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Karyn Polito

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Karyn Polito
Image of Karyn Polito
Prior offices
Massachusetts House of Representatives 11th Worcester District

Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts
Successor: Kim Driscoll

Education

Bachelor's

Boston College, 1988

Law

New England School of Law, 1991

Personal
Profession
Attorney
Contact

Karyn Polito (Republican Party) was the Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts. She assumed office on January 8, 2015. She left office on January 5, 2023.

Polito (Republican Party) ran for re-election for Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts. She won in the general election on November 6, 2018.

She ran on a joint ticket with the gubernatorial nominee, Charles D. Baker (R).

Polito was elected on the Republican ticket with Gov. Charles D. Baker on November 4, 2014.[1] She filled a vacancy that had existed since the June 2013 resignation of Tim Murray (D).[2]

She represented the Eleventh Worcester District in the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 2001 to 2011, and she ran unsuccessfully for Massachusetts Treasurer in 2010.

Biography

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Polito earned her bachelor's degree in management from Boston College in 1988 and her J.D. from the New England School of Law in 1991. Polito worked as an attorney prior to her election. She served as commissioner of the Massachusetts State Lottery from 1999 to 2000, and she served as a Shrewsbury Town Meeting member from 1993 to 2000 and as a Shrewsbury Selectman from 1995 to 1998.[3] Her affiliations include the Corridor Nine Chamber of Commerce, Shrewsbury Education Foundation, Shrewsbury League of Women Voters, University of Massachusetts Memorial Foundation Board of Directors, and the Worcester County Bar Association.[4]

Political career

Lieutenant governor of Massachusetts (2015-2023)

Polito was first elected lieutenant governor in 2014 and assumed office in 2015. She was elected on the Republican ticket with Gov. Charles D. Baker.[1] She filled a vacancy that had existed since the June 2013 resignation of Tim Murray (D).[2]

Massachusetts House of Representatives (2001-2011)

Elections

2022

See also: Massachusetts gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2022

Karyn Polito did not file to run for re-election.

2018

See also: Massachusetts gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2018

General election

General election for Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts

Incumbent Karyn Polito defeated Quentin Palfrey in the general election for Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts on November 6, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Karyn Polito
Karyn Polito (R)
 
64.7
 
1,781,341
Image of Quentin Palfrey
Quentin Palfrey (D)
 
32.2
 
885,770
 Other/Write-in votes
 
3.1
 
85,554

Total votes: 2,752,665
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts

Quentin Palfrey defeated Jimmy Tingle in the Democratic primary for Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts on September 4, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Quentin Palfrey
Quentin Palfrey
 
58.9
 
307,240
Image of Jimmy Tingle
Jimmy Tingle
 
41.1
 
214,204

Total votes: 521,444
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts

Incumbent Karyn Polito advanced from the Republican primary for Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts on September 4, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Karyn Polito
Karyn Polito
 
100.0
 
204,914

Total votes: 204,914
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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2014

See also: Massachusetts gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2014

Polito ran for election to the office of Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts. Polito was uncontested for the Republican nomination in the primary on September 9, 2014.[1][5] She and gubernatorial running mate Charles D. Baker faced the Democratic ticket of Martha Coakley and Steve Kerrigan and three independent tickets in the general election. The general election took place on November 4, 2014.

Results

Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts, 2014
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngCharles D. Baker/Karyn Polito 48.4% 1,044,573
     Democratic Martha Coakley/Steve Kerrigan 46.5% 1,004,408
     United Independent Evan Falchuk/Angus Jennings 3.3% 71,814
     Independent Scott Lively/Shelly Saunders 0.9% 19,378
     Independent Jeffrey McCormick/Tracy Post 0.8% 16,295
     Nonpartisan Write-in votes 0.1% 1,858
Total Votes 2,158,326
Election results via Massachusetts Secretary of State

2008

On November 4, 2008, Polito won re-election to the Massachusetts House of Representatives, Eleventh Worcester, unopposed.[6]

Polito raised $110,247 for her campaign.[7]

Massachusetts State House of Representatives, Eleventh Worcester (2008)
Candidates Votes
Green check mark transparent.png Karyn E. Polito (R) 17,241
All Others 93
Blanks 4,037

Campaign finance summary


Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.


Karyn Polito campaign contribution history
YearOfficeStatusContributionsExpenditures
2014Michigan Governor/Lt. Governor*Won $10,046,479 N/A**
2010Massachusetts TreasurerLost $2,334,843 N/A**
2008MA House District Eleventh WorcesterWon $108,441 N/A**
2006MA House District Eleventh WorcesterWon $85,100 N/A**
2004MA House District Eleventh WorcesterWon $109,199 N/A**
2002MA House District Eleventh WorcesterWon $80,982 N/A**
2000MA House District Eleventh WorcesterWon $50,629 N/A**
1998MA House District Eleventh WorcesterLost $190,013 N/A**
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

Committee assignments

Polito represented the Eleventh Worcester District in the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 2001 to 2011.

See also

Massachusetts State Executive Elections News and Analysis
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External links

Campaign links - 2014

Campaign Facebook
Campaign Twitter
Campaign Instagram

Campaign links - 2010

Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by
-
Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts
2015-2023
Succeeded by
Kim Driscoll (D)
Preceded by
-
Massachusetts House of Representatives 11th Worcester District
2001-2011
Succeeded by
-