Candidates for state rep seat voice their story

By Debra Glidden / The Daily Item
SWAMPSCOTT - The only issue all five candidates vying for the 8th Essex District seat agree on is there is a need for additional state aid and the need for the state to pay for unfounded mandates including special education.

The candidates for the state representative seat had the opportunity to introduce themselves and answer questions at a forum Tuesday evening in Swampscott, which was sponsored by the Board of Selectmen and School Committee.

Democrats Cesar A. Archilla and Lori Ehrlich, Republicans Tanya DeGenova and John Blaisdell and Independent Mark Barry are jockeying for the seat Douglas Petersen held for 16 years.

Archilla said he has lived in Swampscott for more than a decade, is married and has two children in the Swampscott Public Schools. Archilla is an attorney in private practice and was a district attorney in Essex County for seven years. He said he is running for office because someone needs to step up and advocate for the district.

Ehrlich of Marblehead has been a CPA for 22 years and also has a Master's degree in public administration from Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. Ehrlich is best known as an environmental activist and pointed out she is a founding member of Health-Link, an environmental group based in Salem. She is married and her two children attend Marblehead schools. She said she is running because of her love for the community and passion for people.

Barry, who is an Independent from Marblehead, said he worked in the construction industry for decades then obtained a Master of education degree in management from Cambridge College then he went into real estate. Barry said he received his law degree when he was 50 years old. He said he is running for office because the district has problems and he thinks he could find solutions.

Blaisdell is a retired Marblehead police officer and is currently self-employed in the mortgage industry. Blaisdell said he was born in Lynn and attended school in Swampscott so he knows all three communities he would represent if elected.

DeGenova, who also resides in Marblehead, is a retired FBI agent and owns her own security consulting business.

When asked about casino gambling at Suffolk Downs or Wonderland, all the candidates were opposed and most cited the inadequate infrastructure as the reason they objected,

Archilla said if the state does adopt casino gambling it would also need to address the quality of life and public safety issues it would raise. DeGenova said she does not want gambling and drug addiction in her district.

"What happens in Vegas should stay in Vegas,' she said.

DeGenova was also very vocal about illegal immigration and at several points during the evening said taxpayers should not be subsidizing illegal aliens.

The candidates were split on whether they would support a bill requiring immediate implementation of the GIC, which only five communities in the state have adopted.

Archilla said he believes in compromise and he would encourage unions and towns to work together to come to a solution. Ehrlich, Barry and Blaisdell also said they would not support it but DeGenova said she is in favor of a bill requiring immediate implementation of the GIC.