Robert O'Leary
Encyclopedia
Robert A. O'Leary is a former member of the Massachusetts Senate
(D
-Barnstable
) who served from 2001 to 2011. He was a candidate in the 2010 Democratic primary for Massachusetts's 10th congressional district
.
but has lived in the 10th district for the past 34 years. With jobs ranging from washing dishes to working in hospitals and doing research for the International Association of Fire Fighters, O'Leary then, as a young man, served in the Army Reserve and taught in public schools. O'Leary's educational career lead him to Massachusetts Maritime Academy
where he currently teaches as a tenured professor along with an adjunct position at Cape Cod Community College
.
Commissioner in 1987 and took a role in forming the Cape Cod Commission
, a regional planning authority for smart growth started in 1990. O'Leary also participated in the Cape Light Compact which helped combine energy conservation
and green energy
incentives with consumer protection to change the process by which the area creates and consumes electricity. O'Leary's work on the Cape Cod Land Bank, which focused on environmental and open space preservation was also subsequently used as a model used by communities across Massachusetts to this day.
O'Leary won election to the Massachusetts State Senate in 2000, becoming the first Democrat in his district elected in 40 years and eventually spearheaded the nation’s first ocean management legislation, which allows for harmonious conservation, industry and development in ocean waters. Becoming Chairman of the Higher Education Committee, O'Leary lead in reforming and significantly increasing funds for Massachusetts’ higher education system. O'Leary chaired the Education Committee, and was a chief architect of one of the biggest pieces of education legislation since the Massachusetts Education Reform Act of 1993
. It allowed for increased choice and innovation in public school districts.
O'Leary was a candidate in the Democratic Primary for Massachusetts's 10th congressional district
, which includes parts of the South Shore of Massachusetts, and includes all of Cape Cod
and the islands
. O'Leary's candidacy came following the announcement by fellow Democrat Bill Delahunt
, who had represented the 10th District in the US Congress since first winning the seat in 1996, of Delahunt not seeking reelection in 2010. O'Leary lost the primary to Norfolk County district attorney William R. Keating
.
Massachusetts Senate
The Massachusetts Senate is the upper house of the Massachusetts General Court, the bicameral state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Senate comprises 40 elected members from 40 single-member senatorial districts in the state...
(D
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
-Barnstable
Barnstable, Massachusetts
Barnstable is a city, referred to as the Town of Barnstable, in the U.S. state of Massachusetts and the county seat of Barnstable County. Barnstable is the largest community, both in land area and population, on Cape Cod. The town contains seven villages within its boundaries...
) who served from 2001 to 2011. He was a candidate in the 2010 Democratic primary for Massachusetts's 10th congressional district
Massachusetts's 10th congressional district
Massachusetts's 10th congressional district is a political constituency that includes parts of the South Shore of Massachusetts, and all of Cape Cod and the islands. With a population of 635,901 and a land area of , it is the most populous of Massachusetts's ten congressional districts and the...
.
Early life and career
O'Leary was born and raised in Lowell, MassachusettsLowell, Massachusetts
Lowell is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA. According to the 2010 census, the city's population was 106,519. It is the fourth largest city in the state. Lowell and Cambridge are the county seats of Middlesex County...
but has lived in the 10th district for the past 34 years. With jobs ranging from washing dishes to working in hospitals and doing research for the International Association of Fire Fighters, O'Leary then, as a young man, served in the Army Reserve and taught in public schools. O'Leary's educational career lead him to Massachusetts Maritime Academy
Massachusetts Maritime Academy
Massachusetts Maritime Academy is a regionally accredited, coeducational, state college offering undergraduate degrees in maritime-related fields, as well as graduate degrees and professional studies. Established in 1891, Mass Maritime is the second oldest state maritime academy in the country...
where he currently teaches as a tenured professor along with an adjunct position at Cape Cod Community College
Cape Cod Community College
Cape Cod Community College, known locally as "4-C's", is a two-year community college located in West Barnstable, Massachusetts. Cape Cod Community College was established in 1961, the second institution to open as part of what is now a 15 community college system in Massachusetts...
.
Political history
O'Leary was elected as a Barnstable CountyBarnstable County, Massachusetts
Barnstable County is a county located in the U.S. state of Massachusetts, consisting of Cape Cod and associated islands. As of the 2010 census, the population was 216,902...
Commissioner in 1987 and took a role in forming the Cape Cod Commission
Cape Cod Commission
The Cape Cod Commission is a regional planning authority created in 1990 by an Act of the Massachusetts General Court and confirmed by a majority of Barnstable County voters....
, a regional planning authority for smart growth started in 1990. O'Leary also participated in the Cape Light Compact which helped combine energy conservation
Sustainable energy
Sustainable energy is the provision of energy that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. Sustainable energy sources include all renewable energy sources, such as hydroelectricity, solar energy, wind energy, wave power, geothermal...
and green energy
Renewable energy
Renewable energy is energy which comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat, which are renewable . About 16% of global final energy consumption comes from renewables, with 10% coming from traditional biomass, which is mainly used for heating, and 3.4% from...
incentives with consumer protection to change the process by which the area creates and consumes electricity. O'Leary's work on the Cape Cod Land Bank, which focused on environmental and open space preservation was also subsequently used as a model used by communities across Massachusetts to this day.
O'Leary won election to the Massachusetts State Senate in 2000, becoming the first Democrat in his district elected in 40 years and eventually spearheaded the nation’s first ocean management legislation, which allows for harmonious conservation, industry and development in ocean waters. Becoming Chairman of the Higher Education Committee, O'Leary lead in reforming and significantly increasing funds for Massachusetts’ higher education system. O'Leary chaired the Education Committee, and was a chief architect of one of the biggest pieces of education legislation since the Massachusetts Education Reform Act of 1993
Massachusetts Education Reform Act of 1993
The Massachusetts Education Reform Act of 1993 is legislation passed in Massachusetts mandating several modern educational reforms over a 7-year period. The reforms included the introduction of charter schools and the standardized test, the MCAS. It is based on Outcomes Based Education.- External...
. It allowed for increased choice and innovation in public school districts.
O'Leary was a candidate in the Democratic Primary for Massachusetts's 10th congressional district
Massachusetts's 10th congressional district
Massachusetts's 10th congressional district is a political constituency that includes parts of the South Shore of Massachusetts, and all of Cape Cod and the islands. With a population of 635,901 and a land area of , it is the most populous of Massachusetts's ten congressional districts and the...
, which includes parts of the South Shore of Massachusetts, and includes all of Cape Cod
Cape Cod
Cape Cod, often referred to locally as simply the Cape, is a cape in the easternmost portion of the state of Massachusetts, in the Northeastern United States...
and the islands
The Islands (Massachusetts)
The Islands is the collective name for the set of large islands south of Cape Cod in the southeast corner of the U.S. state of Massachusetts: Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard, and the Elizabeth Islands, and a small number of minor islands...
. O'Leary's candidacy came following the announcement by fellow Democrat Bill Delahunt
Bill Delahunt
William D. Delahunt is a former U.S. Representative for , serving from 1997 to 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Delahunt did not seek re-election in 2010, and left Congress in January 2011. He was replaced by Norfolk County District Attorney Bill Keating...
, who had represented the 10th District in the US Congress since first winning the seat in 1996, of Delahunt not seeking reelection in 2010. O'Leary lost the primary to Norfolk County district attorney William R. Keating
William R. Keating
William Richard "Bill" Keating is the U.S. Representative for . From 1999 to 2011 he was District Attorney of Norfolk County. He is a member of the Democratic Party and a former Massachusetts state representative and state senator....
.