Easy Win For DiZoglio in State Rep Race

Dizoglio-solomonBy: Tom Duggan  – November, 2014

State Representative Diana DiZoglio (D-Methuen) handily defeated Rosemary Smedile (R-North Andover), on Election Day by 1,133 votes.

Smedile is Chairman of the North Andover Board of Selectmen and does not come up for re-election until 2016.

DiZoglio represents Haverhill, Methuen, North Andover and Lawrence.

“I’m just glad it’s all over,” DiZoglio said on election night, admitting that the nastiness of this campaign made it that much harder to stay positive and focus on real issues.

“I think at the end of the day the voters saw through the nastiness and the deception,” she said. “Now I can get back to work. There’s a lot to do.”

Asked about her priorities for a second term, DiZoglio said she is keenly focused on constituent services and helping working families in the district.

“I just plan on continuing the work I’ve been doing on issues like the substance abuse epidemic here in the Merrimack Valley and all of the problems that causes our families every day. It’s ripping apart our communities and the state isn’t doing enough to tackle the problem. I am also going to continue to focus on the state’s budget problems, increasing local aid to cities and towns, and forcing our government to be more open and transparent. Now that this is all over, I plan to be even more busy than I was during the campaign.” DiZogio said she is a full time legislator and is excited to be re-elected to a second term.

She also said is looking forward to working with Republican Governor Charlie Baker.

“Sure, we are in different parties, but I don’t play party politics. I’m an independent minded person, I’m not an extremist. I think Charlie and I have a lot in common. He is very moderate and I’m very moderate. I think we will work well together.”

As of the latest filing with the state’s Office of Campaign and Political Finance, DiZoglio outraised and outspent Smedile during the election. The reports detailed the candidates’ financial activity up to ten days before the election. The after-election reports will be posted on www.valleypatriot.com ten days after the election.

FINANCING THE CAMPAINGS & THIRD PARTY EXPENDITURES

DiZoglio raised $49,722.85 while Smedile raised $36,818.55.

That doesn’t include third-party spent on mailings, robocalls, and advertising. 

“These third party groups, one in particular, spent a ton of money attacking my character and my voting record. They were making all kind of crazy claims like I voted to raise the sales tax when I voted no. 

One flier mailed to homes about DiZoglio claimed she voted against giving preference to veterans over illegal aliens who apply for public housing.

“I never took such a vote. There was only one real vote on that issue and that was to require social security numbers for public housing applicants. I voted yes on that bill. That gives veterans preference over illegal aliens no matter how you try to twist it. I would never, ever vote against giving veterans preference over illegal aliens for anything. I mean, I’m the one who voted to put photo ID on EBT welfare cards. I support voter ID. That was the hardest part,” she admitted. “If they wanted to attack me on real votes, on mistakes that I’ve made that’s all fair game, but they were just making things up. There are real veterans out there who read that their state represented thinks more highly of illegal aliens than their service to their country and that has to be hurtful. It was a tough campaign, but in the end, the voters saw through the deceptions and now it’s back to work.”

A LONG ROAD TO NOVEMBER

Before being re-elected earlier this month, DiZoglio first had to overcome the betrayal of Methuen Mayor Steve Zanni in the September primary. Zanni put up his mayoral aide Phil DeCologero to run against DiZoglio and campaigned hard to defeat her. The theme of the Zanni/DeCologero campaign centered around attacking DiZoglio’s honesty and claimed she had betrayed the public trust.

Diana DiZoglio defeated Mayor Zanni’s candidate, Phil DeCologero by a 7 to 1 margin in Methuen. DiZoglio also defeated primary candidate Oscar Camargo.

Both Camargo and DeCologero endorsed DiZoglio and worked hard to get her elected in the November final against Rosemary Smedile.

Methuen Mayor Steve Zanni did not help DiZoglio after the primary.