John E. Walsh is an American businessman and political figure who currently serves as Chairman of the Massachusetts Democratic Party

Massachusetts Democratic Party

The Massachusetts Democratic Party is the state affiliate of the United States Democratic Party in the U.S. Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The state party chairman is John E...

.

Political career

A graduate of Cardinal Spellman High School

Cardinal Spellman High School (Brockton, Massachusetts)

Cardinal Spellman High School is a private college preparatory high school of Catholic denomination established in 1958 and located in Brockton, Massachusetts. Like their fellow Catholic school and sports rival, Archbishop Williams High School, they operate separately from the Roman Catholic...

 and Princeton University

Princeton University

Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....

, Walsh's political career began shortly after he graduated from college when he helped a friend who was running for the Abington

Abington, Massachusetts

As of the census of 2000, there were 14,605 people, 5,263 households, and 3,747 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,469.1 people per square mile . There were 5,348 housing units at an average density of 538.0 per square mile...

 School Committee. Although his friend lost a close race to an incumbent, Walsh was appointed to the Abington finance committee. At the age of 26, he was elected to the Abington Board of Selectman, where he would serve from 1983 to 1993. He later spent three years as a member of the Plymouth County

Plymouth County, Massachusetts

Plymouth County is a county located in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. As of 2010, the population was 494,919. Its county seats are Plymouth and Brockton...

 Charter Commission.

During the 1998 Massachusetts gubernatorial election

Massachusetts gubernatorial election, 1998

The 1998 Massachusetts gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 1998. Acting Governor Paul Cellucci was elected to his first term as Governor of Massachusetts.-Governor:...

, Walsh served as Field Director of Brian J. Donnelly

Brian J. Donnelly

Brian Joseph Donnelly of Dorchester, Boston was a U.S. Representative from Massachusetts from 1979 to 1993. He is a Democrat....

’s campaign. In 2002 he was the Campaign Manager for the Massachusetts Democratic Party’s Coordinated Campaign. He also worked as the Field Coordinator for Plymouth County Sheriff Joe McDonough's 2004 re-election campaign. Walsh served as Deval Patrick

Deval Patrick

Deval Laurdine Patrick is the 71st and current Governor of Massachusetts. A member of the Democratic Party, Patrick served as an Assistant United States Attorney General under President Bill Clinton...

's Campaign Manager during his successful 2006 Massachusetts gubernatorial run

Massachusetts gubernatorial election, 2006

The Massachusetts gubernatorial election of 2006 was held on November 7, 2006. Former US Assistant Attorney General Deval Patrick was elected to a four-year term, from January 4, 2007 until January 6, 2011. In his first elected office, Patrick is the second African-American governor in the United...

and was also the director of his transition team.

Since 2007, he has been the Chairman of the Massachusetts Democratic Party.

Business career

Walsh continues to serve as the President of Independence Insurance Agency, Inc., a small insurance company located in Abington.

Personal life

Walsh resides in Abington with his wife Donna and son Coleman.

In 2010, Walsh suffered a mild heart attack.