Rhoton to Officially Declare Candidacy

North Andover School Committee member Karin Rhoton is making it official -- she is announced her candidacy for state representative for the Essex 14th district on the steps of Town Hall Tuesday evening.

That seat is currently held by Democrat David Torrisi, also of North Andover.

"Mr. Torrisi has done a decent job, but I will do a better job," Rhoton said in a statement announcing her pending announcement. "I am hearing that the majority of the residents of this district are not satisfied with the cuts to local aid from the legislature, state takeovers of public education, and they want to see crime in our communities dealt with by fully staffed public safety departments."

Rhoton, a Republican, moved to North Andover in 2005 and was first elected to School Committee in 2009. She is also vice president of operations and sales at Delphi Technology Solutions.

"In general, everywhere I go I hear how folks feel ignored and are not happy with the way things are working on Beacon Hill," Rhoton added. "They want better representation. That is where I am different, I will deliver their message. The voters deserve a voice that echoes their own."

Opportune Moment?

Torrisi has held that seat since 1999 and currently serves on several committees relating to labor, public safety, climate change and auditing. He is also House Chairman of the Joint Committee on Higher Education. Before being elected to the legislature, Torrisi served on the North Andover Board of Selectmen for three years.

With the state's redistricting plan, however, reelection may be more of a challenge for Torrisi. Torrisi won reelection in this seat in 2010 but only got 47 percent of the vote in North Andover. His Lawrence electorate helped him hold onto the seat last year, but the formation of a new Latino district as part of a goal to increase minority-majority districts could make him more vulnerable.

The Essex 14th, which includes parts of North Andover and much of Lawrence, will include parts of the Bradford section of Haverhill as well as Methuen as well. And the district will include fewer parts of Lawrence than before. Methuen and Bradford brought big gains for Republican Lyons in 2010, and Torrisi lost support in North Andover.