Andover's Maria Marasco Opposes Tucker

By Curt Lovelace
October 2002 Print Edition

A Republican candidate for State Senate in the 2nd Essex and Middlesex District jumped into the race on September 13. The candidate is an attorney and businesswoman. "Unlike the incumbent senator," Susan C. Tucker, "I will offer common-sense ideas to make government lean, efficient, and responsive. We can deliver services and provide for the needs of our citizens without mismanaging taxpayer money and without raising taxes," said Marasco. She was a write-in candidate in the primary election and will be on the November 5th ballot for the General Election. Touting her support from Citizen's for Limited Taxation, she was joined at the announcement event by Barbara Anderson, CLT's Executive Director.

Maria Marasco (right) received the endorsement of CLT executive director, Barbara Anderson (left) at an event in Tewksbury on September 13th.

She has taken the CLT pledge against raising taxes. Having been one of the organizers defeating the Prop 2 1/2 Override in Andover this past summer, her tax fighting credentials appear to be in order. "Maria Marasco will be a citizen legislator and support the taxpayers in this district. She has pledged to vote against higher taxes and will respect the voters' decisions on ballot questions like the income tax rollback," said Anderson.

She is running for State Senate, because she believes that the legislators on Beacon Hill have ignored the voters for too long and that it's time for new, common-sense ideas. She says she has the skills, independence, and determination to cut wasteful spending and to lower taxes on individuals and businesses.

Ms. Marasco entered the race when the incumbent Senator Susan C. Tucker (D-Andover) voted in favor of the largest tax increase in state history. She knew that the voters could not afford to let the incumbent's vote go unchallenged. Lower taxes mean greater economic activity, greater individual income, and greater prosperity for all. She knows that government services can be maintained, and even improved, without raising taxes on working families, retirees, and businesses.

She believes that we need to direct more decision-making for education back to parents and teachers, we need to energize economic development, protect the quality of life for seniors and working families, and support law enforcement efforts which make us safe in our homes.

Worked At Top Levels For State As Attorney

As a senior official in state government, she earned the confidence of three governors and the state treasurer to bring innovative business and legal skills into the public setting. After working for her parents' small business, she became one of the Commonwealth's youngest executive directors managing the Outdoor Advertising Board. Maria then left state government, working her way through law school as a tax specialist at KPMG Peat Marwick. Maria returned to state government as Deputy General Counsel at the State Treasury.

In areas where there was a need to make service delivery efficient and responsive, Maria then became Chief Administrative Officer at the Pension Reserves Investment Management Board, Executive Director at the Appellate Tax Board at the Department of Revenue, and Chairman of the Board of Review at the Division of Employment and Training. Of all of her accomplishments in state government, she is especially proud of her work as a Team Leader on Governor Weld's regulation reform project. This extraordinary project eliminated or modified two-thirds of the state's burdensome regulations affecting individuals and businesses. The Team (and Maria) received the Governor's Award for Excellence in Public Service in 1997.

Maria is co-owner of a local real estate investment/management company. She has also been a consultant to business start-ups and higher education institutions in the state and has recently become a trained mediator.

After graduating from Andover High School, Maria earned her BA from Simmons College, an MBA from Boston University, and a JD from Suffolk University.

The daughter of a WWII veteran and a Massachusetts business entrepreneur (Patrick Marasco), Maria knows the importance of education, hard work, and community. She is a life-long resident of Andover. Her mother (Rose Scalora Marasco) a retired nurse, grew up in the City of Lawrence where Maria's grandparents emigrated from Italy, worked, and raised a family of nine. Maria has three brothers, two are Massachusetts physicians, and the other a local businessman.

Recently, Ms. Marasco and group of local citizens worked to defeat the tax $1.13 million override election by a margin of 2:1 in Andover. Maria also serves as Vice Chairman of the Andover Republican Town Committee.