Senator Joseph Boncore is almost certainly stepping down from the State Senate to lead the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council as its Chief Executive Officer. While he has not officially resigned, Boncore has confirmed that he is a finalist for the position and a public announcement is expected soon.
Among the candidates likely to run to fill his seat is Adrian Madaro, state representative for East Boston since 2015.
A first-generation American and lifelong Boston resident, Madaro grew up attending Advent School in Beacon Hill and now serves on its board. He was first introduced to city government when he attended Boston Latin School and interned at City Hall.
Out of respect for Boncore, Madaro’s office declined to comment on his plans to run at this time. Boncore has already worked closely with MassBio as the Senate Chair of the Massachusetts Biotechnology Caucus. The news that he was considering taking up the CEO position first surfaced in July. If Madaro were to win the First Suffolk and Middlesex seat, he would expand his reach to Beacon Hill, Bay Village, Downtown, Winthrop, Cambridge, and Revere.
“The biggest chunk of the district is Revere and Winthrop. But if a Boston candidate is to win, Beacon Hill is going to be incredibly important for them to do well,” Representative Jay Livingstone said.
Beacon Hill residents will look to support a candidate, “who is deeply concerned about the environment and equity issues and improving the quality of life in Beacon Hill,” Livingstone said.
Livingstone and Madaro have collaborated on several bills. Last term, the two worked on a transportation bill to reduce traffic, change the fee structure on Ubers and Lyfts, and connect the red and blue lines. The bill was vetoed by Governor Baker in January.
“I worked closely with Adrian on that and he was a great partner,” Livingstone said. “I am waiting to see what develops in the race, but I have a lot of respect for Adrian.” As Representative for East Boston, Madaro has prioritized public transportation, the rights of immigrant communities, and green and open space.
Last
term Madoro, Boncore and Livingstone were all sponsors on a bill
addressing environmental justice, climate and public health. The bill
requires environmental impact reports for projects located within one
mile of a designated environmental justice community. Madaro is
currently advocating for legislation that supports universal and
publicly funded early education, local and community garden agriculture
programs, and air quality efforts in East Boston. The representative
serves as the House Vice Chair of the Joint Committee on Transportation,
Chair of the Afterschool Caucus, Co-Chair of the Italian Caucus and
Commissioner on the Metropolitan Beaches Commission. Other candidates
who have expressed interest in Boncore’s seat include City Councilor
Lydia Edwards, Revere Councilor-at-Large Steven Morabito and Democratic
State Committeeman Juan Pablo Jaramillo. Revere School Committee Member
Anthony D’Ambrosio has already submitted paperwork to the state to run
for the seat.
