House Speaker Ronald Mariano said Tuesday he plans to run for re-election in 2024 and if successful, seek the chamber’s top legislative leadership post again, though he would not commit to serving out a full term.
Mariano, a 76-year-old Quincy Democrat, is in his 14th term as a state lawmaker after first being elected to office during a 1991 special election. He is in his second term as speaker of the House, taking over for former Speaker Robert DeLeo who was the longest-serving person in that role.
Asked if he would run for re-election, Mariano said “sure.” Asked if he would run for speaker next session, Mariano again said “sure.” But it “remains to be seen,” Mariano said, whether he would serve out the rest of that next term.
“The speaker looks forward to the work ahead the remainder of this term. He intends to run for re-election for his seat and the speakership. He’s grateful to the membership for their collaboration and support,” a Mariano spokesperson said in a statement only minutes after he spoke to reporters.
Mariano reported just over $500,000 in campaign cash as of Sept. 30, according to state campaign finance records. He spent $12,558 and raised $8,022 in September, according to state records.
He earns more than $178,400 as speaker, according to Comptroller records.
“We are preparing to run for re-election after the first of the year,” Mariano’s campaign spokesperson Scott Ferson told the Herald.
And it seems Mariano could face a Republican challenger.
“The MassGOP will be focused on competing in every district where we have strong candidates and an electorate open to two-party government. Communities like Quincy are becoming increasingly competitive as legislators on Beacon Hill advance policies that make it harder to live and prosper in the commonwealth,” MassGOP Chair Amy Carnevale said in a statement to the Herald.
During a recorded interview Sunday, Mariano said there are “a lot of things I really would like to get done” and he does not think he will retire any time soon.
“I have always been involved in healthcare. There are some things in healthcare that are changing rapidly. Obviously, Dana Farber leaving Mass General is a shock to me. I think that there’s a reconfiguration of the hospitals,” he said on WCVB’s On The Record. “I feel like there are some things I’d really like to sink my teeth into and put on what we hope to be the right track.”
