42.25, -71
Ronald Joseph Mariano (born October 31, 1946) is an American politician currently serving as the Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives. A Democrat from Quincy, he was first elected to the House in a December 1991 special election. He was appointed assistant majority leader in February 2009 and was appointed majority leader in January 2011 by then-speaker Robert DeLeo, who he succeeded as speaker upon DeLeo's retirement in 2020. He represents the 3rd Norfolk district.Mariano was born and raised in Quincy, where he attended public school. He received his B.S. from Northeastern University in Boston and his M.Ed. from the University of Massachusetts Boston. He became a teacher and was elected to the Quincy School Committee, where he served from 1989 to 2009. He also served on the Ward 2 Democratic Committee, the Norfolk County Advisory Board, and the Quincy College Board of Governors.In January 2023, Mariano was reelected to a second term as Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives. His priorities for the 193rd Massachusetts General Court include child care affordability, public transport reliability, and oversight of hospital mergers and acquisitions. Mariano also outlined a focus on revising Massachusetts' state law to comply with the Supreme Court's 2022 ruling in NYSRPA v. Bruen, which declared may-issue permitting for firearms unconstitutional, as opposed to shall-issue permits.In October 2023, Mariano indicated that he intends to run for Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives during the 2025-2026 legislative session.