DeLeo’s future may be up for debate
House Speaker Robert DeLeo may be readying to leave his post atop the Massachusetts House of Representatives leadership after 30 years on Beacon Hill, according to reports.
Chatter regarding the Winthrop Democrat’s future has intensified in recent weeks, reaching a crescendo as House members met remotely and in person at the State House on Wednesday to debate the governor’s amendments to the budget, State House News Service reported.
The speaker’s office declined to comment when asked by the News Service if DeLeo was preparing to step down, or if he planned to run for another term as speaker when the new session convenes on Jan. 6.
Calls to DeLeo’s chief of staff by the Herald went unanswered on Wednesday afternoon.
Others in House leadership were similarly tightlipped on DeLeo’s potential plans for an exit.
DeLeo has held the position since Jan. 28, 2009, when he ascended to the position after the resignation of former Speaker Sal DiMasi, who was under investigation and eventually indicted by federal authorities on corruption charges.
Having been elected to 16 terms, the 70-year-old DeLeo is the longest-serving speaker in state history.
In February he surpassed the previous record by Speaker Timothy Bigelow, a Federalist from Medford and Groton, whose three separate, nonconsecutive speakerships totaled more than 11 years between 1805 and 1820. He already held the record for the longest continually serving speaker, beating out Thomas McGee of Lynn who previously held that record in August 2018.
His tight-fisted and tightlipped style of management, creating an environment where little debate plays out in public, has led to a growing chorus of critics — particularly in the progressive caucus in recent years, though DeLeo’s leadership is seldom challenged publicly.
Majority Leader Ron Mariano
of Quincy is the likely next in line for the speakership, though the 74-year-old could face a challenge from Speaker Pro Tempore Patricia Haddad or a member of the Progressive Caucus.
Mariano did not return calls from the Herald on Wednesday.
What’s next for the speaker is still up for debate. Some hinted he could return to his alma mater of Northeastern, though a spokeswoman for DeLeo knocked down those reports.