Richard Tisei
| Richard R. Tisei | |
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| Minority Leader of the Massachusetts Senate | |
| In office January 2007 – January 5, 2011 |
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| Preceded by | Brian Lees |
| Succeeded by | Bruce Tarr |
| Member of the Massachusetts Senate from the Middlesex and Essex district |
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| In office January 2, 1991 – January 5, 2011 |
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| Preceded by | John A. Brennan, Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Katherine Clark |
| Member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives from the 22nd Middlesex district |
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| In office January 2, 1985 – January 2, 1991 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | August 13, 1962 Somerville, Massachusetts |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Republican |
| Residence | Wakefield, Massachusetts |
| Alma mater | American University |
| Website | tiseiforcongress.com |
Richard R. Tisei (born August 13, 1962) is an American politician from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. A Republican, he served in the Massachusetts state legislature for 26 years, most recently as the minority leader in the Massachusetts Senate. He was the Republican nominee for Lieutenant Governor in the 2010 Massachusetts gubernatorial election but lost the general election to Democrat Tim Murray.
A graduate of American University, Tisei was elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1984. He was the youngest Republican ever elected to the Massachusetts General Court. Tisei served in the House until 1990, when he was elected to the Massachusetts Senate. He was elected Assistant Minority Leader in 1997 and Senate Minority Leader in January 2007. He was not able to run for re-election in 2010 due to his bid for Lieutenant Governor, and his last Senate term ended in January 2011.
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[edit] Early life, education, and early career
Richard R. Tisei was born August 13, 1962 in Somerville, Massachusetts and was raised in Wakefield. The son of a builder, he attended Lynnfield Public Schools and Lynnfield High School and received his B.A. from American University in 1984. A high school visit to the Massachusetts State House gave Tisei "the political bug."[1] Early in his career, Tisei worked as an intern in the office of Massachusetts House Minority Leader William G. Robinson.[2]
[edit] State politics
In 1984, Tisei ran for the open 22nd Middlesex district seat of the Massachusetts House of Representatives. Running as a Republican, Tisei defeated Democratic candidate Donald Flanagan, of Wakefield 11,189 to 8,263 and took office the following year.[3] Tisei was the youngest Republican ever elected to the Massachusetts House.[4]
After three terms in the House, Tisei was elected to the Massachusetts Senate in 1990, succeeding retiring Democrat John A. Brennan, Jr. He defeated Democrat Mike Festa and Independent Paul J. Maisano to represent the Third Middlesex district.[5] The district included Lynnfield, Malden, Melrose, Reading, Stoneham, and Wakefield.
[edit] 2010 campaign for Lieutenant Governor
On July 28, 2009, Tisei was named the campaign chair for Charlie Baker's 2010 gubernatorial run. On November 23, 2009, Baker named Tisei as his running mate, and thus as a candidate for Lieutenant Governor.[1]
Just prior to the announcement of Tisei as Baker's running mate, Tisei publicly disclosed that he is gay for the first time in an interview with the Boston Globe.[6] Baker and Tisei, unopposed in the Republican primary, were defeated in the general election.
[edit] 2012 congressional election
In November 2011, he said that he plans to challenge eight-term U.S. Congressman John Tierney (D-Salem).[7] The newly redrawn Massachusetts's 6th congressional district is the same, except it added the towns of Billerica, Tewksbury, and Andover.[8] This is a swing district where Scott Brown got 58% of the vote in January 2010 and where Baker/Tisei got 50% in the November 2010 gubernatorial election.[9] In Tierney's last re-election bid in 2010, he defeated Bill Hudak with 57% of the vote.[10]
[edit] References
- ^ a b Levenson, Michael (November 24, 2009). "Baker names Tisei as running mate." The Boston Globe.
- ^ Dabilis, Andrew J. (February 28, 1986). "A time of challenge against Republicans." The Boston Globe: p. B15.
- ^ "State Representative." The Boston Globe: p. B44. November 8, 1984.
- ^ Vennochi, Joan (February 2, 1986). "GOP optimists see silver lining." The Boston Globe: p. A23.
- ^ McGrory, Brian (November 7, 1990). "Republicans in State Senate gain numbers to sustain veto." The Boston Globe: p. B27.
- ^ Phillips, Frank (20 November 2009), "Baker narrows list of running mates", Boston Globe, http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/11/20/baker_narrows_list_of_running_mates_in_governors_race/
- ^ http://bostonglobe.com/metro/2011/11/08/map-changes-incumbents-terrain/5umXta4IMrjhN7ls03h16O/story.html
- ^ http://wakefield.patch.com/articles/tisei-plans-run-against-tierney-under-redistricting-proposal
- ^ http://www.redracinghorses.com/diary/1343/morning-political-roundup-for-november-8-2011
- ^ Election results from 2010 Mass. and national elections
