Jamie Belsito

Jamie Belsito
Member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives
from the 4th Essex district
In office
December 8, 2021 – January 4, 2023
Preceded byBradford Hill
Succeeded byEstela Reyes
Personal details
BornJamie Zahlaway
(1973-11-22) November 22, 1973
PartyDemocratic
EducationSalem State University (BA)

Jamie Zahlaway Belsito (born November 22, 1973) is an American politician who serves as Town Moderator in Topsfield, Massachusetts. A member of the Democratic Party, she previously represented the 4th Essex district in the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 2021 to 2023. She is the founder of the Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance.[1]

Political career

Belsito was elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives, on November 30, 2021, in a special election following former Representative Brad Hill's appointment to the Massachusetts Gaming Commission.[2] Belsito was the first Democrat to represent the 4th Essex district since 1858, and was sworn in on December 8, 2021.[3] The district was eliminated in statewide redistricting at the end of the term.[4]

Prior to running for the Massachusetts House of Representatives, Belsito ran for the United States House of Representatives, challenging Representative Seth Moulton in the Democratic primary for 6th District of Massachusetts. In 2014 she supported Moulton's Republican opponent, Richard Tisei, noting his endorsement from the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists (ACOG) and NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts.[5] Her voter affiliation was Unenrolled until the election of Donald Trump in 2016.[6] Moulton went on to win the primary, but endorsed Belsito in her campaign for the Massachusetts House of Representatives the next year.[7]

Belsito founded the Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance in 2019[8] with accomplishments including a national maternal mental health hotline[9] and legislation, funding, and establishment of a federal task force related to improving maternal mental health care.[10]

In the final days of her term as a state representative, she accused Israel of genocide. She tweeted that the US should acknowledge the Israeli administration was "an apartheid run thuggery terrorist regime" and that "killing and land taking has nothing to do with anti-semitism. It is genocide."[11]

Personal life

Prior to running for office, she served on the Board of Trustees for Salem State University.[12]

She is of Syrian, Irish and Acadian heritage and is the great-niece of USAF Technical Sergeant Richard B. Fitzgibbon Jr., the first American to die in the Vietnam War.[13]

Electoral history

[14]

Massachusetts's 6th congressional district Democratic Primary, 2020
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Seth Moulton (incumbent) 124,928 78.0
Democratic Jamie Belsito 19,492 12.2
Democratic Angus McQuilken 15,478 9.7
Total votes 159,898 100

[15]

Massachusetts House of Representatives, 4th Essex, 2021 special election primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jamie Belsito 1,728 73.5
Democratic Darcyll Dale 608 25.9
Total votes 2,336 100

[16]

Massachusetts House of Representatives, 4th Essex, 2021 special election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jamie Belsito 2,504 55.4
Republican Bob Snow 2,017 44.6
Total votes 4,521 100

[17]

Topsfield Town Moderator, 2023
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan Jamie Belsito (unopposed) 1,093 100
Total votes 1.093 100

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Topsfield, Hamilton, Gloucester Endorsements for Belsito's Congressional Campaign". December 6, 2025.
  2. ↑ "Democrat Jamie Belsito wins North Shore seat long held by Republicans". December 2021.
  3. ↑ "Jamie Belsito of Topsfield sworn in to fill Fourth Essex House seat vacated by Brad Hill".
  4. ↑ "What redistricting means for voters in Topsfield and Wenham".
  5. ↑ "Belsito prepares to take on Moulton as a Dem". April 23, 2019.
  6. ↑ "Belsito prepares to take on Moulton as a Dem". April 23, 2019.
  7. ↑ "Update From Rep. Seth Moulton: Virtual Town Hall, GI Restoration Bill, Endorsements". December 11, 2021.
  8. ↑ "Jamie Zahlaway Belsito, Founder/Director of Policy, Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance — Behavioral Health Tech Speaker". behavioralhealthtech.com. Retrieved August 1, 2026.
  9. ↑ "National Maternal Mental Health Hotline | MCHB". mchb.hrsa.gov. Archived from the original on July 29, 2026. Retrieved August 1, 2026.
  10. ↑ "Interview: Policy wins in maternal mental health with Jamie Zahlaway Belsito - Trayt Health". trayt.health. Retrieved August 1, 2026.
  11. ↑ McDonald, Tom Joyce, Matt (January 2, 2023). "Massachusetts Democratic State Rep Says Israel Is Committing Genocide".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  12. ↑ "Jamie Zahlaway Belsito Named to Salem State Board of Trustees".
  13. ↑ Algemeiner, The (January 3, 2023). "'Apartheid Run Thuggery Terrorist Regime': Massachusetts State Rep. Shares Israel Thoughts - Algemeiner.com". www.algemeiner.com. Retrieved June 16, 2024.
  14. ↑ "PD43+ » 2020 U.S. House Democratic Primary 6th Congressional District".
  15. ↑ "PD43+ » Search Elections".
  16. ↑ "PD43+ » Search Elections".
  17. ↑ https://www.topsfield-ma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif5086/f/uploads/official_election_results_local_2023.pdf. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
This page is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.