| Setti Warren | |
|---|---|
| 30th Mayor of Newton, Massachusetts | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office January 1, 2010 |
|
| Preceded by | David B. Cohen |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1970 Newton, Massachusetts |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Tassy Warren |
| Residence | Newton, Massachusetts |
| Alma mater | Suffolk University Law School (J.D.) Boston College (B.A.) |
| Occupation | Navy Intelligence Specialist Civil servant Political aide |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
| Website | settiwarren.com |
Setti David Warren (born 1970), an American politician, is the mayor of Newton, Massachusetts and a former Democratic candidate for United States Senate. He is the first popularly elected African-American mayor in Massachusetts.
Raised in Newton, Warren attended Boston College. From 1996 to 2000 he worked in several White House offices under President Bill Clinton, followed by a year as regional director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. He was the trip director for U.S. Senator John Kerry's 2004 presidential campaign, and worked for several years in Kerry's state office. He served a year as a Naval intelligence officer in Iraq while launching his 2009 campaign for mayor of Newton. In May 2011, he announced a bid to oppose U.S. Senator Scott Brown in the 2012 Senate election, but dropped out of the race four months later.[1] Warren resides in Newton with his wife and daughter.
Contents |
Setti David Warren[2] was born in 1970,[3] along with a twin sister, Makeda.[4] His father, Joseph D. Warren, grew up in the New York City neighborhood of Harlem. Joseph Warren was an advisor for Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis's 1988 presidential campaign, and worked in the African-American studies department at Northeastern University before his death in 2010.[5] Setti Warren's mother, Elpidia Lopez,[6] is a social worker at Cape Cod Child Development.[2] He also has a stepmother, Martha L. (Walker) Warren.[2] His younger sister Kara, who had struggled with severe asthma throughout her life, died in November 2005 at the age of 27.[7]
Warren attended Newton North High School, where he was the class president for all four years, and Boston College, where he was student body president. He graduated with a B.A. in history in 1993.[8][9] He received a J.D. from Suffolk University Law School's night classes in 2006, although he has not taken the bar exam to practice law.[8]
After graduating from college, Warren worked for two years with his family's consulting business. In 1995 he joined the New England branch of U.S. President Bill Clinton's re-election campaign.[10] From 1996 to 2000 he worked in several White House Offices under Clinton: the Advance Office, Cabinet Affairs Office, and the Social Office.[8] He served as New England regional director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) from 2000 to 2001, where he implemented a performance management system for the office.[10] He then worked for two years in fundraising at Boston College.[8]
Warren enlisted in the United States Naval Reserve in 2003. Around the same time, he joined the presidential campaign of U.S. Senator John Kerry.[11] After the election, Warren became deputy director of Kerry's Massachusetts office.[11] Around this time, he served partial terms on the Newton Community Preservation Committee and Economic Development Commission. He resigned each mid-term as his career with Kerry developed.[8]
In October 2007, he left Kerry's office to serve a year in Iraq as a Navy intelligence officer.[11] Before leaving, he assembled a committee to explore a candidacy for mayor of Newton. While he was on training in South Carolina in late 2007, his committee filed papers for his election.[10]
Newton Mayor David Cohen announced that he would not be seeking re-election in May 2008, leaving an open field which had not occurred in Newton since 1971.[12][13] Warren, on leave from Iraq in June 2008, declared his intent to run. His campaign was forestalled until he completed his tour of duty the following October, as Department of Defense regulations forbid active duty service men from seeking elected office.[14][15] In November 2008 Warren formally announced his candidacy, pledging to "protect the sacred trust between the citizens in this city and public servants."[16]
During the campaign Warren emphasized his record with FEMA, including the management of civil servants. Acknowledging his record of brief occupations, he promised to serve a complete term as mayor and run for a second if elected.[8] Warren was elected November 3, 2009 in a vote of 11,233 to 10,772,[17] defeating State Representative Ruth Balser who stood to be the city's first female Mayor.
Warren took office on January 1, 2010.
On May 9, 2011 Setti Warren announced his candidacy to represent Massachusetts in the United States Senate in the 2012 election. On September 29th, 2011 Warren dropped out of the race, declaring "I no longer believe I have a clear path to victory in this race".[1]
Warren married Elizabeth Tasker "Tassy" Plumber on August 12, 2006, with Kerry serving as a groomsman.[2] A Newton native, Tassy had worked in the administration of New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. She left in 2003 to work on the Kerry presidential campaign, where she met Warren.[7] As of 2011[update], Tassy is a project director at the Harvard University Center on the Developing Child.[18] Setti and Tassy Warren have a daughter Abigail. She was born in June 2008, within hours of Setti's return from Iraq.[7]