Green-Rainbow Party candidate Charlene DiCalogero of Berlin said she did not plan to run in three campaigns in less than two years for state representative, library trustee and most recently for state senator.

Though the 57-year-old independent musician took only a small fraction of the votes in the special election Dec. 5 for the open state Senate seat in the Worcester and Middlesex District, she saw the exposure for her party received through her candidacy as a success and the state taking a “significant step forward.”

She said she will continue to support others who are interested in running as Green-Rainbow candidates around the state, and continue to promote the values of her party in her work and volunteer activism.

Ms. DiCalogero, a longtime community activist and education policy professional, first ran for public office in 2016 for state representative.

Her challenger, incumbent Harold Naughton Jr. of Clinton, had held the office for 20 years. The race was one of only 33 percent of state races to be contested that year. She took 20 percent of the vote last November, with one-hundredth of the money Mr. Naughton had before the start of the campaign season, she said.

Ms. DiCalogero moved to Massachusetts in 1999 to continue her career in nonprofits and higher education as an education administrator, and also pursue her calling as an independent musician playing “dark and witty acoustica.” She won and administered multimillion-dollar grants and contracts, and participated in national research teams at Lesley University in Cambridge for the benefit of K-8 schools before embarking on her quest for political office.

From 2004 through 2009, Ms. DiCalogero, along with a group of future neighbors, built Sawyer Hill EcoVillage, which contains two green-constructed co-housing communities with a total of 68 homes designed to preserve green space and allow residents to age in place.

She is an elected library trustee in Berlin.

Why run as a Green-Rainbow candidate?

“I’ve been a Green in my thinking and values since I first heard of the party sometime in the 1980s, even before there was an official branch where I lived. Lots of people hold the views spelled out in our party’s 10 key values, such as grass-roots inclusive democracy, social justice and equal opportunity, ecological wisdom, and economic justice. We sum up our values by pledging that we will run, ‘for people, planet and peace.’

“In the early 2000s, I joined a local chapter in Arlington and in March 2016 I was elected to the State Committee of the Green-Rainbow Party of Massachusetts, the state affiliate of the Green Party of the U.S. Two members of the Central Mass. Green-Rainbow chapter, myself and David Spanagel of Lancaster, were on the ballot for State Committee with the presidential nominees for the Green Party, which was pretty mind-blowing. That same month I organized my campaign committee to run for public office for the first time, for State Representative of the 12th Worcester District.

“I run Green-Rainbow because our candidates ‘walk the talk,’ campaigning clean and green by refusing all corporate lobbyist and SuperPAC money. Our platform supports a minimum wage that is a living wage - something none of the Democratic, Republican or unenrolled candidates in my race were courageous enough to do - which would improve living standards and local economies for the vast majority of our residents.

“As a board director of the Mass. Alliance Against Predatory Lending, which the Green-Rainbow Party co-founded, I focus on acting in the state Legislature, in the courts and through nonviolent direct action, to protect people from illegal foreclosures. Illegal takings of homes by greedy, irresponsible banks and financial companies, who caused the 2008 financial crisis, continue to be rampant throughout the state, especially so in Worcester County. In this capacity, I testified before the state Judiciary Committee in late September to support a bill establishing pre-foreclosure mediation, which has been shown to work for both the homeowner and the lender to keep people in their homes and communities.”

What are some of the challenges of running a campaign as a GRP candidate?

“Awareness of the Green-Rainbow Party and what we stand for. Some people had never heard of the party or didn’t know anything about us beyond the name. By giving them a quick introduction to my commitments and the party I represent, we were able to start an important dialogue about our shared values, key issues and greatest concerns.

“There were also some folks who thought they knew what the Green Party and our state party stand for, and were surprised to learn that we are as committed to the well-being of the 99 percent, to a government that works for all, as we are to protecting the environment we all depend on.”

What are some situations you’ve encountered in the campaign?

“We received a range of responses as we went door-to-door, and as I spoke at events and public hearings around the state. Some would ask, ‘Are you a Democrat or a Republican?’ stopping short when I replied, ‘Neither.’ Some were really excited to hear about a genuine alternative to the business-as-usual parties, or just a new candidate who wants to find out what they care about.

“A few people were angry, suspicious and/or fearful, and turned down the opportunity to have a genuine conversation about their concerns and what I might have to offer them. In one sense, given the fear-mongering and manipulation of people’s emotions by the two corporately funded parties, I was saddened yet not surprised. Fear is how we the people lose, no matter who ‘wins.’ When people give in to fear, it’s hard to respond wisely, look at the big picture and remember to look at the record of what candidates have done, to judge whether they are likely to do what they say they will. As the Red and Blue parties know but don’t often mention, it’s easier than ever to find out what candidates’ records are, whether elected or not — a general search, as well as nonpartisan organizations’ websites like VoteSmart, can help voters figure out who’s really working for them, or instead working for the ultrawealthy 1 percent.”

Will you run again?

“Running three campaigns - state rep, library trustee and state senator - in less than two years was not in my original plan. Looking forward, I am happy to continue serving Berlin as a library trustee and an active town meeting member. I will support others who are interested in running as Green-Rainbow candidates around the state, and continue to promote the values of my party in my work and volunteer activism. That said, if the right office in the right circumstances presents itself, I wouldn’t count myself out.”