SWAMPSCOTT — Former Congressman Barney Frank endorsed Tristan Smith for the vacant 8th Essex District state representative seat on Thursday, Smith’s campaign announced.
Frank, in a statement, said his experience in Congress taught him of the importance of public service to “the quality of our lives” — something he believes Smith understands well.
“Having spent 40 years first as a state representative and then as a congressman, and since then working closely with other members of both the general court and the U.S. Congress, I am convinced of two points,” Frank said. “The first is the importance of legislators who combine the goal of improving the quality of our lives with an understanding of how to do so effectively. The second is my ability to evaluate candidates by this criterion.”
“Taken together, they are the basis for my strong endorsement of Tristan Smith for state representative. His commitments to improving our environment, promoting economic and social fairness, and making government work efficiently are deeply rooted. So is his recognition that public service properly undertaken is an indispensable element in achieving these ends,” Frank continued.
Smith, who is one of six candidates for the seat vacated when Lori Ehrlich took a post in the Biden administration, said he was “honored” to receive Frank’s endorsement.
“In my view, there is no one who has a greater understanding of the ways in which government can be a catalyst for the kind of change that can have a real impact on our lives and our communities than Congressman Frank,” Smith said.
Frank served in the U.S. Congress, representing Massachusetts’ 4th Congressional District from 1981 until 2013. During his tenure, Frank sponsored many pieces of legislation, including the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. He also served as a representative in the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 1973 until 1981.
Smith has also received the endorsements of former Congressman John Tierney, former State Senator and Lynn Mayor Thomas McGee, and Jackie Belf-Becker, a long-time member of the Marblehead Select Board.
The 8th Essex District represents parts of Lynn as well as Swampscott and Marblehead. Smith graduated summa cum laude from Salem State University and received his Juris Doctor from Suffolk University Law School in 2022.
Charlie McKenna can be reached at [email protected].
