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NEWS
MEET KIP
A Representative Who Will Fight For Us On Beacon Hill
Kip Diggs is a small business owner, former professional boxer, and third-generation Cape Cod resident who is running for State Representative to fight for Barnstable and Yarmouth. A proud father, he wants to make sure our community remains a great place for the next generation to live and raise a family.
Kip grew up admiring his family’s commitment to public service. His grandfather was a military veteran who founded Joe’s Twin Villa after leaving the military. Two of his great-uncles were members of the famed Tuskegee Airmen, flying fighter planes during World War Two. His father served three tours of duty in the Vietnam War, while his uncle was a firefighter.
As a young man, Kip started boxing, first as a hobby and then as a profession. Boxing taught Kip the importance of hard work. He trained for months, without a single day off, to win on fight night. In 1996, he became the IBO and NABF World Welterweight Champion. While boxing, Kip started a construction transportation company. Running a small business for 12 years taught Kip how to balance a budget, make payroll, and navigate government red tape.
Kip has always worked hard, whether he was in the gym training for a fight or at a construction site building his company. Now, he wants to bring that work ethic to the Statehouse. As our district recovers from the Coronavirus and its economic consequences, Kip will work every single day to make sure our voice is heard.
ISSUES
Kip's Legislative Priorities
JOBS & THE ECONOMY
Kip owned a construction trucking company for 12 years, where he learned how to create jobs and how the government can help. He knows that small businesses are too often ignored while giant corporations get special treatment. As a State Representative, Kip will fight to make sure small businesses have a level playing field, including priority access to Coronavirus relief funding.
Coronavirus has not only threatened our public health, it has harmed Cape Cod's tourism based economy. As your State Representative, Kip will help our economy recover by making sure we get every dollar of state and federal relief funding that we deserve. We cannot let politicians send our tax dollars to every corner of the state while our economy suffers. In the long term, he will work with other legislators and business owners to build a year-round Cape Cod economy.
EDUCATION
Kip is a Barnstable High School graduate and the proud father of three children who graduated from public schools. His children were able to attend college and pursue their careers because of the education they received from BHS’s terrific teachers. The importance of a great public school system isn’t theoretical to Kip — it’s personal.
As a State Representative, he will make sure Barnstable and Yarmouth get their fair share of state education funding. He believes schools should focus on educating students, not teaching to high-stakes standardized tests, so he will oppose efforts to further expand MCAS. Additionally, he will support additional funding for vocational schools so students who want to can prepare for a career in the trades.
SUPPORTING SENIORS
Seniors deserve an affordable cost of living and access to high quality services. Kip is a third generation Cape Codder and is proud of how the community supported his family, no matter their age. He supports property tax relief programs for lower-income seniors, so seniors can afford to stay in the town where they raised their family. Additionally, he will fight to increase prescription drug benefits and other programs that help older residents afford healthcare.
FIGHTING OPIATE ADDICTION
Almost everyone on Cape Cod knows someone who has been harmed by the opiate crisis. Thankfully, thanks to increased awareness and the heroic work of our first responders, overdose deaths have declined in recent years. But there’s still a lot more work to treat and prevent drug addiction. As State Representative, Kip will increase funding for addiction treatment so nobody is denied their chance at sobriety because a rehab placement isn’t available. Additionally, Kip supports stricter oversight of treatment programs so resources aren’t wasted on ineffective rehabilitation centers.
PUBLIC SAFETY
One of the most important duties of a State Representative is supporting our police and fire departments. If people don’t feel safe, no other government program matters. Thankfully, we have safe streets and a low crime rate thanks to the hard work of local law enforcement. In office, Kip will work to make sure our police officers have the training and equipment they need.
PROTECTING OUR ENVIRONMENT
Kip grew up enjoying the beach with his family and was blessed to share that with his own children. He wants to protect our seashore so it’s just as beautiful for his grandchildren.