‘It just felt like the right time,’ Republican leader Brad Jones says as he opts against another run

To stop skyrocketing energy costs, MA needs battery storage.

Rep. Brad Jones said there wasn’t any one thing that caused him to call it a career 32 years after Gov. William Weld first administered the oath of office to him.

“If you want to have a second chapter, you want to do it while you’re young enough,” he said in a phone interview shortly after announcing his decision to step aside and not run for another two-year term on Beacon Hill.

“It just felt like the right time,” he said.

Jones, a 61-year-old North Reading Republican, had Weld to thank for his special election win back in 1994, when Jones’s boss, Rep. Robert Krekorian, joined the administration as an assistant secretary of public safety. 

Jones said he plans to go ahead with his annual breakfast-fundraiser in April at the Hampshire House, down the street from the State House. (Owner Tom Kershaw is a longtime friend.)

“I’m labeling it the last breakfast,” Jones quipped.

The leader of a steadily shrinking Republican caucus since 2002, Jones sounded a reflective note Monday as he recalled his battles with Democratic governors, his party’s minority status and his seat, which has become a purple district and could be a pick-up opportunity for Democrats who already hold an overwhelming majority in the house.

“You don’t have to be an MIT math major to understand if you are a Republican who wants to get something done in the Legislature, you need Democratic support,” Jones said.

The other truism he tries to tell fellow House members: “If you want to go out and be a bomb thrower, it’s tough to then go, ‘Oh by the way can you help me with this thing,’” he said. “Everything is related up here. I wish that it weren’t.”

Jones has his critics, and not just the ones who hail from the Democratic Party. Paul Craney, the executive director of the conservative-leaning Mass. Fiscal Alliance, indicated he believed Jones is part of the problem on Beacon Hill. “Brad never proposed a Republican budget,” he said on the social media site X, adding that he hopes whoever succeeds Jones as minority leader “will be bold and offer a vision.”

Asked to respond, Jones noted that Craney advocates for transparency while “we have no idea” who his donors are and who pays his salary. He takes what Craney says with a “grain of salt.”

Amy Carnevale, the chair of the MassGOP, said in a statement that the party was grateful for Jones’s service and he will leave an “indelible imprint on the body he has represented that will not soon be replaced.”

But who is replacing him in his district – which includes Lynnfield, Middleton and Reading – will be known this November. John Olds, who worked with Jones in Republican politics, said the district has not seen the same leftward shift as other North Shore seats have, and Republicans have a “fighting chance.”

Olds recalled speaking frequently with Jones when he worked on former Rep. Lenny Mirra’s 2020 and 2022 runs for office. “Anything we needed in terms of resources, volunteers, help with fundraising, he was always there,” Olds said. “When Lenny was going through his recount, he and caucus members helped with that.”

Jones plans to serve out the rest of his term, with his successor, whoever it is, taking the seat in January. He said Republicans can hold onto the seat if they find “the right candidate.” “I do not have a specific successor that I’ve anointed,” he said. 

Jones’s No. 2, Kimberly Ferguson, also announced she isn’t running for reelection, though she said it back in December. Who else is retiring this year but hasn’t announced yet? Send the names along to: [email protected].

To stop skyrocketing energy costs, MA needs battery storage.

7:00 | Republican candidate for lieutenant governor Anne Brensley hosts a day-long phone-a-thon to raise the funds required for her to give a speech at the Massachusetts Republican Convention. Under the party's rules, candidates for lieutenant governor must raise $25,000 to speak at the convention, according to Brensley's campaign. The phone-a-thon continues until 10 p.m. | Livestream

8:00 | The Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy at UMass Boston holds “In This Moment: Women of Color Driving Change for Equity” which is focused on transformative leadership, building movements and collective well-being. The meeting will bring together women, youth, people of color and supporters and feature the release of a report “Carrying the Weight, Leading the Change: How Women of Color Grassroots Leaders Navigate Inequities While Driving Solutions.” | UMass Club, 32nd floor, 1 Beacon St., Boston | More Info and Registration

10:00 | The Joint Committee on Ways and Means holds a fiscal 2027 budget hearing focused on public safety and the judiciary. The hearing, chaired by Sen. Paul Feeney and Rep. David Biele, is held in Foxborough, where local, state and federal officials are coordinating public safety efforts surrounding seven FIFA World Cup matches. Testimony is expected from the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, district attorneys, sheriffs, judges, the Office of Campaign Finance, the POST Commission, and the Committee for Public Counsel Services, among others. | Foxboro Community Center, 76 Main St., Foxborough | More Info and Access

10:45 | Gov. Maura Healey gives remarks as tourism and hospitality leaders gather for the opening day of the Massachusetts Governor’s Conference on Travel and Tourism, with a focus on preparing for visitors attending events like the FIFA World Cup matches in Foxborough, the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, and the return of Tall Ships to Boston Harbor. | DoubleTree by Hilton Boston North Shore, 50 Ferncroft Road, Danvers

11:00 | The Senate Committee on Post Audit and Oversight conducts an oversight hearing on the botched MassDOT service plaza operator procurement. Inspector General Jeff Shapiro, Interim Transportation Secretary and MBTA General Manager Phil Eng, and Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver will testify, according to Chair Sen. Mark Montigny's office. | Room B-2 | More Info and Access

Jobs continue below the fold — post a job

Seth Moulton has brought on two senior advisers to help with his U.S. Senate campaign: Wilnelia Rivera and Josiane Martinez.

The pair will help with strategy, communications and community outreach as Moulton wages a Democratic primary campaign against longtime incumbent Ed Markey, according to the campaign.

Rivera, an urban planner, is the founder and CEO of Rivera Consulting, which launched in 2015. A Boston resident, she serves on the board of the Massachusetts Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce. 

In a statement, Rivera decried the “wait-your-turn politics” of Massachusetts. “I will not delay another six years to engage in the debate that the Democratic Party has been conducting behind closed doors for over fifty years,” Rivera said. “I endorse Seth for the same reason I supported Ayanna Pressley, Liz Miranda, and Jim O'Day: we require courageous leadership willing to challenge those in positions of authority to enhance the quality of life for the most vulnerable among us.”

Martinez founded Archipelago Strategies Group 13 years ago, and has backed Pressley’s 2018 run against Rep. Michael Capuano, Deval Patrick’s campaigns for governor and Michelle Wu’s runs for mayor. (Both Pressley and Wu are supporting Markey for reelection.)

In her own statement, Martinez called Moulton “both coachable and deeply grounded in community.”  Referring to his controversial remarks after the 2024 presidential election about trans athletes, she added, “He has taken the time to sit with members of the trans community—to listen, to understand, and to make the right calls when it comes to voting and showing up for LGBTQ+ people. That matters.”

WORLD CUP CASH: The Healey administration is handing out grants to 17 cities and community groups as part of World Cup safety planning, operations and marketing events. The entities include Boston Soccer 26 and the Massachusetts Youth Soccer Association, and the cities of Boston, Brockton, Cambridge and Chelsea. – Boston Business Journal

RETURN TO WORK: A Healey administration staffer was back at work Monday after a clash with the Trump administration over immigration policies. A judge had ordered the administration to process Venezuelan native Valentina Amaro Bowser’s application for work authorization. She is now applying for legal permanent residence. – WBUR

MARIJUANA ROLLBACK: State lawmakers pushed back on a proponent of a recreational marijuana rollback as a legislative committee weighs a proposed ballot question. Wendy Wakeman, a longtime GOP operative who is helping with the ballot question, acknowledged the vast majority of people who use cannabis can do it safely. – State House News Service (gift link)

DARK MONEY IN MASS.: Dark money is flowing through Massachusetts politics like the Charles River, with one entity tied to Gov. Maura Healey taking in money from DraftKings and Peckham Industries, a paving company that has state contracts – WBUR

SUFFOLK DA CHATTER: Suffolk DA Kevin Hayden could potentially face challengers later this year after charging a Boston Police officer with manslaughter. Names in circulation include former City Councilor Michael Flaherty, disgraced ex-prosecutor Rachael Rollins, and former assistant DA Kevin Mullen. – Boston Herald

FANEUIL HALL PANEL: An effort to revitalize Faneuil Hall Marketplace headlined by Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and Harvard University’s Ed Glaeser drew real estate executives, including Dave Greaney and Ron Druker. City officials are looking to a panel of architects, developers and professors to offer recommendations. – Boston Globe

SPRINGFIELD TO NYC: Planners at MassDOT, Amtrak and the state of Connecticut are discussing new hourly train service between New York City and Springfield. Before that can come about, Springfield’s Union Station, Amtrak’s fleet and the tracks will need upgrades. – MassLive

TRAHAN OVERSIGHT VISIT: Rep. Lori Trahan plans an official visit Tuesday to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Burlington as public polling continues to show the agency has lost support among Americans. – Eagle-Tribune

MAYOR IN THE MIDDLE: A proposed apartment tower in Somerville’s Davis Square may become a litmus test for Jake Wilson, Somerville’s new mayor. – Banker & Tradesman

At Mass General Brigham, our leaders bring together the brightest minds to solve the toughest challenges in healthcare. From academic medical centers to community hospitals, mobile health centers and more we deliver compassionate, patient-centered care. The high quality care we provide is built on innovative research and visionary leadership throughout the system.

Springfield mayor pushing for Legislature’s approval of tax relief bill

Slow winter market could lead to extra homebuyers, sellers in April

Federal judge orders former community activist Cannon-Grant to pay more than $224,000

Do you have an open job you'd like to feature here? Click here to place a job board order, or email Dylan Rossiter at [email protected].

Training and Event Coordinator, Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance

Campaign Manager, Committee to Elect Tom Hopcroft

Director of Government Affairs, Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston

Chief Administrative and Financial Officer, City of Holyoke

City Auditor, City of Holyoke

Director of Senior Services, Town of Amherst

Chief People Officer, Boston Public Health Commission

Director of Finance and Operations, Massachusetts Advocates for Children

Director of Decarbonization and Energy Transition, Boston Green Ribbon Commission

Director of Advancement, Strategies for Children

VIEW ALL JOBS