Karyn Polito
| Karyn Polito | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 72nd Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts | |
|
Assumed office January 8, 2015 | |
| Governor | Charlie Baker |
| Preceded by | Tim Murray |
| Member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives from the 11th Worcester district | |
|
In office January 8, 2001 – January 8, 2011 | |
| Preceded by | Ronald Gauch |
| Succeeded by | Matthew Beaton |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
November 11, 1966 Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater |
Boston College New England School of Law |
Karyn Polito (born November 11, 1966) is an American, Republican Party politician from the state of Massachusetts. She is the 72nd and current Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts, since 2015. From 2001 to 2011 she was a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives representing the Eleventh Worcester District – consisting of the town of Shrewsbury, and precincts 1 and 4 of the town of Westborough, both in the county of Worcester.[1]
Education and career
Polito graduated from Holy Name Central Catholic High School. Shortly after graduating from Boston College with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1988, she received her master's from the New England School of Law in 1991.
She owns and operates a commercial real estate development firm. She is a board member of the Worcester Area Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Corridor Nine Area Chamber of Commerce, and a long-standing member of the Home Builders & Remodelers Association of Massachusetts.
She is a lifelong resident of Shrewsbury, where she resides with her husband Stephan M. Rodolakis, and their two children.
Political career
Polito began her political career in local government, serving as a member of the Shrewsbury Board of Selectmen. She then continued on to the state level, serving as a member of the State Lottery Commission.
Massachusetts House of Representatives
In 2000, Polito was elected State Representative for the 11th District of Worcester, which covers Shrewsbury and Westborough. She held the seat for five consecutive terms, winning every election without any opposition.[2] Polito served on the House Committee on Ways and Means, the Joint Committee on Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Joint Committee on Telecommunication, Utilities and Energy, and the Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development. She is credited as the leading advocate in the bipartisan Jessica's Law being passed in the state.
2010 State Treasurer campaign
On March 1, 2010, Polito announced she would run for the office of Treasurer and Receiver-General of Massachusetts.[3] She was unopposed in the Republican primary. She lost in the general election to Steve Grossman. She received the most votes of any Republican running for office in Massachusetts in 2010.[4]
2014 Lieutenant Governor campaign
On December 3, 2013, Polito announced her candidacy for Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts. The leading GOP candidate for Governor Charlie Baker endorsed her candidacy.[5] She was not opposed in the September 2014 primary.
Issues and record
- Polito has supported term limits and eliminating state pensions for elected officials.[6]
- Polito has an A+ rating from Gun Owners' Action League (GOAL), the official state association of the National Rifle Association.[7]
- As State Representative in 2007, Polito voted yes on a constitutional amendment defining marriage as between one man and one woman.[8] However, she now supports same-sex marriage.[9]
Electoral history
| Massachusetts House of Representatives 11th District Election, 2000 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Republican | Karyn Polito | 18,182 | 98.6 |
| Write-ins | Write-ins | 262 | 1.4 |
| Massachusetts House of Representatives 11th District Election, 2002 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Republican | Karyn Polito (inc.) | 12,637 | 99.6 |
| Write-ins | Write-ins | 46 | 0.4 |
| Massachusetts House of Representatives 11th District Election, 2004 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Republican | Karyn Polito (inc.) | 15,813 | 99.2 |
| Write-ins | Write-ins | 129 | 0.8 |
| Massachusetts House of Representatives 11th District Election, 2006 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Republican | Karyn Polito (inc.) | 12,995 | 99.3 |
| Write-ins | Write-ins | 92 | 0.7 |
| Massachusetts House of Representatives 11th District Election, 2008 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Republican | Karyn Polito (inc.) | 17,241 | 99.5 |
| Write-ins | Write-ins | 93 | 0.5 |
| Massachusetts State Treasurer Election, 2010 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Democratic | Steve Grossman | 1,208,098 | 54.8 |
| Republican | Karyn Polito | 993,127 | 45.1 |
| Write-ins | Write-ins | 1,785 | 0.1 |
References
- ↑ "State Representative Karyn E. Polito". Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Retrieved May 8, 2010.
- ↑ http://electionstats.state.ma.us/elections/search/year_from:2000/year_to:2010/office_id:8/district_id:23791/stage:General
- ↑ http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2010/03/gop_state_representative_karyn.html
- ↑ http://elections.nytimes.com/2010/results/massachusetts
- ↑ "GOP's Polito Announces Run for Lieutenant Governor". CBS Boston/AP. Retrieved 10 December 2013.
- ↑ "No Pensions for Politicians". Archived from the original on 2010-10-17. Retrieved 2016-02-10.
- ↑ "Avi with Karyn Polito". WRKO. Oct 20, 2010. Retrieved 4 November 2014.
- ↑ "S 2220 – Constitutional Amendment Defining Marriage – Key Vote". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved 4 November 2014.
- ↑ Charlie Baker on Civil Rights
External links
| Political offices | ||
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| Preceded by Tim Murray |
Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts 2015–present |
Incumbent |
Current statewide government officials of Massachusetts | ||
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| U.S. Senators |  | |
| U.S. House | ||
| State government | ||
| State Senate |
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| State House |
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| Supreme Judicial Court |
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