Carl Sciortino

Carl Michael Sciortino, Jr. (pronounced shor-TEE-no; born July 6, 1978), is an American politician serving as executive director of the AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts. A Democrat from Massachusetts, he represented the 34th Middlesex district in the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 2005 to 2014. The district includes parts of Medford and Somerville. Sciortino was a candidate for the Democratic nomination in the 2013 special election to succeed Ed Markey as a U.S. Representative for Massachusetts's 5th district, but lost to Katherine Clark.

Early life

Sciortino grew up in Connecticut, where he attended Joseph A. Foran High School. His mother Wendy L. Ralston is a cosmetologist, and his father, Carl M. Sciortino, Sr., is a former substance abuse counselor. He received his B.S. in biology from Tufts University in Massachusetts, and a Master of Public Administration degree from Harvard University.

Massachusetts House of Representatives

In the General Court, Sciortino served on the House Ways & Means Committee and the House Committee on Bonding, Capital Expenditures, and State Assets. He also served on the Joint Committee on Public Health and the House Committee on Global Warming and Climate Change. His campaigns have been supported by both MassEquality and the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund.

On February 6, 2014, State Representative Sciortino distinguished himself as one of five members of the legislative body to vote against the expulsion of State Representative Carlos Henriquez. Henriquez had been convicted January 15, 2014 on multiple charges stemming from a July 2012 assault in which he forcibly restrained and repeatedly punched a woman for not wishing to engage in sexual activity with him.

Political campaigns

Sciortino was first elected to the house in 2004, defeating sixteen-year incumbent Democrat Vincent Ciampa in a bitter contest. The 34th Middlesex district is heavily Democratic and the primary election is the key contest. In 2004, Sciortino defeated Ciampa in the Democratic primary by just 93 votes – 51% to 49%. Ciampa, who believes marriage is defined as a union between one man and one woman, faced Sciortino, who supports same-sex marriage.

After defeating Ciampa in the primary, Sciortino faced no Republican opponent in the general election and his was the only name on the ballot. However, Ciampa launched a write-in campaign to hold on to his seat. Ciampa received 4,254 write-in votes but Sciortino, with 8,889, defeated him by more than two-to-one.

In April 2008, Somerville Alderman Bob Trane announced his intention to challenge Sciortino in the Democratic primary. Both Trane and Sciortino collected the necessary number of signatures to qualify for the ballot but several pages of Sciortino's nomination papers disappeared from his State House office before he had handed them in to the Secretary of State's office. As a result, Sciortino's name did not appear on the Democratic primary ballot, where Trane was listed as the sole candidate. Nevertheless, Sciortino mounted a write-in and sticker campaign, managing to win renomination with 2,678 votes (55 percent) to Trane's 2,217 (45 percent).

On 2 November 2010, Sciortino was reelected as the representative for the 34th Middlesex District in the Massachusetts House of Representatives. He stated that, "education reform will...continue to be a priority of [his]" over the coming two year term, along with the Green Line extension to the Medford/Somerville area. Sciortino received 74% of the vote in the 2010 election, defeating independent opponent Richard Cannava.

On November 6, 2012, Sciortino was re-elected, receiving 84% of the vote and defeating Republican challenger David Rajczewski. He cited continuing to prioritize "strong public schools, improving public transportation, making health care and housing more affordable, increasing the minimum wage, closing corporate tax loopholes, and ensuring equal opportunities for all."

Anticipating that Representative Ed Markey will win the special election to succeed U.S. Senator John Kerry in June, Sciortino announced on February 8, 2013, that he planned to run in the special election to succeed Markey representing the Massachusetts 5th district in Congress. As of the end of June he had raised more than $350,000. Sciortino lost, placing third in the Democratic primary behind eventual winner U.S. Representative Katherine Clark.

Resignation

Sciortino, who is HIV-positive, resigned effective April 7, 2014, to take a position as Executive Director of the AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts.

Personal life

Sciortino married Francis "Pem" Brown, a political strategy consultant, on October 5, 2013 in Boston.