Beverly city councilor eyes run for Mass. House seat held by Rep. Jerald Parisella

A Beverly at-large city councilor filed paperwork to run for the House seat being vacated by Rep. Jerald Parisella, a Democrat who was nominated last month to serve as an associate justice of the District Court.

Hannah Bowen, whose council term is scheduled to end in December 2025, filed the necessary paperwork Wednesday to mount a campaign for Parisella’s seat. But she told the Herald she is holding off on an official announcement until Parisella resigns from his post.

“I’m currently a counselor at-large in Beverly. The district is basically Beverly and part of Wenham so I feel really sort of connected to what’s needed and ready to step in,” she said Thursday. “I wanted to make sure I had everything in place to be ready to launch a campaign as soon as there is a need.”

Parisella was before the Governor’s Council — an eight-person body tasked with approving judicial nominations — Wednesday and the group could vote to confirm him to the bench as soon as next week.

The seven-term lawmaker has been in the Legislature for more than a decade, is a U.S. Army veteran, and helped negotiate a closely-watched jobs bill packed with policy proposals that Healey signed last month.

Bowen grew up in Swampscott and eventually moved to Beverly after working in global policy.

She’s worked for the Peace Corps, attended Harvard Kennedy’s School of Government, and serves as the executive director of The Resolution Center, a nonprofit focused on conflict resolution. Bowen ran for city council in 2021.

Bowen said she wants to focus on housing if she makes it to Beacon Hill, including dealing with the crisis in a way that “makes sense for us as a specific community.”

Beverly also closed out a contentious teachers’ strike last month after educators reached a deal with the local School Committee. As a city councilor, Bowen said she did not have a direct role in negotiations but still lent her voice to the debate.

“We all want a strong school system. We all want teachers to be able to live in the community they work. We all want our students to have the best experience and to have the support they need. We all understand that schools have changed dramatically,” she said.

Bowen had just over $3,240 in her campaign account, according to state records.

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/P6siZFg