Fitzwater dives into state representative race
Aug. 15—SALISBURY — Charles "C.J." Fitzwater lives by the mantra "Love where you live" and he running as a Republican for the vacant state representative seat in the 1st Essex District.
Former state Rep. Jim Kelcourse resigned from his seat after serving four two-year terms at the Statehouse to take a position with the state Parole Board in June.
Since Kelcourse had already gained enough signatures to appear on the Sept. 6 primary ballot, both Fitzwater and fellow Salisbury resident Samson Racioppi are running as write-in candidates to succeed him in the November state election.
The district will represent Newburyport, Salisbury, Merrimac and Amesbury Districts 2, 3, 4 and 5 beginning next year. Amesbury Districts 1 and 6 will be in the 14th Essex District.
Fitzwater and Racioppi must receive at least 150 votes each to proceed to the November ballot — but only one will advance to the final election.
On the Democratic side, Newburyport Ward 6 City Councilor Byron Lane squares off against Dawne Shand for the nomination. Shand temporarily stepped down as president of the Massachusetts Women Political Caucus to run for office.
Fitzwater is a married father of four who works as a general manager for Northeast Auto Auction and he is also working on his bachelor's degree in business and finance at Southern New Hampshire University.
The 47-year-old moved his family to Salisbury in 2007 and he sits on the town's Zoning Board of Appeals. He is president of the Salisbury Lions Club, a past vice chairman of the Salisbury Community TV and Media Center board of directors, and a member of the Salisbury Beach Betterment Association.
The pro-choice Bayberry Lane resident said he is running as a "Jim Kelcourse Republican" and intends to focus on constituent services with the same vigor as the past incumbent.
"Jim did a great job for the 1st Essex District, and I want to continue that legacy by working hard for the constituents. I'm not going (to the Statehouse) to fight with the Democrats, I'm not going there to fight with the Republicans. I'm going there to fight for the people of the 1st Essex District," he said.
Massachusetts, according to Fitzwater, is "the greatest place in the world to live."
"We have the best education in the entire country and the No. 1 health care system in the world. We have the safest gun laws in the country and I believe that those values make us the greatest place in the world to live, and, as a Massachusetts conservative, I don't believe we need to change any of that stuff," he said.
Fitzwater added that he wants to make Massachusetts more competitive with its sales tax-free neighbor to the north, New Hampshire.
"I want to find ways to minimize the taxes that we pay and bring our 6.25% sales pet tax back down to 5%. That would really be healthy, especially for the border towns that I would represent, Merrimac, Amesbury, Salisbury and Newburyport. That would hit inflation right where it needs to," he said.
It was a brush with death when Fitzwater had a heart transplant in 2020 that he credits as the ultimate motivating factor in him becoming more involved in his community.
"The community really took care of me like I was family when I was waiting for the heart transplant and during my recovery. People were helping out with yardwork and housework and, as soon as I had the opportunity, I tried to give it right back. Because they deserve it," he said.
Dominick Gholston of Coventry, Connecticut, passed away suddenly in July 2020 and Fitzwater received the 27-year-old's heart.
"I was prepared for death and I received his heart. So now, I have a responsibility to Dominick and his parents to allow him to live on," he said.
Staff writer Jim Sullivan covers Newburyport for The Daily News. He can be reached via email at jsullivan@newburyportnews.com or by phone at 978-961-3145. Follow him on Twitter @ndnsully.
Staff writer Jim Sullivan covers Newburyport for The Daily News. He can be reached via email at jsullivan@newburyportnews.com or by phone at 978-961-3145. Follow him on Twitter @ndnsully.
