my extended family. In particular, this includes my son, Nicholas G. Xiarhos, a Marine who lost his life fighting for his country in Afghanistan. Those who know me know how committed I am about supporting our armed forces – those who are actively deployed now, and our Veterans – and their families through our words and deeds. And, as a Gold Star Father myself, I am passionate about supporting the families of those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our nation.

Personal Rights and Responsibility

I am an American Patriot and a staunch supporter of our Constitution and the rights it protects for our citizens. In particular, these rights include the First and Second Amendments, which I support. As a State Representative, I will always respect these rights and work to safeguard them for the citizens I represent on Beacon Hill. I also support rights for animals and have taught classes for law enforcement to better identify and protect against animal cruelty.