Kip was born and raised here. Now, as our State Representative, he's getting real results for Barnstable & Yarmouth.
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 has fought to make sure small businesses have a level playing field, including having a fair chance to receive state contracts.
Supporting our veterans is an issue Kip takes personally, as the son of a Vietnam War veteran and the nephew of two Tuskegee Airmen. At the Statehouse, he has secured additional funding for veterans' housing and other services in Barnstable and Yarmouth. Kip was also a strong supporter of the HEROES Act that improved veterans' access to mental health services, increased veterans' tax exemptions, and created a tax credit to encourage small businesses to hire veterans
Kip, his wife, and his children all attended Barnstable's public school system. His children were able to attend college and achieve success in their careers because of the education they received from Barnstable’s terrific teachers.
As our State Representative, he has secured new state funding for our schools, including dedicated funding to hire mental health professionals that can help address the increasingly common problem of teen depression. Additionally, he has been a strong supporter of vocational education so students interested in a career in the skilled trades get the training they need.
Representative Diggs will always remember how his parents and grandparents were supported as they grew old in Barnstable. He is working to ensure the next generation of Barnstable and Yarmouth seniors can remain in the communities where they grew up and raised a family.
By 2030, 48% of Cape Cod's population will be over 65. That will create a major increase in demand for senior services Representative Diggs supports legislation that would raise the pay of home health aides, which are in desperately short supply on Cape Cod due to low wages. He also supports expanding the senior "circuit breaker" tax credit and has successfully obtained state funding for local senior centers and services.
One of the most important duties of a State Representative is supporting our police and first responders. If people don’t feel safe, no other government program matters. Thankfully, Barnstable and Yarmouth have safe streets and a low crime rate thanks to the hard work of local law enforcement. Kip has worked to make sure they have the training and equipment they need by securing increases in state aid for law enforcement every year he has been our State Representative. He also voted for new gun safety legislation that makes it easier for police to take illegal guns off our streets and take firearms away from domestic abusers and other dangerous people.
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. As State Representative, Kip proudly supported first-in-the-nation climate legislation that will create jobs while accelerating Massachusetts’ transition to affordable clean energy.
Kip is a small business owner, former world champion professional boxer, third-generation Cape Cod resident, and a proud husband, father, and grandfather. He is honored to serve as State Representative for Barnstable and Yarmouth. He was inspired to run for office by the way his community rallied around him after his son was killed by a wrong-way drunk driver. Now, as State Representative, he goes to Beacon Hill and fights every day to make our towns even better places to live, work, 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 the service. 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. Training as a boxer taught Kip the importance of hard work because victory in the ring only came from months of training in the gym. In 1996, he became the IBO World Welterweight Champion. After he retired from 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 successfully ran for State Representative in 2020 and became the first African-American elected to the state legislature from Cape Cod. He has had major accomplishments in his first four years in office including: securing over $500,000 in new state funding for our towns; supporting first-in-the-nation climate legislation that will create jobs and protect Cape Cod beaches for the next generation; and, as Acting Chair of the Labor & Workforce Development Committee, shaping an economic development bill that will bring new jobs and investments into Massachusetts.
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