Lambton: Listening To Residents Is No. 1 Priority - New First District Representative Wins Seat By Wide Margin

BREWSTER – Newly elected First Barnstable District State Representative Christopher Lambton remembers well what sparked his interest in politics. 

Lambton, 49, born and raised in Dennis, and several buddies were shooting the breeze a decade ago, and the topic popped up.

“My friends and I were all sitting around and talking about Dennis and Yarmouth, and we were all in the process of raising our families here,” Lambton said. “And we wanted a voice in our town because, as the saying goes, all politics are local.”

He explained why the conversation resonated. 

“My two brothers live here. We have multiple small businesses in our family in this town. We have kids who go to the public schools here,” Lambton said. “I thought I could either sit here and keep complaining about things, or I could get involved.”

Lambton acted. Soon he was elected to the Old Kings Highway (Route 6A) Historic District Commission. Next came a successful run for the Dennis Select Board, on which he has served for eight years, three years as its chair; he is currently the vice chair.

It’s been a meaningful decade, Lambton said.

“I am amazed how much I enjoy it, the impact I can have on the town. And I’m trying to get my friends and the people who live in town more involved,” he said. “Because what people don’t realize is especially on the local level you can have a huge impact.”

His bio includes working in his family oyster fishing and landscaping businesses, graduating from Dennis-Yarmouth High School and going to church in Brewster. 

“I grew up in Dennis, went to D-Y (Dennis-Yarmouth High School), went to church in Brewster,” Lambton said. “So I’ve literally bounced around in all three towns and have friends, family, in all three towns.” 

While working in the family businesses, he has also maintained a presence on reality TV networks. According to his online biography, his résumé includes being a “judge on Discovery Plus’s ‘Clipped,’ host of DIY Networks ‘Lawn and Order’ (and) ‘Yard Crashers,’ and appear(ing) with Peyton (his wife) on HGTV's ‘Going Yard.’” Once he was the runner-up in a season of ABC’s “The Bachelorette,” and he played basketball at and earned a degree from Providence College. 

And last week he added state representative to his resume after rolling to a decisive 15,028-6,798 victory over Republican Joe B. Glynn. He will be sworn in in January. Lambton said he is grateful for the support. 

“I am truly honored to have so many of my friends, neighbors in Brewster, Dennis and Yarmouth vote for me,” Lambton said. “It makes me very proud to have someone from this community, born and raised in this community, to have them vote for me to represent them is the thrill of a lifetime.”

Lambton takes over the seat essentially vacated by Chris Flanagan, who did not seek re-election after a federal investigation for wire fraud and falsifying records. That situation is informing Lambton’s priority as he prepares for his new job.

“One of the biggest things a state representative does is meet with the locals in the towns, find out what they need, bring those questions, wants, needs, up to Boston. And that hasn’t happened in two years. And what has happened is local constituents, if they have problems or questions, they’ve talked to chairs of Brewster, Dennis and Yarmouth select boards, and they’ve talked to senators here to get things done,” he said. 

“And now my No. 1 priority is listening to the people…and reviving constituent services and making sure the people are heard.”

Lambton said he will be reaching out to town managers and administrators in the three towns. 

“That’s the first thing I’m going to work on — building that bridge back between Boston and Barnstable County,” Lambton said.

That includes listening to the almost 7,000 people who voted for Glynn on Nov. 3, Lambton said, whether they agree with him on everything or not. 

“I ran on a broad, sweeping, ‘If you vote for me or not, I will listen to you, take time for you,’” Lambton said. “I represent everyone in this community. We need to do a better job as a country, as a community, to listen to each other.”

Lambton also believes there were too many petitioned articles on the Nov. 3 ballot.

“From what I heard from a lot of people, a lot of people just did a couple questions and left the rest of them blank. So I think we need to do a better job of not having a three-page ballot,” Lambton said. 

He was happy one measure, Question 7, lost by a slim margin. It would have permitted homes on small lots on a statewide basis as a way to create more affordable housing. It was defeated by significant margins in First Barnstable District towns. 

Lambton saw it as a one-size-fits-all approach to a local issue. He pointed out contrasting lot sizes in his district between Yarmouth and Brewster, for example, as well as in communities statewide. 

“It’s hard to pass a law about zoning for all of Massachusetts,” he said, “Blanket legislation like that I don’t think is a good thing. That’s where local towns need to have better control of their zoning.”

Lambton is confident he can balance his professional and political lives — with a little help. As well as noting many Bay State legislators do double duty, he said his businesses include family members to help share the workload. And he said the work he does will keep him in touch with his constituents. 

“I think it’s very important I keep my day jobs as a landscaper and as a shellfisherman. Because that’s what grounds you. That’s what keeps you in touch with what the locals’ wants and needs and issues are,” Lambton said. “And I get dirty during the day. I love that part, and that’s something I’m going to bring up to Beacon Hill.”

Lambton acknowledged as a Dennis native and a local high school alum that when he started campaigning he was not as well known in Brewster and worked hard to raise his profile there.

“In the last year-and-a-half I’ve had more coffees with people in Brewster than the other two towns combined,” he said. “One of the great parts of running for an office like this are the people I meet, and the friends I make along the way…not only in Brewster, but across all three towns.”