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Polly Titcomb

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Polly Titcomb
Image of Polly Titcomb

Democratic Party

Elections and appointments
Last election

September 6, 2022

Education

Bachelor's

University of Vermont, 2003

Law

Northeastern University School of Law, 2011

Personal
Birthplace
Massachusetts
Profession
Attorney, Small Business Owner
Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

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Polly Titcomb (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Massachusetts House of Representatives to represent the 8th Essex District. She lost in the Democratic primary on September 6, 2022.

Titcomb completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Polly Titcomb was born in Massachusetts. She earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Vermont in 2003 and a J.D. from the Northeastern University School of Law in 2011. Titcomb's career experience includes working as an attorney and small business owner.[1] She has been affiliated with the following organizations:

  • Essex County Commission on the Status of Women
  • Caucus of Women Legislators
  • Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination
  • Department of Correction and the Executive Office for Administration and Finance, intern
  • Emerge program[1]

Elections

2022

See also: Massachusetts House of Representatives elections, 2022

General election

General election for Massachusetts House of Representatives 8th Essex District

Jenny Armini won election in the general election for Massachusetts House of Representatives 8th Essex District on November 8, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Jenny Armini
Jenny Armini (D)
 
98.5
 
14,156
 Other/Write-in votes
 
1.5
 
215

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 14,371
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Massachusetts House of Representatives 8th Essex District

The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for Massachusetts House of Representatives 8th Essex District on September 6, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Jenny Armini
Jenny Armini
 
27.6
 
2,316
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Tristan Smith
 
23.9
 
2,007
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Doug Thompson
 
18.5
 
1,552
Image of Polly Titcomb
Polly Titcomb Candidate Connection
 
11.6
 
972
Image of Theresa Tauro
Theresa Tauro Candidate Connection
 
11.5
 
966
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Diann Slavit Baylis
 
6.8
 
568
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.1
 
5

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 8,386
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Campaign themes

2022

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Candidate Connection

Polly Titcomb completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Titcomb's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Like most people, I have many distinct areas of my life that shape and define who I am. First and foremost, I am the mother of two wonderful children: my son, Ellis, who is 10, and my daughter, Elena, who is turning 8 this summer. I am also the daughter of loving parents; the younger sister of a hilarious older brother; and the niece, aunt, and cousin of a very large and supportive Greek family.

Professionally, I am a licensed attorney with my own law practice. My practice is focused exclusively on children and family law and, while I maintain a small number of private clients, my primary focus is on my work as public counsel in the field of child welfare law and, very recently, mental health litigation, practicing almost exclusively in the Lynn and Salem trial court division.

Civically, I have been an active volunteer in my community for over a decade. I was elected as a Town Meeting member the year I moved to Swampscott and have been one ever since. I served on the Swampscott Finance Committee for 5 years and the Swampscott Select Board for the past 3 years, ending my elected term as chair.

Outside of Swampscott, I previously have served on the Essex County Commission on the Status of Women for several years, sitting as chair for 3 of those years. I have volunteered for the Caucus of Women Legislators and later for the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination.
  • As the only candidate with experience in elected office and municipal experience, I am ready to hit the ground running at the State House. I have the experience reseraching issues and policy solutions, negotiating, thoughtfully considering all sides, and executing policy decisions--all of which are vital to being an effective lawmaker. I have proven my ability to advocate for the Essex 8th community, to make unpopular but necessary decisions, and to not compromise my integrity or the priorities of our community.
  • Essex 8th needs a Representative who has been in this game for the long haul and I am that person. For my whole life, and in all of my different roles, I have been an advocate for the underdog and for equity, transparency, and accessibility. From my work as a child and family public defender to my volunteer work with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination to my public service in Swampscott, I have always sought to better the lives of people in and outside of direct community. Serving Lynn, Marblehead, and Swampscott--and all of MA and beyond--is a natural progression for my work in advocacy and service, not simply something that I decided to do on a whim.
  • I believe that a state representative must be truly for the people that elected them--all of them. Regardless of political party, town membership, or any quality that distinguishes people in Essex 8th from each other, all of our community deserves to have a representative in the State House whose priority is the betterment of their lives--and that representative is me. I will demand accessibility and transparency in the State House for my constituents and all those who call Massachusetts home, and I will lead by example in my openness. I will empower our community members to always be able to share their opinions, concerns, and questions with me, and never shy from sharing my decisions and decision-making process with them.
Protecting our coastline: The impact of climate change is already felt in our communities. We must prioritize the protection and resilience of this natural resource for the safety of our residents and economic stability of our region.

Reducing waste: The Commonwealth is approaching a solid waste crisis and we need to mitigate the financial and environmental impacts of this looming reality. From sustainable business practices to improving recycling practices we can and must address this issue.

Mental health services: Government has fallen short of providing adequate and affordable mental health services compared to the exponential increase in our need for these services. We must catch up with these needs and investigate their underlying causes.

The housing crisis: We must implement legislation from different angles to tackle the crisis regarding an insufficient amount of public housing with adequate facilities and of affordable housing options.

Disability services: Special education costs and services have outgrown municipal budgets and the Commonwealth must work with communities to find solutions. We cannot ignore the needs of these important citizens and the unique struggles facing their families.

Government transparency: I will propose legislation that increases the transparency and accountability of our legislators’ voting practices and advocate for a research bureau to ensure that bills can be thoroughly analyzed by independent professionals.
Nelson Mandela. He was the most violated person and yet he never gave up his integrity and managed to find equanimity. He dedicated his life to selfless service and I find him to be an amazing role model and person to try to emulate.
An elected official should have integrity and an egalitarian philosophy.
The qualities that will make me the an effective lawmaker are my passion for public service and advocacy, integrity, and experience having held elected office.
I hope to be remembered as having been a selfless and effective leader.
When I was around nine years old, it was the Gulf War and I remember the hunt for Saddam Hussein.
When I was a teenager I bussed tables at The Clam Box in Ipswich, Massachusetts. I did so for three or four years during the end of spring to beginning of fall, as The Clam Box is seasonal.
Narcissist and Goldmun by Herman Hesse. The symbolism and writing is like poetry.
Yoda
The Schuyler Sisters by The Cast of Hamilton
I do not learn or think in a traditional way, and so I struggled a lot in school and formal education. These experiences have, in part, driven me to be an advocate for people who learn, think, and live differently from the norm.
No matter what formal powers the governor holds, it is important that the governor respects the role of legislators as representatives of the people of Massachusetts and take into account the priorities of the legislators. Ideally, the governor and state legislature would work together for the betterment of the people of Massachusetts.
The greatest challenge that Massachusetts will face over the next decade is the need to seriously addressing climate change and sustainability. This action must happen on the state and local level as our communities are facing the effects of climate change in the present, but Massachusetts also must be a leader in climate resilience as the work of the state alone will not solve the issue at hand. Given that climate and environmental issues transgress local, state, and national borders, we also must focus on nationwide and international cooperation and collaboration.
I do believe that previous governmental or political experience is beneficial to being an effective state legislator. These experiences can come in different forms, all important, from voluntary municipal roles to elected leadership to experience with law. An elected state legislator needs to be able to jump into the action and be confident in their skills, abilities, and passion for the job, rather than risk them learning on the job that legislating is not for them.
It is essential to build relationships with other legislators. However, relationships should and will not come at the expense of my policy priorities. It is important for legislators to be able to work together, both in agreement and disagreement, but short of undue influence.
I am in favor of a either a non-politician commission drawing redistricting maps and then presenting the maps to the legislature for a vote or an independent advisory commission working with the legislature to draw the maps. It is important that an independent body be involved in the process because these are the districts that the legislators themselves are elected by and in, which creates an inherent risk of bias from the legislators when drawing district lines.
House Committees: (1) on Ethics; (2) on Rules; and (3) on Global Warming & Climate Change

Joint Committees: (1) on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities; (2) on Mental Health, Substance Use Recovery; (3) on Environment, Natural Resources & Agriculture; (4) on Municipalities and Regional Government; (5) on Rules; and (6) on the Judiciary
I deeply admire the political prowess, poise, leadership, and effectiveness of Representative Ayanna Pressley.
I would run for a different political office in the future if it is the role in which I could best serve and better the lives of the people.
The stories that I have heard from constituents with adult children with disabilities and how their lives have been shaped from the services and lack of services that they have been able to receive have been particularly impactful.
Oversight is a necessary and important role of a legislator, but should be used to prioritize the safety and wellbeing of the people, and, at all times, but especially in times of emergency, should not be used as political power grabs.
I do believe that compromise is necessary in policymaking, but only to a point. With compromise, there is sacrifice in the policy that a lawmaker is pushing for, which makes that policy weaker in achieving its intended purpose. If compromise is going to make the policy less effective then I would focus on persuasion and working with the opponents of the policy and their constituents to help them understand my position and the benefits of the policy.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

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External links

Candidate

Massachusetts House of Representatives 8th Essex District
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    Footnotes

    1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on July 6, 2022


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