Newly elected State Rep. Mark D. Sylvia was sworn Wednesday, Jan. 1 to represent the tri-town and the rest of the 10th Bristol District in the State Legislature.

Sylvia, a Democrat, is taking over from Democrat Bill Straus, who served for more than 30 years and chose not to run in the November 2024 election.

Sylvia previously served under former Gov. Deval Patrick’s administration in various capacities and has 10 years of private-sector experience in the energy industry. He is also a former member of the Fairhaven School Committee and has been Fairhaven Town Moderator since 2008.

Bringing his experience from both public and private sectors, Sylvia said,  “I am ready to get to work on the issues that matter most to our district. I am deeply grateful for this incredible opportunity and thank everyone who supported me along the way.”

As his first act as state representative, Sylvia announced the appointment of Betty DeBenedictis as his legislative director.  DeBenedictis is an experienced legislative professional, having spent 18 years in the House of Representatives working for former Rep. Tom Calter (D-Kingston) and former Rep. Matt Muratore (R-Plymouth).

Sylvia said, “Betty’s experience, accomplishments, approachability and her reputation among her colleagues in the House, are exactly what we need to hit the ground running for the people of the 10th Bristol District.”

Constituents can contact Sylvia at 617-722-2800 ext. 7320 or via email at Mark.Sylvia@mahouse.gov. Betty can be contacted at Betty.DeBenedictis@mahouse.gov.