WOBURN — It will not necessarily be much of a change for Jack Hurd if he gets elected in September as state senator in the Fourth Middlesex District, because, he said, he expects to simply continue giving his best efforts in helping to solve local problems.

"I am running because I want to make this a continuation of my work at the local level," Hurd said, in an interview at the Daily Times Chronicle Thursday. "My attention to constituent service is something to which I am proud. Constituent service is the cornerstone of my campaign."

Hurd, an Arlington resident, is in his 12th straight year on the Board of Selectmen in that town. For six years prior to that, he was an Arlington Town Meeting member.

"I feel I have been an active and successful policy-maker with both the selectmen and with Town Meeting," Hurd said.

"I would like to continue that service for the entire Fourth Middlesex District, and for the state ... I am passionate about public service," Hurd continued. "I have really enjoyed it and have been successful at it, with a lot of accomplishments."

Some of those include Hurd's work as liaison to Arlington's Transportation Advisory Committee, in which he said he made "policy decisions in transportation," helping to make the town "a safer place in which to live and work;" his chairmanship of a school building committee in Arlington, which resulted in two new elementary schools being built, and two more about to be built; and his efforts with what he called "a group of very dedicated residents," in which they worked together to keep open a library in Arlington.

Hurd is running against Kenneth Donnelly, also from Arlington, in the Democratic primary Tuesday, Sept. 16. There is no Republican candidate in the Fourth Middlesex District, which consists Burlington, Woburn (except for Ward 2), Billerica, Arlington, and Lexington.

Jim Marzilli currently holds the seat and is also on the ballot in the Democratic primary, but Marzilli, under indictment, has announced he will not seek re-election.

"Local issues are very important for a state senator," Hurd said, adding that he would hold office hours at various locations for every city and town in the Fourth Middlesex District.

Hurd said he often holds these meetings at houses, so residents can talk "in a more relaxed setting" and "not have to worry about being in front of the cameras."

"My position I am seeking is in the Statehouse, but the work is done in the district," Hurd said. "That will be very important to my term as state senator."

Three key points

Hurd said he is targeting three issues as critical to his campaign.

* "Local aid is at the top of my list," Hurd said. "As a local selectmen, I understand how local aid provides critical core services in a community, how it supports local programs."

"There have been significant decreases in state aid," Hurd said. "Some has been replenished, but more work is needed to secure funds for cities and towns in the Fourth Middlesex District."

* "Second is the health-care crisis, and what we need to do to provide accessible and affordable health care for all of our citizens," Hurd stated.

The state Senate candidate went on to say he supports the initiative of Gov. Deval Patrick known as the GIC program, in which cities and towns join together, collectively working to find ways to provide health insurance to municipal employees in a more cost-efficient manner.

* "Third, I would work on addressing energy and the environment," Hurd said. "The cost of fuel and gas is out of control."

Some of the adjustments that could be made, Hurd said, would include "decreasing our dependence on foreign oil" and working on "incentives to get people to use public transportation" more often.

"I would look at other methods of transportation other than a reliance on gasoline," Hurd said. "I would support alternative energy sources, like wind, which is important ... It is critically important to reduce our dependence on cars."

Hurd said he would also consider an update or study on the entire public transportation system and its costs.

Hurd's other stances

Asked about the state budget, Hurd answered, "There is a deficit at the state level as well."

One way to rectify this, Hurd said, is to bring businesses into Massachusetts, especially those in the life sciences.

"Getting the (life sciences) companies to come here would be a great initiative," Hurd said. "It would improve the economy overall, not only in terms of tax dollars, but in the creation of new jobs."

Life sciences are projected to create about 15,000 new jobs "over the next seven or eight years," the candidate stated.

"We should enhance them to come here, for the tax revenue and the job opportunities," he said.

Hurd also said he supports another governor's partnership "which goes after business loopholes" to recover cash.

* Hurd said he did not support Patrick's proposal for casino gambling, adding he felt "the revenue projections were overly optimistic."

"There are also social issues that could result, and that is an issue for me," Hurd continued. "There is the matter of those falling into excessive gambling."

Hurd said he believes casino gambling "would have a negative impact on revenues for the economy."

This is because, he believes, if people gamble at casinos, they may spend less money on the state lottery. And, a portion of revenue from the lottery goes to aid for cities and towns, hence, a possible loss of some local aid.

* Hurd said he also does not support the ballot question in which a yes vote would repeal the state income tax.

"I fully understand the difficulty we are having now with providing core services with the existing revenue we have," Hurd said.

"I would not support repealing the state income tax," Hurd stated. "We would be losing the revenue we are obviously struggling now to make ends meet with."