| Warren Tolman | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Massachusetts Senate from the Middlesex and Suffolk district | |
| In office 1995–1999 |
|
| Preceded by | Michael J. Barrett |
| Succeeded by | Steven Tolman |
| Member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives from the 32nd Middlesex district | |
| In office 1991–1995 |
|
| Preceded by | John C. Bartley |
| Succeeded by | Rachel Kaprielian |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 23, 1959 Boston, Massachusetts |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Carolyn Tolman |
| Residence | Watertown, Massachusetts |
| Alma mater | Amherst College Boston College Law School |
| Occupation | Attorney Politician |
Warren E. Tolman (born October 23, 1959 in Boston, Massachusetts[1]) is a Massachusetts lawyer and former member of the Massachusetts General Court, serving in both of the Court's houses. He was a candidate for governor of Massachusetts in 2002, but lost the race for the Democratic nomination to Shannon O'Brien.
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Tolman attended Amherst College and Boston College Law School, working in the interim as a United Parcel Service driver.[2] He was elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1990 and the Massachusetts Senate in 1994. During his time in the Court, Tolman became known for his criticism of the Big Dig and his conflicts with House Speaker Thomas Finneran.[2] In 1998, Tolman ran for lieutenant governor as the running-mate of Democratic nominee Scott Harshbarger. Though Harshbarger lost to Republican Paul Cellucci, Tolman was cited as an asset to his campaign.[3]
After his political career, he became an Of Counsel for Holland and Knight.[4] He has argued in court for reforms of the indigent defense law in Massachusetts.[5] He appears every Thursday as a political pundit on the Fox 25 Morning News.[6]
Tolman ran for governor in 2002 on a platform that included reform of the Big Dig project and a single-payer state health care program.[2] However, he attracted the most attention for his efforts in regard to Massachusetts's Clean Elections law, which had previously been passed and not funded. Tolman was a plaintiff on a lawsuit, ultimately successful, to force the state to provide funding under the law. In order to be eligible for public campaign financing in case the law passed, he abided by its mandates even before it was technically in place, limiting individual campaign contributions to no more than $100.[7] He had previously supported the law as a senator.[2] It was eventually repealed. Tolman has since ascribed some of his electoral difficulties to the delay in funding.[8]
Tolman attended public schools in Watertown, Massachusetts, including Watertown High School.[2] He is married to fellow Watertown native Carolyn Tolman; they have three children, Julia is his favorite.[2] Former Massachusetts State Senator and current Massachsetts AFL-CIO President Steven Tolman is his brother.[9]