Fairhaven - Mark Sylvia declared his candidacy for State Representative for the 10th Bristol district on the South Coast. He currently serves as the Town Moderator and previously served on the School Committee.

“The 10th Bristol District is made up of hard working people, who care about each other and want to make things better for everyone. I grew up here, raised my family here and I believe in us. I ask the voters of our district for their support in this election to be their voice in Boston. If elected I will put my experience to work for the people of Acushnet, Fairhaven, Marion, Mattapoisett, New Bedford and Rochester on day one, fighting for affordable healthcare and housing and for an economy that works for everyone,” said Sylvia.

Sylvia continued, “Our families, seniors, veterans, and small businesses are the backbone of our community. I will fight for our fair share of state aid for schools, public safety, our seniors and veterans, for pathways to grow our small businesses and support our fishing industry, and for continued investment in the South Coast’s transportation system. We can do all this while creating more jobs and protecting our climate and the environment. That is the promise of the amazing place we all love and my commitment to you”

Mark Sylvia currently serves as the Chief of Staff at BlueWave Solar and was previously Undersecretary of Energy and Commissioner of Energy Resources for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Sylvia was also the Town Manager in Plymouth. He holds a BA and MPA from American University in Washington D.C. Sylvia resides in Fairhaven, where he grew up, attended public schools and has proudly raised his family.

The 10th Bristol District includes Fairhaven, Marion, Mattapoisett, Rochester and parts of Acushnet and New Bedford. Sylvia is running for the seat left vacant by Representative William Straus, who is retiring after serving the 10th Bristol District for 32 years.

For more information please Contact the campaign at Sylvia4Rep@gmail.com

FAIRHAVEN - The Massachusetts American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) endorsed Mark Sylvia for 10th Bristol District State Representative. The MA AFL CIO represents nearly a half million working people throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. 

“The Massachusetts AFL-CIO is proud to endorse Mark Sylvia in the 10th Bristol House District. Mark is a staunch advocate for working families, unions, and an economy that works for everybody, not just the wealthy and well-connected. We are proud to support his campaign and look forward to partnering with him in the legislature to improve the lives of working people.” Said Chrissy Lynch President of the MA AFO-CIO

“I am proud to have the endorsement of MA AFL-CIO. They have a long history of standing up for working people. I look forward to working with the MA AFL-CIO on Beacon HIll to ensure workers are treated fairly .” said Mark Sylvia.

Mark currently serves as Chief of Staff at BlueWave and was previously the Undersecretary of Energy for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. He holds a BA and MPA from American University in Washington D.C. Sylvia resides in Fairhaven where he serves as the Town Moderator. He is a proud lifelong resident of the South Coast.

The 10th Bristol District includes Acushnet (Precincts 1 and 2A), Fairhaven, Marion Mattapoisett, Rochester and Ward 1 (Precincts A, B and C1) in New Bedford. 

To learn more about Mark Sylvia, visit his website at https://marksylvia.com. 

FAIRHAVEN - The Environmental League of Massachusetts Action Fund has endorsed Mark Sylvia in the election for 10 th Bristol District State Representative, a credit to his commitment to the environment and climate action. With issues of public health, environmental justice, transportation, and energy policy inextricably linked, we need leaders at every level of government who understand the pressing issues of their community and will call for ambitious action.   

“Mark has demonstrated a strong track record of climate action during his time in the private sector as well as the public where he served in key environmental positions for the Patrick Administration” said Casey Bowers, Executive Director of the ELM Action Fund. “The ELM Action Fund is proud to endorse his bid for State Representative of the 10th Bristol District and is committed to aiding his campaign as he looks to continue his service to the Commonwealth”

“I am honored to have the ELM Action Fund's endorsement for 10th Bristol District State Representative. The communities of the 10th Bristol District are part of a vibrant coastal region with immense natural resources that support our quality of life and help sustain our local economy. It is important that we protect these resources and combat climate change not only for today but for future generations . As our next State Representative, I look forward to solving these challenges together.” said Mark Sylvia.

Mark Sylvia holds deep ties to the Fairhaven community, having served as both Town Moderator and a member of the School Committee. His strong environmental platform is upheld by his current position as Chief of Staff at BlueWave Solar, where he is committed to managing energy costs in the 10th Bristol District. Once elected, Sylvia will prioritize deploying renewable energy resources, expanding offshore wind opportunities, and implementing the EPA Solar for All program funding to support low-income residents in his district.

The ELM Action Fund is a nonpartisan organization that helps pass laws that protect our environmental legacy, holds our elected officials accountable, and works to build the political power of the environmental community. To learn more about our work and their recent electoral victories visit www.elmaction.org/elections.

To learn more about Mark Sylvia, visit his website at https://marksylvia.com. 

The recent news regarding Vineyard Wind’s offshore blade break is concerning. The Department of Interior’s Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement was right to suspend construction and operations pending an investigation into how this happened and what should be done so this does not happen again. Vineyard Wind and GE need to take every step to identify the root cause, remove the blade fragments and prevent this in the future.

I believe what happened should inform not only the continued construction and operation of Vineyard Wind, but also any future projects constructed in New England. As the state reviews submissions in the tri-state RFP, they should ensure bidders have provided detailed information and plans on how they will prevent incidents such as this in the future, along with a commitment to working with local, state and federal officials and the fishing and maritime industries on appropriate response protocols.

Our climate crisis is real and clean energy generation is an important part of the solution to protect our environment and our health as well as growing our economy. Whatever path we follow or choices we make in fighting this threat, it must be done with safety, transparency and local engagement at the top of the list.

New Bedford Light, September 4, 2024, By Colin Hogan

Pires, of Rochester, bested Robert McConnell, of Fairhaven, in a rare Republican primary for the state representative seat that Bill Straus will vacate.

Joe Pires won the Republican primary for Bristol’s 10th state representative district, the seat that Bill Straus will vacate after 32 years of service. Pires, the three-term School Committee member in the Old Rochester Regional district, won 69% of the tallied votes with all districts reporting. Pires will face Democrat Mark Sylvia in the November general election.

Pires, of Rochester, bested Robert McConnell, of Fairhaven, in a rare Republican primary in the district that includes Marion, Mattapoisett, Rochester, Fairhaven, and sections of Acushnet and New Bedford. This marks the second consecutive election that McConnell has failed to advance from the primary in Bristol’s 10th. 

Neither Pires nor McConnell could be reached for comment on Tuesday night. 

The lone Democrat, Mark Sylvia, had garnered more votes in his unopposed primary than both Republicans combined.

Sylvia, the former state undersecretary of energy and Fairhaven’s town moderator, celebrated the results by hosting a small gathering at his home for campaign volunteers. “I’m very humbled by today’s results,” Sylvia said. “The campaign has been working hard for the last several months and I’m very proud to be the Democratic nominee.”

Sylvia said he treated the primary campaign like it was contested and competitive, which meant knocking on doors and holding community events. Already Sylvia has outraised his Republican opponent by more than a factor of five — the most recent filings show that Sylvia has $35,392 in his campaign account, compared to Pires’ $6,530.

Sylvia said he is excited to continue on to the general election. “I look forward to the campaign and campaigning with a positive message. I also look forward to contrasting our platform with the other candidate’s platform. And I’m proud to have the endorsement of Representative Straus.” 

About the general election campaign, “That starts tomorrow,” Sylvia said. 

Email Colin Hogan at chogan@newbedfordlight.org

Friday, October 4, 2024

GOVERNOR MAURA HEALEY AND LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR KIM DRISCOLL ENDORSE MARK SYLVIA FOR STATE REPRESENTATIVE IN THE 10 TH BRISTOL DISTRICT

Governor and Lieutenant Governor cite Sylvia’s effectiveness as a leader 

Fairhaven—Governor Maura Healey and Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll today announced

their endorsement of Mark Sylvia for state representative in the 10 th Bristol District, which

encompasses Precincts 1 and 2a in Acushnet, all of Fairhaven, Marion, Mattapoisett, Rochester,

and Precincts A, B and C1 in Ward 1 of New

Bedford.

In a joint statement, Governor Healey and Lt. Governor Driscoll said "Mark Sylvia is an effective

leader who will deliver for the 10th Bristol District. He shares our commitment to lowering the

cost of childcare for working families, protecting access to reproductive healthcare, and making

Massachusetts a more affordable place to live. Our administration needs strong partners like

Mark."

“I’m honored to have the support of Governor Healey and Lieutenant Governor Driscoll. They are focused on improving the lives of Massachusetts families and I look forward to working with the administration on behalf of the people of the 10 th Bristol District.”

Mark Sylvia grew up and lives in Fairhaven. He currently serves as the town’s moderator and previously served on the School Committee. Mark works as chief of staff at Blue Wave, a solar and battery storage developer. He served as the Undersecretary of Energy in the Patrick administration and as the town manager of Plymouth.

Election Day is Tuesday, November 5 th .

Democrat Mark Sylvia and Republican Joe Pires say the cost of living and political division are top issues among voters in the race to succeed state Rep. Bill Straus.

By Colin Hogan, October 20, 2024

Both candidates for state representative in Bristol’s 10th District were born and raised on the South Coast and say the values they learned here inspired them to run for public office. But most of the similarities end there. 

Mark Sylvia, the Democrat, remembers his parents and teachers organizing to save the old Anthony Elementary School in Fairhaven, and decided he was also the type of person to become a leader. He served as student body president in high school and college, graduated and returned home to serve on Fairhaven’s School Committee, and entered a career in local and state public service, eventually becoming the state’s undersecretary of energy. “What I love more than anything is helping other people,” said Sylvia, who today works for a solar energy company. “And the best way to do that is to run for public office.”

Joe Pires, the Republican, credits his Cape Verdean immigrant parents with showing him what hard work and the American dream really look like, and says their inspiration drove him to become successful while giving back to his community. Pires, who lives in Rochester, manages a business that does basement waterproofing. He has won three terms on the Old Rochester Regional School Committee — two of which were successful write-in campaigns. “Throughout my upbringing it was always, work hard and you will succeed,” Pires said. “But the last three or four years … it seems like opportunity is a ship that has sailed.” 

Both candidates have held multiple community events, distributed signs, and knocked on doors throughout Bristol’s 10th District — which includes Marion, Mattapoisett, Rochester, Fairhaven, and parts of Acushnet and New Bedford. The district leans blue overall, but Rochester and Acushnet were two among the 14 towns in Bristol and Plymouth counties that favored Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election. 

No matter who wins, the 10th Bristol seat will go to a fresh face; 32-year incumbent Bill Straus, the Mattapoisett Democrat, decided to not seek re-election this year. Both Pires and Sylvia say they have heard that cost of living and political division are top-of-mind issues among the district’s voters.

Sylvia zeroed in on how he plans to address the housing crisis to combat the high cost of living. He said whoever is elected needs to hold the executive branch accountable in implementing the state’s new law, the Affordable Homes Act, including its provision that allows accessory dwelling units, or “in-law apartments,” by right. “We can’t rest on our laurels,” Sylvia said in an interview. “We’ve passed this law, and we can’t think that we’ve solved the affordable housing crisis.”

Sylvia also said he believes the state Legislature can give cities and towns more incentives to work on these issues locally. He said he hopes the state will create local tax credits and establish trusts that are designed to fund innovation on housing affordability with locally-driven solutions, such as rent relief or construction grants. “It would be amazing to see what they innovate on, if only we give cities and towns the tools,” Sylvia said. 

Pires did not respond to multiple interview requests in time for this story.

In an August campaign speech in Marion, Pires said his conversations with voters have led him to identify a different root cause behind cost of living increases. One voter, Pires said, told him that, “Our health care insurance costs are skyrocketing because the hospitals, the doctors, medical institutions are paying for the illegals who are getting all this for free.” Pires responded, “You scratch your head and say, shouldn’t we be helping the people who live here first?”

In an interview with The Light before the primary election, Pires discussed similar concerns: “Illegals now have the right to homeless shelters,” which he said had led to homeless veterans being “treated as second-class citizens.”

“If that doesn’t make us outraged, then I don’t know what does,” Pires said. He described his goal in politics as maintaining the standard of living on the South Coast, and said that goal requires “put[ting] the needs of people in this community first.”

On another issue important to the South Coast region, the relationship between the offshore wind and fishing industries, the candidates have taken a different tack.

Pires created a 30-second online ad where he said that he “believes in protecting the environment, but not at the cost of our livelihoods.” In his earlier interview with The Light, Pires argued that the offshore turbines “in actuality are causing more damage to our environment,” rather than benefiting it, and he cited this summer’s turbine accident on the Vineyard Wind project. 

To Pires, offshore wind poses a threat to the fishing industry, a conclusion he says he came to after conversations with fishermen and boat captains about restrictions on available fishing grounds during the project’s construction. “We should be proud and support our fishing industry, and [we should] not let the industrialization of our oceans interfere with that.”

Sylvia pointed to his background working as commissioner of the state’s Department of Energy Resources, where he was tasked with finding common ground between environmentalists, businesses, and the state to create guidelines on the burning of biomass (a renewable but carbon-emitting energy source). He said that his experience of “weeks and months sitting at the table and demonstrating I was an honest broker” led to revised, actionable regulations. He said this showed him that fishing and wind “are not mutually exclusive,” and that “we can have a vibrant fishing industry and a vibrant offshore wind industry.”

“I have family in the fishing industry,” Sylvia said, and pointed out that even his campaign treasurer owns scallop boats. He said that “rightfully, a lot of members of the fishing industry are scared.” He said wind developers can do more to communicate with and invest in the fishing industry, including to modernize equipment and ensure their interests align. 

“In the same vein, climate change is real,” Sylvia said. He said he thinks offshore wind and other energy solutions, including hydroelectric power, will be part of reducing the state’s greenhouse gas emissions. Gasoline and fossil fuels won’t be eliminated completely from the picture, he added, especially in the short term. 

Sylvia summarized his campaign by saying that he has lengthy experience working to bring people together, including his 15 years as moderator of Fairhaven’s Town Meeting and his career working with cities and towns in the state’s Department of Energy Resources. 

Sylvia has a long list of endorsements, and he pointed out that some Republicans, many union groups, as well as Gov. Maura Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, have all offered their support of his campaign. The most recent fundraising reports also show that Sylvia is well-funded, with more than $25,000 on hand. 

Pires’ campaign materials on his website say he is focused on bringing positive change to the South Coast region by focusing on the needs of the community. He says that economic struggle, the needs of veterans, and illegal immigration are issues that he will focus on in the State House. Pires is among the co-founders of Tri-Town for Protecting Children, a nonprofit group dedicated to removing “sexually-explicit literature and social influencing” from schools (The Light has previously covered Pires’ involvement in campaigns to remove books from the Old Rochester Regional library.)

Pires’ website does not list his endorsements, and the candidate did not respond to requests for an interview in time for publication of this article. A relatively successful fundraising campaign still sees Pires trailing his opponent in resources, with about $8,000 on hand as of the last campaign finance filing. 

The candidates will meet for a virtual forum on Tuesday, Oct. 22, hosted onlineby the Marion Institute.

Email Colin Hogan at chogan@newbedfordlight.org

Oct. 23, 2024

Fairhaven native Mark Sylvia has always had a passion for government and how it can do good things for people, he said. 

A father of two, Sylvia earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and master’s degree in public administration from American University. 

He served as Town Manager of Plymouth and, under the administration of former Gov. Deval Patrick, as director of the state’s Green Communities program, as commissioner of the Department of Energy Resources and as energy undersecretary of the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. 

Sylvia has most recently worked for the last 10 years in the private sector as chief of staff of renewable energy company BlueWave. 

He is also a former Fairhaven School Committee member and has been Fairhaven Town Moderator since 2008.

He said he felt strongly that whoever replaces Straus can “hit the ground running.” Sylvia said he understands the processes of government and the impact on municipalities; from his time in local government, he’s built relationships in Gov. Maura Healey’s administration.

The biggest issue facing the 10th Bristol district, according to Sylvia, is the increasing cost of living. That’s felt in the access and affordability of housing, healthcare and childcare as well as the costs of insurance and groceries.

Housing: The Affordable Homes Act, a $5.2 billion package of housing legislation signed in August by Gov. Healey, was a “real step in the right direction,” according to Sylvia.

He said an important job as a state representative is to hold the Healey administration “accountable” as the new housing legislation is rolled out and implemented.

“It's making sure that I connect the dots locally with planning boards, select boards, mayors, housing authorities, to make sure they're connected to the right resources so they can tap into those programs,” Sylvia said. “And I can be not only an advocate for them but help them to navigate through what they need to do to tap into those resources.”

Sylvia said he “fundamentally” believes that communities, if given the financial and non-financial resources, can “do a lot of innovating.”

Nobody knows better than the local communities themselves the best way to develop and create more housing,” he said.

Healthcare: Sylvia is focused on “continuing to drive down costs” in healthcare, he said.

Part of controlling costs is addressing for-profit healthcare issues, according to Sylvia, who said that for-profit corporations should not run or own healthcare systems.

The Steward Health Care bankruptcy crisis “should never have happened,” Sylvia said.

“We need to make sure that as many controls and restrictions are in place to ensure that that never happens again,” Sylvia said. “It didn't just impact people on the North Shore. It impacted people very directly here on the South Coast — both in terms of access to care, access to doctors — and that should never be something that we have to face at such a widespread level.”

Another factor in driving down costs is expanding care for mental health, substance abuse and addiction services, according to Sylvia. 

“The legislature can do more to ensure that health insurance companies are providing more coverage for those areas than they do now,” Sylvia said.

Education: Sylvia said he is “a strong supporter of full funding for Chapter 70,” the state’s primary funding source for public schools. 

“School districts need their full funding, and I get when there are challenging years, we have to be really thoughtful with the state budget, we can’t be all things to all people, but a priority in my mind is always local aid,” he said.

A former Fairhaven School Committee member for six years, Sylvia said he thinks “transportation continues to be the big challenge.”

He said he will “continue to advocate for” ensuring that municipalities get full funding for transportation, which is “a big cost for a school district.”

A comprehensive look needs to be taken “at local aid and how it can be more equitable and fair to communities and meet the needs of communities,” according to Sylvia.

“Having been a town manager and having to manage through all of that and then being a town moderator now and kind of really understanding how this all works I think will give me the opportunity to try and help find solutions,” Sylvia said.

Environment: “Climate change is real,” Sylvia said, and Massachusetts “has set a high bar” for what can be done “to address the climate crisis.”

Sylvia is a member of the state’s Commission on Energy Infrastructure Siting and Permitting, which provides recommendations for locating, permitting and developing clean energy infrastructure.

Investments should continue in energy efficiency and clean energy resources and technologies, according to Sylvia.

As a member of that state commission, Sylvia advocated to maintain local control over the siting of clean energy resources, he said.

“Always making sure that the local boards in essence have the final say in the process,” Sylvia said.

According to Sylvia, the commission had conversations regarding how to accelerate the deployment of solar energy in the built environment, land already in use, as compared to “greenfields,” undeveloped land.

“Solar is part of the solution both in the built environment and sites that are in greenfields, but continuing to do it in a responsible way, a thoughtful way,” Sylvia said.

Offshore wind, another renewable energy source, is “part of our solution,” according to Sylvia, who said he was concerned when the Vineyard Wind turbine blade break occurred. 

The federal government was right to shut the project down, and it needs to be made sure that Vineyard Wind and manufacturer GE are “ fully transparent with what happened,” Sylvia said.

More effort needs to be put into working with the fishing industry directly, according to Sylvia.

“I’ll advocate to make sure that the fishing industry has a seat at the table with the offshore wind industry,” he said. “There’s so much that can be accomplished if both parties are able to work together.”

Sylvia was also the first director of the Green Communities program, the statewide initiative in which municipalities meet certain criteria in order to receive funding for energy-conservation projects. 

“Cities and towns have been able to reduce energy costs, which then translates to reduced overall expenses,” Sylvia said. “It's enabled them to help drive down emissions and to generate new opportunities for clean energy locally, so it's been a real success.”