That will most likely be the 54-year-old Carver planning board member’s title come January 2025.
After defeating 22-year incumbent state representative Susan Gifford (R-Wareham) by 59 percent to 41 percent in the Massachusetts Second Plymouth District Republican primary earlier this month, Gaskey is on the ballot unopposed this November. He has a write-in opponent — Democrat and Carver selectman Sarah Hewins — but being on the ballot provides Gaskey with a major structural advantage over his opponent. The district includes Carver, Wareham, and Precincts 3, 6, and 7A of Middleborough.
NewBostonPost conducted a Five Questions interview with Gaskey by telephone on Monday morning. It is below:
1. Given that your victory appears extremely likely in November, since you’re the only name on the ballot, what are some bills you plan to file in January, and what are some you plan to co-sponsor?
We haven’t gotten that far as far as bills we plan to introduce or anything like that, but policies I plan to pursue: ending the sanctuary status [cities] here in Massachusetts and trying to restore parental rights with regard to what’s happening in schools with the transgender issue and things like that. I think it’s really unfair that the state has taken the position that teachers, administrators, and schools — when a child is facing decisions and struggles with the transgender stuff — the schools not involving the parents, to me, is an egregious affront to the rights of the parents.
I’m also working with Health Rights MA on maintaining and incorporating into law religious exemptions [for vaccines]. Just protecting religious exemptions and some other civil rights they’re trying to push aside.
2. You moved to Carver in 2017 after spending much of your life out-of-state, including Texas. What brought you to Massachusetts?
So I was actually stationed up here (Boston) in the Coast Guard from 2000 to 2003. We went through the 9/11 period here and I was on the Escanaba. While I was here, I kind of fell in love with New England: the seasons, the people. Truly just great. My wife and I had been living in New York for a long time and we had an opportunity to leave New York and I came to Massachusetts to work with a start-up company. That’s what brought us here.
3. You grew up in El Paso, Texas, which shares a border with one of the most dangerous cities on earth: Ciudad Juarez. How did growing up in El Paso shape your view of immigration and border policy?
I gotta say: I didn’t notice a lot of it being young. I knew it was dangerous and we saw a lot of the poverty — the poorer areas of town were along the banks of the Rio Grande right across from Juarez. I didn’t really understand a lot of it until I was active duty in the Coast Guard and started seeing the toll of human trafficking and mass migration on the people coming here. That’s what really started to shape things and made me realize we can’t support absolutely everyone who wants to get away. I feel strongly that — and it’s almost a Founding Fathers kind of a thing — if things aren’t right, everyone needs to come together and improve the situation where they are; there’s plenty of people who can help. They just can’t give up on where they are.
4. You took out a 22-year incumbent in the Second Plymouth District GOP primary, Susan Gifford (R-Wareham), defeating her 59% to 41%. Why do you think you won?
When I was talking to everybody the first question was always immigration and what we’re gonna do about it. That was one of my biggest experiences in my active duty career was dealing with the Cubans and the Haitians, along with the drug trafficking and human trafficking coming up from South America. I feel strongly about legal immigration. My wife is a first-generation American. Her parents came over from Ireland legally and I’ve met a lot of people with the same story. They’re all very supportive of the legal form of immigration, not this mass, letting everyone in and giving them a lot of money.
That and the progressive transgender policies and stuff like that. Those are the two things everyone asks about: how you feel about immigration and how you feel about the kids? I know that Susan supported a lot of the policies that led to where we are right now. When people started realizing that, it shocked a lot of people.
5. The district you represent is Cranberry Country. Carver, Middleborough, and Wareham all have plenty of cranberry bogs. What’s your favorite cranberry dish and why?
I love cranberry corn muffins. The tart and the sweet between the corn and the cranberries, there’s nothing better. [Laughs] It’s good stuff.
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Photo from Gaskey’s Facebook page 
