Tributes pour in for state lawmaker Ann-Margaret Ferrante

Local News

Ferrante, who died on Thanksgiving after battling pancreatic cancer, was remembered as a tireless advocate for North Shore communities.

State Rep. Ann-Margaret Ferrante died early Thanksgiving morning after a long battle with pancreatic cancer, her office announced. She was 53. 

Ferrante was first elected to represent the 5th Essex District in the House of Representatives in 2008. Her district includes Essex, Rockport, Manchester-by-the-Sea, and Gloucester. She was Vice Chair of the House Committee on Ways and Means at the time of her death. 

Ferrante was a lifelong Gloucester resident who was the daughter of a fisherman and a school librarian. She attended Tufts University and graduated with a double major in economics and international relations. Ferrante then earned a law degree at Suffolk University and a master’s in public administration from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. Before being elected to the Legislature, Ferrante practiced law in Gloucester, specializing in land use issues and fisheries. 

In office, she focused her advocacy efforts on the disabled, veterans, small businesses, fisheries, and economic development in Cape Ann, according to her office. Ferrante led efforts to strengthen the region’s vocational programs, bringing new support to the marine biotechnology industry and more. Ferrante also was essential in establishing cultural districts on Cape Ann that expanded tourism and the arts. 

Ferrante was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2021, according to a video produced by the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute earlier this year. 

“I still live my life at 100% of what it was before, and to me that was a big surprise,” she said. 

Ferrante described learning about the diagnosis alone, during the heart of the COVID pandemic. She knew little about the disease, except that it was brutal. 

“Everything I knew about pancreatic cancer focused around there not being a treatment and people passing within six months,” she said. 

While receiving treatment earlier this year, Ferrante said that her support system at Dana-Farber and in her community allowed her to keep living a fulfilling life. 

“The ability to go on that journey, to go from devastating news to ‘oh my god I can smile everyday and be happy because I’m still living my life the way I want to,’” was something Ferrante wanted to show others was possible, she said. 

Now, tributes to the late lawmaker are rolling in. Gov. Maura Healey said that she was “heartbroken” to lose a “dear friend.” Ferrante was selfless, loyal, and inspiring, the governor said in a statement. 

After leaving Tufts, Ferrante got her start in government as a legislative aide for Bruce Tarr, the current Senate Minority Leader and a former State Representative. 

“For me, this loss is profoundly personal. Ann-Margaret was not only a trusted legislative partner, but also a cherished friend — someone my family and I considered part of our own,” Tarr said in a statement. 

Sen. Ed Markey called Ferrante a friend, describing her as “Gloucester to her core” and saying that she “fought for Cape Ann and the Commonwealth every single day.”

Officials from the North Shore mourned her loss. Rep. Seth Moulton, the Salem Democrat, honored Ferrante as a “remarkable public servant.”

“She was a dear friend, an accomplished legislator, and a champion for the people of Cape Ann. Ann-Margaret led with compassion, integrity, and a profound belief in the dignity of every person she represented,” Moulton said in a statement. 

Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, who previously served as the longtime mayor of Salem, said that she knew Ferrante for many years. 

“Ann-Margaret was Gloucester. She carried its stories, its resilience, its working-waterfront pride with her in every room she entered,” Driscoll said in a statement. “Across the Commonwealth, colleagues knew her as a thoughtful policymaker and a determined advocate. But to Gloucester, she was something even more: she was a champion, a protector, and a constant source of pride.”

In a joint statement, the police and fire chiefs of the communities Ferrante represented said that she “had an empathetic approach to public service that earned the respect of people in every corner of the community.”

Gloucester Mayor Greg Verga said in a statement that Ferrante “never stopped fighting for us.”

“I am grateful to have known Ann-Margaret for so many years. Beyond her public service, she was an incredible person — steadfast, compassionate, and committed to the place she loved. Our city has lost a true friend and champion,” Verga said. 

About 1.6% of men and women will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer at some point during their lifetime, according to the National Cancer Institute. There have been an estimated 67,440 new cases in 2025, and an estimated 51,980 deaths. The 5-year relative survival rate is 13.3%. Pancreatic cancer represents 3.3% of all new cancer cases in America. Pancreatic cancer rates are rising among young people.