Tristan Smith: State Representative Candidate Profile

SWAMPSCOTT, MA — Tristan Smith is one of six candidates on the ballot looking to fill the open seat as the state representative for the 8th Essex District encompassing part of Lynn, Marblehead and Swampscott.

The 26-year-old Swampscott High alumnus earned his political science degree at Salem State University and graduated from Suffolk Law this past May. He is the son of former state representative Jim Smith and nephew of former Lynn City Councilor Debra Smith-Walsh.

Smith is the current boys and girls track and field and cross country coach at St. Mary's of Lynn and was a substitute teacher in the Swampscott Public Schools. He is also a Swampscott town meeting member.

He told Patch he is seeking a seat at the State House to work on climate change and coastal resiliency, as well as push to update and electrify the commuter rail and programs that support both traditional and non-traditional educational paths to success.

Campaign website

ElectTristanSmith.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

In addition to growing up in a family strongly oriented towards public service, I have experienced for years the problems we face as a community. We have seen storm surges grow over the years, and how many storms come over the King's Beach sea wall. I stood on the commuter rail platform with other travelers as snow starts to fall, realizing that our train wouldn't come in time to get to class, or work, or home.

Our public school students and teachers need support not only in their typical education that takes place in the classroom, but also in terms of their social and emotional health. We live in a beautiful community with great neighbors, but we need somebody to fight for us in the State House. I can be that person.

The single most pressing issue facing our district is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Climate Change and Coastal Resiliency.

To start with, we need to achieve net-zero emissions ahead of the current schedule; electrify the commuter rail, increase our investment in offshore wind and invest in energy storage technology.
While doing this, we need to focus on protecting and uplifting long-ignored environmental justice communities and allowing a just transition for workers who may otherwise be displaced in the shift towards a green economy.

We need to strengthen the grid in order to make sure that when we are ready to go fully electric, the grid is ready for us.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I have spent my entire life living in the 8th Essex District, fighting for the next generation of residents of this district as a teacher, a coach, and an activist. I have maintained my values throughout this time, having joined the Swampscott Democratic town committee at only 16 years of age.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

Transportation: Mass transit in the bay state is brutally slow, inefficient, and irregular. We need to electrify the commuter rail, extend the Blue Line to Lynn, reinstate express bus lines to Marblehead, and overhaul the MBTA in order to give people access to jobs, housing, food, and other basic necessities.

For those who will still inevitably drive, we need to use the funds obtained by Sen. (Brendan) Crighton to rework Bell Circle in Revere and allow easier access to Boston.

Education: Particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, we need to shift our focus away from test scores and towards social and emotional learning and preparation for a life that may or may not include college. That means increased funding for special education, for therapists, social workers, and counselors, for English as a Second Language, and for vocational and technical schools. In short, we need an educational system that works for everyone.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

I have helped run the Lynn All City Track and Field and Cross Country meets for the past few years after helping resurrect them, competitions that serve hundreds of athletes over every high school in the city. Managing that scale of event, and making sure athletes' needs, safety, and well-being were prioritized in order to let the students of Lynn enjoy the competition helped me learn to manage many competing interests on a tight budget in order to make sure everyone was safe and satisfied.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I know the needs of our young people because I work with them and talk to them every day. I know the experience of residents of the district because I am one, and have been one my entire life.