John Edward D'Aquino

Background

Walsh, John Edward was born on April 14, 1958 in Brockton, Massachusetts, United States. Son of John and Margaret Mary (Prendeville) Walsh.

Education

AB, Princeton University, New Jersey, 1980.

Career

Although his friend lost a close race to an incumbent, Walsh was appointed to the Abington finance committee. At the age of 26, he was elected to the Abington Board of Selectmen, where he would serve from 1983 to 1993. During the 1998 Massachusetts gubernatorial election, Walsh served as field director of Brian J. Donnelly’s campaign.

In 2002 he was the campaign manager for the Massachusetts Democratic Party’s Coordinated Campaign. He also worked as the field coordinator for Plymouth County Sheriff Joe McDonough's 2004 re-election campaign. Walsh served as Deval Patrick's campaign manager during his successful 2006 Massachusetts gubernatorial run and was also the director of his transition team.

David Axelrod, a campaign advisor to Barack Obama, described Patrick's 2006 campaign as a model for Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign. From 2007 to 2013, Walsh was chairman of the Massachusetts Democratic Party. During his tenure as chairman, Democrat Martha Coakley was upset by Republican Scott Brown in the 2010 United States Senate special election.

The Democrats also retained control over the state’s entire US House delegation, all statewide elected offices, and a supermajority in both houses of the State Legislature. Walsh resigned as chairman to become executive director of Deval Patrick's Together PAC.

Walsh continues to serve as the President of Independence Insurance Agency, Inc., a small insurance company located in Abington.

Politics

A graduate of Cardinal Spellman High School and Princeton University, Walsh's political career began shortly after he graduated from college when he helped a friend who was running for the Abington School Committee. After this loss, Walsh oversaw the party’s grassroots campaign that helped Senate candidates Elizabeth Warren and Edward Markey win in 2012 and 2013, respectively.

Membership

He later spent three years as a member of the Plymouth County Charter Commission.

Connections

Married Donna Walsh; 1 child Coleman.

Father:

John Walsh

Mother:

Margaret Mary (Prendeville) Walsh

Spouse:

Donna Walsh

child:

Coleman Walsh