PEABODY — Stephanie Peach has announced her candidacy for the Ward 3 City Council seat currently occupied by James Moutsoulas.
“After speaking with many residents and business owners in the ward, I decided to run,” said Peach. “I would like to sincerely thank Councilor Moutsoulas for his decades of service to the city of Peabody. This campaign is not against anyone, but for the people of Peabody. I believe a different perspective and voice on the City Council will be beneficial as we advance as a city.
“I intend to be accessible, as being accessible is the most important role of a ward councilor. Residents deserve responsive elected officials,” Peach said, adding that she will cast every vote with the future of the city in mind.
Peach grew up in Peabody, graduating from Peabody Veterans Memorial High School in 2009. She is a 2013 graduate of Westfield State University, where she majored in political science and history. She obtained a Master’s degree in public administration from the University of Massachusetts, Boston.
While at Westfield, Peach worked as a Statehouse aide for 7th Worcester District State Rep. Paul Frost. When she learned of an opening in the office of 12th Essex District State Rep. Leah Cole, a seat now held by Thomas Walsh, Peach jumped at the opportunity.
“I always wanted to work for my own community, so when the opportunity to work for Leah came up, Rep. Frost recommended me,” Peach said. “That was my favorite job ever. I loved being involved and had hands-on experience helping guide people through the governmental process and also got to have my hand in reviewing policies, which I really loved.”
In 2016, Peach entered the world of politics as a candidate for office, running in a special election to succeed Cole, who resigned mid-term in late 2015. Peach, a Republican, won the primary, only to lose to Walsh, who won the Democratic primary in a landslide over Moutsoulas and current Ward 1 Councilor Craig Welton. Moutsoulas has indicated he will be running for another term.
“It was tough, but I learned a lot,” Peach said. “In Peabody, it’s always tough going up against people who are considered incumbents as they have name recognition with people who know their names. The one thing I learned is I wanted to get back into politics.”
Over the next several months, Peach said her campaign will focus on meeting with residents and business owners in Ward 3 to understand their issues and learn what they would like to see happen moving forward.
“COVID will certainly change the way we campaign, but I will make every effort to meet with the people of Ward 3 and hear their concerns,” said Peach. “My top issue is accessibility. I strongly believe that government is there to work for one reason, and that is to work with the people, so you have to be accessible. People need to know they are being heard, and the only way to do that is to be out there every day.
Peach also has concerns about vaccine distribution, saying the process has been “frustrating,” especially for many of Peabody’s seniors.
“I hope the state makes the portal more accessible for them,” she said. “It’s wishful thinking on my part to hope that will change, but the reality is in Ward 3, we have a large elderly population and a diverse population who aren’t all on Facebook or reading the newspaper, so it’s important to get city messages out to them, not only in terms they understand but on platforms they understand. Establishing effective communications from the city to its residents is extremely important and something I will strive for.”
Transportation and a spike in local development are also high on Peach’s Peabody priorities.
“I took public transportation when I worked in Boston, so I know what it’s about,” Peach said. “In Peabody, bus routes do not encourage ridership, so the city needs to work on it. This is important to our residents and one of the biggest challenges we face.
“The mayor (Ted Bettencourt) had a vision for development and it’s a good one. But you just can’t throw these developments anywhere. I am concerned about the 40Bs and the city needs to work together with developers. Our city’s reputation has been that when we oppose a development, we sue the developer, only to end up losing after spending a lot of money and end up with a much larger complex than originally proposed.
“We need to make sure that they go where they have the resources and infrastructure to support them. Ward 3 is so congested right now and I believe that the city needs to do a much better job of working with developers to build relationships.
Peach, who lives with her husband, A.J., a 2007 Peabody High graduate, and two daughters under the age of three, is currently employed as a national account credit analyst at UniFirst Corporation in Wilmington.
Peach can be reached at (978) 595-1173 or via email at [email protected]. The campaign can also be followed on her Facebook page, “Stephanie Peach Candidate for Ward 3 Peabody.”
