A special election will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 30 for the Fourth Essex District State Representative seat.
Democrat Jamie Belsito and Republican Robert Snow won their respective primaries earlier this month in the race to replace former state Rep. Brad Hill. The Fourth Essex District comprises Ipswich, Wenham, Manchester, Hamilton, Rowley, and Topsfield. Town Common reporter Adam Swift posed a series of questions to the candidates so our readers can get a better understanding of what they are running.
Jamie Belsito
What is your background and why are you running for the 4th Essex seat?
The 4th Essex District needs a Representative who is ready to lead from their first day in office. We need a Representative who can help constituents, focus on COVID recovery, support our public health infrastructure, address climate change, take care of our seniors, and fight for our working families. I have been meeting with and listening to community members, sitting with town managers and meeting with elected officials. If elected, it will be my job to take the challenges and issues to the State House and advocate for services, funding and attention to the unique needs of the 4th Essex district. I have worked on budget and policy at both the federal and state level for two decades. I know how to connect the dots, and be a part of integral conversations. I know what it takes to find solutions to address tough problems and get things done.
What are the biggest issues you see facing the district today?
We need to address infrastructure for our waterways, our bridges, our marshes. We need dedicated monies to address infrastructure deficits within our riverways, and coast lines. We need to have someone in the State House who is serious about addressing climate and environmental concerns that have been negatively affecting this district for decades. Between 1996 and 2016, Essex County experienced 41 flooding events, with an average of 2.6 annual floods. The 4th Essex district must have a seat at the table when it comes to climate and environmental policy negotiations. The climate and environment discussions on Beacon Hill are essential life-saving and community saving measures. We must have the right representative who knows how to navigate the system and walk away with positive results for the district. I believe I am the right person.
How can you help balance growth in the communities in the district, while helping them maintain their unique character?
I will work with the constituents, town administrators, ZBAs, etc. on the vision of their community by listening and advocating for services and grants that will help them achieve the goals that will capture their unique town feel and give way for environmental and socio-economic growth opportunities.
What unique skills and qualifications would you bring to Beacon Hill, and how would those skills benefit the residents of the 4th Essex district?
I have a proven track record of winning on the issues I have advocated for, and obtaining full funding for programs like mental health and maternal wellness. I bring 20-plus years of legislative and policy expertise to this district and have successfully shepherded state level budget items and policy signed into law, for the benefit of the citizens of the 4th Essex district and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. As a seasoned policy professional, I have been at the center of comprehensive immigration reform, the mental health and substance reform bill, and millions of dollars of investment into maternal and child healthcare. Based on my own lived experience, I changed how this country and our Commonwealth take care of our pregnant and new mothers alongside Congresswoman Katherine Clark, Senator Markey, State Senator Joan Lovely and Lieutenant Governor Karen Polito. In partnership with Ipswich Birth to Three, North Shore Postpartum Help, State Senators Lovely and Tarr and Representative Hill, I created the first ever Statehouse advocacy day, dedicated to the mental health of new families. This past June, we celebrated our six-year anniversary. As a trustee, I have worked directly with Congress and the State House on supporting and funding public higher education. I actively advocated for the Student Opportunity Act, which increased K-12 public school funding in the Commonwealth.
Robert “Bob” Snow
What is your background and why are you running for the 4th Essex seat?
I have been a selectman for 13 years, a Marine Corps Veteran, a Rotarian, chairman of the Merrimack Valley Planning Commission, and Chairman of the Eastern Essex Department of Veterans Services. After 40 years in the telecommunications industry, I wanted to give back to the community that gave my family so many opportunities. I am running for state Representative because I have the experience and record of results to continue the same kind of responsive, diligent leadership that we have had from Brad Hill for the past 22 years. I have worked with Brad and Bruce Tarr on a number of infrastructure, economic, and environmental initiatives in Rowley and I look forward to being a partner in the state house for the six towns in Essex 4.
What are the biggest issues you see facing the district today?
We are facing a number of crises. Our local businesses are trying to recover from the pandemic, our students have to make up for lost learning. Our local environment is under attack by the effects of climate change, the Ipswich River Watershed and Parker River Watershed face enormous strain, and perhaps most importantly, the communities of Hamilton, Ipswich, Manchester, Rowley, Topsfield, and Wenham have no voice in the State House of Representatives!
How can you help balance growth in the communities in the district, while helping them maintain their unique character?
Maintaining the character of our communities will be among my top priorities. Growth should be done in a way that considers the natural beauty of our small towns and does not degrade the years of history we have developed and come to cherish. We should work constructively with developers and business owners, not let them write all the rules and force things upon the people.
What unique skills and qualifications would you bring to Beacon Hill, and how would those skills benefit the residents of the 4th Essex district?
I am the “experience candidate” in this race. I have the experience at the local and regional government level to bring results back to our district. We need a leader who knows the ins and outs of a town hall and the issues that affect communities like those in the 4th Essex. On day 1, I will be ready to serve; no on-the-job training can get in the way of bringing home tangible results to our community. We can’t just “raise awareness” on issues. We need leaders who actually take action to solve issues.
