Mass. House GOP Leader Jones not running, ending decades at helm

There will be a new Republican leader in the Massachusetts House for the first time in about a quarter of a century next year.

House Minority Leader Brad Jones of North Reading announced Monday morning that he will not seek reelection this fall, capping off a 32-year career in the House. Jones has led the Republican caucus in the Democrat-dominated House since 2002.

"Serving as State Representative has been a tremendously meaningful part of my life, and while difficult to leave behind, I eagerly look forward to my next chapter. It is a profound and distinct honor for which I will be eternally grateful. Representing the community where I was born and raised has made this even more of a privilege," Jones said in his announcement.

Republicans hold 25 seats in the 160-seat House of Representatives and have not controlled the chamber since the early 1950s.

In 1994, Jones won a special election to succeed former Rep. Robert Krekorian of Reading. He had been involved in North Reading town government, and worked as an aide to Krekorian and to Richard Tisei when he was a representative. Jones was sworn in on March 22, 1994 and said he has maintained a perfect voting record in the House since.

"As of last count, it is over 8,180 roll call votes. I believe this is a reflection of my commitment to my constituents," Jones said.

The North Reading Republican, who also represents Lynnfield, Middleton and part of Reading, has a near-perfect electoral record as well. State election records show he's won 17 of 17 general election contests and 34 out of 35 total elections. The only loss is Jones's first-listed election: a 1988 contest for Republican Party State Committeeman in his district.

Jones was one of three House Republicans who, in the fall of 1998, met nearly every day at the Capital Coffee Shop on Bowdoin Street discussing caucus leadership — the "coup in a coffee shop," as the News Service called the transition from David Peters to Francis Marini as House minority leader.

Marini resigned to don a robe as a Hingham District Court judge in November 2002 and Jones was elected to lead the party's House contingent without opposition.

"My colleagues in the Republican caucus have afforded me the rare privilege to serve as Minority Leader since 2002, allowing me to be even more impactful in my service," Jones said Monday. "Working with so many talented and dedicated members, often across the aisle, on a wide range of important issues over the years has been rewarding and inspiring."

House Speaker Ronald Mariano, who has been in the House for the entirety of Jones's tenure, said Monday he found the Republican "to be a thoughtful and pragmatic leader who preferred compromise over obstructionism."

"It was often Brad’s willingness to listen and work through disagreements that led to bipartisan legislation on a number of important issues, even when those disagreements appeared to be irreconcilable," the Quincy Democrat said. "As partisanship and petty politics continue to define the relationship between Democrats and Republicans at the national level, Brad’s commitment to doing things differently here in Massachusetts often bettered the House as an institution — a legacy that he should be proud of."

During his time as minority leader, Jones has sometime drawn grumbles from more conservative or more vocal members of his caucus who would have liked the party to take a harder stance or done more to be a thorn in the side of Democrats.

Jones faced a challenge for the minority leader post in January 2009, when then-Rep. Lew Evangelidis launched a bid for the position. Jones prevailed in a narrow 9-7 vote behind closed doors, and tensions about the contest spilled onto the House floor shortly afterward.

In 2014, after the caucus grew following the Tea Party elections of 2010, Jones faced calls from some of the more vocally conservative members of the caucus to step aside. But it was not until the start of the current session that he faced a declared challenger for his leadership spot.

Rep. Marc Lombardo of Billerica said in December 2024 that there was "certainly no effort to be a voice of opposition to the Democrats" under Jones and ran for caucus leader himself. Jones told reporters after the caucus vote that 19 representatives had voted for him, while five voted for Lombardo.

The second-in-command of the House GOP is Assistant Minority Leader Kimberly Ferguson of Holden, followed by Second Assistant Minority Leader Paul Frost of Auburn. Rep. David Muradian of Grafton and Rep. David Vieira of Falmouth are both third assistant minority leaders.