PITTSFIELD — City Council At-Large candidate Lawrence Klein is running on a platform of compassion, collaboration, and civic engagement, drawing on his legal background and nonprofit work to make a difference in Pittsfield.
“I’m not a perfect person,” Klein said during a half-hour interview on WTBR’s Morning Drive with host Bill Sturgeon. “But how can I use my skills, my compassion, to help make the world a better place?”
Klein, who moved to the city in 2006, emphasized the value of lived experience, citing his time as an attorney, a nonprofit leader, and a father of two children in the public school system—one of whom, Jacob Klein, is also running for School Committee.
“There’s too much shouting and hatred,” Klein said of politics today. “How do we solve the problems? It’s not always easy answers. Sometimes you have to look at the root causes.”
Klein underscored housing, mental health, and addiction as key issues that require coordinated solutions. “How do we solve or help make a difference in our little world—our Pittsfield community, the Berkshire County community?” he asked. He also pointed to his experience with contracts and negotiation as an asset for working through city policy. “Part of my strengths as an attorney is contract negotiations. Not everybody’s going to win every point, but what can you get that moves the dial forward?” he said.
Taxes and public education are the two concerns Klein hears most on the campaign trail. “We can’t solve the rising cost of food or electricity, but what can we control?” he said. “The Pittsfield Public Schools and taxes—those are the things that keep coming up the most.” Klein suggested the city could do a better job explaining how tax dollars are spent. “It’s a communication issue too,” he said, agreeing with Sturgeon’s suggestion that a simple breakdown of city services could help residents better understand what they’re paying for.
As a semi-retired attorney, Klein said he has the time to devote fully to the council role and is willing to take on committee leadership if elected. “If I win, I’m going to commit to it 100%,” he said. “Whatever that takes, whatever role I need to be in, I will do.”
Klein believes Pittsfield should do more to promote its assets. “People said, ‘You’re moving to Pittsfield? Go to Lenox, Williamstown,’” he recalled. “But Pittsfield has so much to offer… a beautiful location, great services, nonprofits, trails, lakes, a great community.”
Klein closed the interview with a heartfelt message about civic duty and family. “I’ve won no matter what. I’ve got to do this with my son,” he said. “We just want to share our compassion, our love for this community, and strive to make a difference.”
Editor’s Note: This article is based on the October 28, 2025 broadcast of WTBR’s “Morning Drive” and was written in part using ChatGPT. To view the entire program, visit https://pittsfieldtv.org/program/?id=54224. WTBR’s “Morning Drive” airs weekdays at 7:30 a.m. on 89.7 FM in Pittsfield and 88.1 in Lee; and is simulcast on Access Pittsfield channel 1301. The full interview is available to view through PCTV Select.
