Richard R. Tisei
Encyclopedia
Richard R. Tisei 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.
, 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." Early in his career, Tisei worked as an intern in the office of Massachusetts House Minority Leader William G. Robinson.
. Running as a Republican, Tisei defeated Democratic
candidate Donald Flanagan, of Wakefield
11,189 to 8,263 and took office the following year. Tisei was the youngest Republican ever elected to the Massachusetts House.
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. The district included Lynnfield, Malden
, Melrose
, Reading
, Stoneham
, and Wakefield
.
's 2010 gubernatorial run. On November 23, 2009, Baker named Tisei as his running mate, and thus as a candidate for Lieutenant Governor
.
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. Baker and Tisei, unopposed in the Republican primary, were defeated in the general election.
(D-Salem). The newly redrawn Massachusetts's 6th congressional district
is the same, except it added the towns of Billerica
, Tewksbury
, and Andover
. 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. In Tierney's last re-election bid in 2010, he defeated Bill Hudak with 57% of the vote.
Massachusetts General Court
The Massachusetts General Court is the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The name "General Court" is a hold-over from the Colonial Era, when this body also sat in judgment of judicial appeals cases...
for 26 years, most recently as the minority leader in the Massachusetts Senate
Massachusetts Senate
The Massachusetts Senate is the upper house of the Massachusetts General Court, the bicameral state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Senate comprises 40 elected members from 40 single-member senatorial districts in the state...
. He was the Republican nominee for Lieutenant Governor
Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts
The Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts is the first in the line to discharge the powers and duties of the office of governor following the incapacitation of the Governor of Massachusetts...
in the 2010 Massachusetts gubernatorial election
Massachusetts gubernatorial election, 2010
The Massachusetts gubernatorial election of 2010 was held on November 2, 2010. Incumbent Democratic Governor Deval Patrick was re-elected to a second term. Also competing were the Republican Party nominee, businessman Charlie Baker; independent candidate and State Treasurer Tim Cahill; and...
but lost the general election to Democrat Tim Murray.
A graduate of American University
American University
American University is a private, Methodist, liberal arts, and research university in Washington, D.C. The university was chartered by an Act of Congress on December 5, 1892 as "The American University", which was approved by President Benjamin Harrison on February 24, 1893...
, Tisei was elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives
Massachusetts House of Representatives
The Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from single-member electoral districts across the Commonwealth. Representatives serve two-year terms...
in 1984. He was the youngest Republican ever elected to the Massachusetts General Court
Massachusetts General Court
The Massachusetts General Court is the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The name "General Court" is a hold-over from the Colonial Era, when this body also sat in judgment of judicial appeals cases...
. Tisei served in the House until 1990, when he was elected to the Massachusetts Senate
Massachusetts Senate
The Massachusetts Senate is the upper house of the Massachusetts General Court, the bicameral state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Senate comprises 40 elected members from 40 single-member senatorial districts in the state...
. 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.
Early life, education, and early career
Richard R. Tisei was born August 13, 1962 in SomervilleSomerville, Massachusetts
Somerville is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, located just north of Boston. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 75,754 and was the most densely populated municipality in New England. It is also the 17th most densely populated incorporated place in...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
and was raised in Wakefield
Wakefield, Massachusetts
-History:-Geography:The diagram above shows what is to the east, west, north, south, and other directions of the center of Wakefield. Towns with population above 25,000 are in bold italics.-Demographics:-Notable residents:...
. The son of a builder, he attended Lynnfield
Lynnfield, Massachusetts
Lynnfield is a wealthy town in Essex County, Massachusetts, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 11,542.- History :...
Public Schools and Lynnfield High School and received his B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
from American University
American University
American University is a private, Methodist, liberal arts, and research university in Washington, D.C. The university was chartered by an Act of Congress on December 5, 1892 as "The American University", which was approved by President Benjamin Harrison on February 24, 1893...
in 1984. A high school visit to the Massachusetts State House
Massachusetts State House
The Massachusetts State House, also known as the Massachusetts Statehouse or the "New" State House, is the state capitol and house of government of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is located in Boston in the neighborhood Beacon Hill...
gave Tisei "the political bug." Early in his career, Tisei worked as an intern in the office of Massachusetts House Minority Leader William G. Robinson.
State politics
In 1984, Tisei ran for the open 22nd Middlesex district seat of the Massachusetts House of RepresentativesMassachusetts House of Representatives
The Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from single-member electoral districts across the Commonwealth. Representatives serve two-year terms...
. Running as a Republican, Tisei defeated Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
candidate Donald Flanagan, of Wakefield
Wakefield, Massachusetts
-History:-Geography:The diagram above shows what is to the east, west, north, south, and other directions of the center of Wakefield. Towns with population above 25,000 are in bold italics.-Demographics:-Notable residents:...
11,189 to 8,263 and took office the following year. Tisei was the youngest Republican ever elected to the Massachusetts House.
After three terms in the House, Tisei was elected to the Massachusetts Senate
Massachusetts Senate
The Massachusetts Senate is the upper house of the Massachusetts General Court, the bicameral state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Senate comprises 40 elected members from 40 single-member senatorial districts in the state...
in 1990, succeeding retiring Democrat John A. Brennan, Jr. He defeated Democrat Mike Festa
Mike Festa
Mike Festa is the former President of the Carroll Center for the Blind, located in Newton, Massachusetts. The Carroll Center provides educational services, vocational and social rehabilitation, mobility, essential skills and technology training for those who are blind or visually impaired. He is...
and Independent Paul J. Maisano to represent the Third Middlesex district. The district included Lynnfield, Malden
Malden, Massachusetts
Malden is a suburban city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 59,450 at the 2010 census. In 2009 Malden was ranked as the "Best Place to Raise Your Kids" in Massachusetts by Bloomberg Businessweek Magazine.-History:...
, Melrose
Melrose, Massachusetts
-Government:Robert J. Dolan is the mayor. Melrose is represented in the Massachusetts House of Representatives by Paul Brodeur . Katherine Clark is the state senator for wards 1 through 5 and Thomas McGee is the state senator for wards 6 and 7. Melrose is part of the seventh Congressional...
, Reading
Reading, Massachusetts
Reading is an affluent town situated in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, some north of central Boston. The population was 24,747 at the 2010 census.-Settlement and Independence:...
, Stoneham
Stoneham, Massachusetts
Stoneham is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts. Its population was 21,437 at the 2010 census, down from 22,219 in 2000. The town is the birthplace of Olympic figure skating medalist Nancy Kerrigan and is the home of the Stone Zoo.- History :...
, and Wakefield
Wakefield, Massachusetts
-History:-Geography:The diagram above shows what is to the east, west, north, south, and other directions of the center of Wakefield. Towns with population above 25,000 are in bold italics.-Demographics:-Notable residents:...
.
2010 campaign for Lieutenant Governor
On July 28, 2009, Tisei was named the campaign chair for Charlie BakerCharles D. Baker, Jr.
Charles Duane "Charlie" Baker, Jr. , is an American businessman and politician from Massachusetts. He was a cabinet official under two Massachusetts governors, spent ten years as CEO of Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, and was the Republican candidate in the 2010 Massachusetts gubernatorial...
's 2010 gubernatorial run. On November 23, 2009, Baker named Tisei as his running mate, and thus as a candidate for Lieutenant Governor
Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts
The Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts is the first in the line to discharge the powers and duties of the office of governor following the incapacitation of the Governor of Massachusetts...
.
Just prior to the announcement of Tisei as Baker's running mate, Tisei publicly disclosed that he is gay
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
for the first time in an interview with the Boston Globe. Baker and Tisei, unopposed in the Republican primary, were defeated in the general election.
2012 congressional election
In November 2011, he said that he plans to challenge eight-term U.S. Congressman John TierneyJohn F. Tierney
John F. Tierney is the United States representative for . He is a member of the Democratic Party and an advocate for liberal policies and government oversight. A former attorney, he has served since 1997....
(D-Salem). The newly redrawn Massachusetts's 6th congressional district
Massachusetts's 6th congressional district
Massachusetts's 6th congressional district is in northeastern Massachusetts. It contains most of Essex County, including the North Shore and Cape Ann. It is currently represented by John F...
is the same, except it added the towns of Billerica
Billerica, Massachusetts
Billerica is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 40,243 at the 2010 census. It is the only town named Billerica in the United States and borrows its name from the town of Billericay in Essex, England.- History :...
, Tewksbury
Tewksbury, Massachusetts
Tewksbury is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 28,961 at the 2010 census.- History :Tewksbury was first settled in 1637 and was officially incorporated in 1734 from Billerica. Like Tewksbury Township, New Jersey, it is named after the town of Tewkesbury,...
, and Andover
Andover, Massachusetts
Andover is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. It was incorporated in 1646 and as of the 2010 census, the population was 33,201...
. 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. In Tierney's last re-election bid in 2010, he defeated Bill Hudak with 57% of the vote.