It's Old Versus Young In State Rep Race

DANVERS, MA -- State Rep. Ted Speliotis (D-Danvers) was elected to the 13th Essex District in 1996 and took office in January 1997. His opponent in Tuesday's election, Republican Mark Mezzina, 25, was in kindergarten in 1996.

Speliotis, 65, notes that Mezzina, who grew up in North Andover, only registered to vote in Danvers in December 2016. He said his experience alone should be enough to get voters to send him back to the State House for a 12th consecutive term.

"I believe experience matters. I chair the Committee on Bills in the Third Reading which releases all the legislation to the floor of the House of Representatives. The position strategically places me in a position to be enormously helpful to my constituents and the communities I represent," he said in written responses to questions Patch posed to all candidates in contested races. "Throwing this experience away would be foolish and short-sighted."

Mezzina did not respond to the questions sent by Patch. But he is running on a platform that centers on lowering the state sales and income taxes to 5%. "I see myself as someone who is running because it is a middle class district and I don't think the middle class really gets represented in the state," he told the Salem News.

The district represents Danvers and parts of Peabody.

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Patch file photo via Shutterstock.

Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).