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 .