Incumbent State Rep. Kristin Kassner will face off against Republican challenger Mark Tashjian for the 2nd Essex District seat in Tuesday’s general election.
That district covers Ipswich, Hamilton, Rowley, Newbury, Georgetown, and Precinct 1 of Topsfield.
Kristin Kassner
Kassner, a 45-year-old Democrat from Hamilton, has served in the role for one term after beating Republican incumbent Lenny Mira by one vote following a recount in 2022.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in urban and environmental policy from Miami University and the same as a master’s from Tufts University. She worked in municipal planning for more than two decades before being elected to her current seat.
“I’ve spent my career bringing people together to identify issues and try to come up with shared solutions,” Kassner said.
As a state representative, she’s helped bring back “historic amounts” of funding to the district, worked to protect the Great Marsh and Ipswich River Watershed, promote agriculture and local businesses, and has used her understanding of local government to better support communities in her district, she said.
When it comes to housing, Kassner said it’s important to utilize many solutions and for communities to have the proper infrastructure to support growth brought forth by laws such as the MBTA Communities Act.
Some communities have voted to reject the law, known as “3A,” an action that disqualifies them from certain state funding and could see more penalties brought on by the state’s Attorney General’s office.
“I certainly will support the local decision, but I want to make sure that I’m able to connect communities with critical funding opportunities that they need,” she said.
The state must support agricultural workers as the effects of climate change create more flooding and droughts in the region, and invest in green technology, Kassner said.
She wants to help secure funding for new municipal buildings and promote agricultural tourism. Kassner said educators also deserve fully covered paid family medical leave or should at least have easy access to open enrollment for short-term disability if the former isn’t available in their district.
“We’ve done a lot in two years, but we certainly have not finished the job,” she said. “I’m here to continue what we started.”
Mark Tashjian
Tashjian, 37, of Georgetown, holds a bachelor’s in economics from the University of Connecticut and has worked on horse farms for most of his life. He is the CEO of Boston Polo Club and a member of the Georgetown Finance Committee.
He understands the dynamics of small towns and is running to give back to the community, he said.
“I have also had both Republicans and Democrats be very impactful in my life, and I think it’s important that our state has politicians who can work on bipartisan issues and look beyond party lines,” Tashjian said.
He said he has “been an advocate for people” his whole life and has always had an open mind.
“I’m humble enough that I know that I don’t know everything and don’t have all the solutions, but I know to look to people who do know the solutions and who do have different perspectives on what the situation calls for,” Tashjian said.
If elected, he would fight to make the state’s government more transparent, he said
Tashjian doesn’t support the MBTA Communities Act and said towns should be able to opt out of its requirements. The state should favor incentive-based housing solutions, not ones that are punitive to the communities who do not follow them, he said.
Tashjian wants the state to reevaluate how Chapter 70 funding is allocated because it isn’t an equitable funding model for rural towns, he said. As for whether educators should be guaranteed fully covered paid family leave, he said he’d need to learn more about the topic before commenting.
Climate change is a major issue, Tashjian said. The state’s done a good job addressing it but needs to be careful not to turn away from fossil fuels too soon, lest energy prices will increase significantly, he said.
He wants to help communities keep down property taxes since businesses are being pushed out from high costs, he said.
“I want to make sure that we simplify any kind of regulations or approval process and not make things more complex [for businesses],” he said.
Contact Caroline Enos at CEnos@northofboston.com