Voters across Cape Ann selected their party nominees Tuesday in the special election race to fill the 5th Essex District seat in the Massachusetts House of Representatives, setting up a three-way contest later this month.
Democrat Dru Tarr of Gloucester and Republican Christina Delisio of Manchester won their respective primaries and will advance to the March 31 special election. They will face Gilbert “Gil” Frieden of Essex, the independent candidate who bypassed the primary and goes directly to the general special election.
The seat became vacant following the Thanksgiving death of longtime Rep. Ann-Margaret Ferrante, a nine-term Gloucester Democrat who had risen to become vice chair of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee.
Preliminary results showed Tarr winning the Democratic primary decisively over Sarah Wilkinson of Rockport, who ran as a write-in candidate. Delisio defeated Ashley Sullivan of Gloucester in the Republican contest. Voting took place in Gloucester, Manchester, Essex, and Rockport.
“I’m ready to hit the ground running on day one,” Tarr said during the campaign, pointing to his experience drafting legislation and navigating the House committee process.
Tarr has highlighted housing affordability, education funding, and regional economic development as central issues for Cape Ann, while supporting the MBTA Communities Act as a potential tool for increasing housing supply when implemented thoughtfully.
Delisio’s campaign has focused on affordability, transparency in state government, and preserving local control over zoning decisions. She has been particularly critical of the state’s MBTA Communities housing law, arguing that smaller coastal communities face infrastructure limits that should be taken into account before increasing density.
Delisio has also called for greater legislative transparency and supports auditing the Massachusetts Legislature, a proposal that voters approved statewide in a 2024 ballot question.
He also emphasizes representing voters who are unenrolled in either major party, noting that a majority of Cape Ann voters are registered as independents.
The forum is expected to provide voters with one of the final opportunities to compare the candidates before the general election.
A DEEP DIVE INTO THE CANDIDATES (In order of the number of votes received this week)
He believes the budget is the most pressing issue right now, with the House set to debate the budget in April. The goal is economic development through the budget, especially housing affordability and education. He wants to make sure that there is advocating to drive the dollars back to Cape Ann.
Housing affordability tops the list for priorities in the 5th Essex District for Tarr. He supports the MBTA Communities Act as a tool for affordable housing but emphasizes that it must be applied logically. He has argued that high-density housing should be placed where transit and economic activity already exist.
Behind housing affordability, economic development is important to Tarr. When he talks about economic developments it is not just jobs, but well-paying jobs to lift people up. In order to achieve this, education is a large part of that.
Tarr wants to keep moving these record setting schools in Cape Ann forward, to create strong education to build opportunities for people to receive well-paying jobs to boost economic development in the area.
She supports auditing the MA Legislature, noting that although 72% of voters backed the measure in the 2024 ballot, she said she would push for greater transparency and accountability.
Delisio is a vocal critic of the MBTA Communities law, which requires certain municipalities to zone for multifamily housing. She told the Cricket the mandate is "complete government overreach,” and said that infrastructure constraints in towns such as Manchester must be considered before adding density.
When it came to housing, Delisio’s stance on state mandates is more moderate, supporting changes to the statewide 40B affordable housing law to accommodate condominium-style purchasing over rental-only formats. She also supports Accessory Dwelling Units by right for property owners, a Beacon Hill mandate instituted statewide in February, 2025.
Instead of focusing primarily on large apartment developments, Delisio said the state should help communities identify underused public land — such as Department of Public Works sites — for smaller, affordable homes aimed at young families and seniors.
She also opposes the state’s 2050 net-zero emissions mandate, calling the timeline “too aggressive” and raising concerns about rising energy costs for residents.
He complements this financial expertise with hands-on community service, such as his work with Meals on Wheels. Frieden notes that this volunteerism allows him to connect one-on-one with seniors to understand their daily struggles before applying his management skills to find broader solutions.
Frieden said he “represent(s) the majority of Cape Ann”, citing 25,000 out of the 38,000 voters on Cape Ann are unenrolled. He views himself as the voice for voters who are "fed up with the two-party system" and emphasizes that he does not answer to a "party boss".
He identifies his top three areas of focus are housing, power (electricity), and the environment, specifically centered around the Gloucester sewer renovation. He argues that infrastructure is the primary bottleneck for growth, stating, "we can’t build housing if we can’t flush toilets." Once sewer capacity is increased, he plans to focus on the electricity grid's ability to power new homes.
Frieden also believes tourism is an issue which needs stronger attention at the state level. He believes the state must use “levers” like tax incentives to protect the local retail businesses from online competition. He specifically aims to preserve the "character of the region" found in places like Bearskin Neck in Rockport.
Emma Gulaskey is a student at Endicott College studying journalism. This story is published in partnership with the Massachusetts News Service.
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