Party: DemocratAge: 43Family: Long-term partnerProfession: Executive director of The Resolution Center, formerly known as the North Shore Community Mediation CenterEducation: Master’s degree of public administration in international development from Harvard Kennedy School, bachelor’s in political science from Yale UniversityElected office experience: Beverly City Councilor at-LargeCommunity leadership experience: Vice chair of Beverly Democratic City Committee, appointed member of Beverly Charter Review Committee, Ward 2 Civic Association member
Current Beverly Councilor at-Large Hannah Bowen said she is the right candidate at the right time.
Bowen would prioritize transparency and constituent services if elected to succeed Jerry Parisella in the 6th Essex District, she told The Salem News. She has experience in helping people navigate state and federal services through her career of nonprofit work, and would be an effective advocate for the funding priorities of Beverly and Wenham, she said.
“We need someone who is well-versed in the kinds of policy development and implementation that we need at this time when basic rights are under threat and basic programming is under threat,” Bowen said.
“We can’t just give in to reactivity, but really need people who can develop policies that create the kinds of programs that we need,” she said.
Bowen said she would be open to feedback and invite perspectives she disagrees with, as well as inform her district about how decisions are being made on Beacon Hill.
She grew up in Swampscott and moved to Beverly as an adult. To her, being a transplant doesn’t affect her ability to understand and lead the community.
“What’s necessary is that we have a representative who shares the values of the community, who protects the values of the community, who lives and leads with the values of the community that they have chosen,” she said.
A city councilor since 2022, Bowen said she fields questions from residents on how to access government services and, more recently, if their benefits will be affected as President Donald Trump’s administration continues to layoff federal workers and shrink or adjust federal agencies.
As state representative, she sees herself providing stability for people and more assistance in navigating these changes “through all of the news, speculation and fear mongering that’s going around.”
“It will mean needing to be a really strong advocate for getting creative on state revenues and directing the funds that we have available at a state level to the highest priority programs to fill key gaps in health care, in education, wherever federal funding is disrupted… even if it’s through replacement funding or additional secondary services provided at a state level,” Bowen said.
Bowen faces off with Ward 1 Councilor Todd Rotondo April 15 in a Democratic primary special election.
Contact Caroline Enos at CEnos@northofboston.com.