Shawn Dooley

Not to be confused with Shaun Dooley.

Shawn Dooley
Member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives
from the 9th Norfolk district
In office
January 29, 2014 – December 27, 2022
Preceded byDaniel Winslow
Succeeded byMarcus Vaughn
Personal details
Born
Shawn Clifford Dooley[1]
NationalityAmerican
Political partyRepublican
SpouseCarolyn "Cici" Van Tine
Children4
ResidenceWrentham, Massachusetts
Alma materAuburn University
Anna Maria College

Shawn C. Dooley is an American politician from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. He was a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives in the 9th Norfolk district, succeeding Dan Winslow. The 9th Norfolk District constitutes all or parts of the Towns of Medfield, Millis, Norfolk, Plainville, Walpole, and Wrentham.[2] A member of the Republican Party, he was sworn in January 29, 2014.[3] In 2022, he vacated the seat to run for the Massachusetts State Senate, he was defeated by incumbent Becca Rausch.

Personal life

Dooley received his bachelor's degree from Auburn University, and a master's degree from Anna Maria College. He is married to Family Law Attorney Carolyn (CiCi) Van Tine and they have four children.[4]

Political career

Prior to his election to the state house, he served as the elected Norfolk Town Clerk as well as the Chairman of the Norfolk School Committee.

Dooley was elected to the Norfolk School Committee at the May 11th, 2010 town election. That year he was also appointed to the town's zoning board of appeals by the select board.[5] In 2011 he elected as Norfolk's town clerk and was appointed to Norfolk's Board of Health and the School Building Committee. According to Norfolk's 2011 Annual Report, Shawn Dooley was also appointed a Justice of the Peace by Governor Deval Patrick and performed numerous marriage ceremonies in 2012, many of which were held at the gazebo on Town Hill. On Tuesday, April 30, 2013 he was reelected to the Norfolk School Committee. Upon his election to the state house, Dooley resigned his school committee seat.

Dooley made national headlines for his bill on preventing Chinese owned and other non-market economy nations from participating in the state bid process for critical infrastructure such as rail. The impetus of this bill was when China's government owned CRRC gained the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority contract for manufacturing orange lines cars. His original opinion piece sparked national coverage including Bloomberg, NPR, Washington Post and NBC radio. Similar bills were filed in both the U.S. House and Senate and passed in a bipartisan fashion.[6][7]

In August 2020, the conservative website New Boston Post published an excerpt from Representative Dooley’s nightly Facebook post on the pandemic criticizing Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker and calling him "King Charles" for implementing COVID-19 restrictions without consulting the legislature and issuing numerous executive orders under the guise of a state of emergency, after a spike of cases rose in Massachusetts.[8]

On January 3, 2021, Dooley challenged Trump supporter Jim Lyons for the Chairmanship of the Massachusetts Republican Party in an effort to "capture that middle ground as opposed to going far hard-right". Dooley lost to Lyons with a vote of the Republican State Committee 39-36.[9]

In 2022, Dooley ran for the Massachusetts State Senate. He was defeated by incumbent Democrat Becca Rausch, 55-45.[10][11]

Post State House Career

Rep. Dooley resigned from his seat on December 27, 2022 at 5:00pm,[12] a week before his term was set to expire. Following the resignation, outgoing Governor Charlie Baker appointed Dooley to the Massachusetts Civil Service Commission.[13][14]

Electoral history

Massachusetts Norfolk, Worcester, and Middlesex General Election, 2022 [15]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Becca Rausch 41,893 54.8
Republican Shawn C. Dooley 34,452 45.1
Write-in 53 0.1
Total votes 76,398 100.0
Massachusetts 9th Norfolk General Election, 2020 [16]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Shawn C. Dooley 15,862 58.5
Democratic Brian P. Hamlin 11,243 41.5
Write-in 12 0
Total votes 27,117 100.0
Massachusetts Norfolk, Bristol and Middlesex Republican Party State Committee Man, 2020 [17]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Shawn C. Dooley 5,389 64.3
Republican Earl H. Sholley 2,976 35.5
Write-in 19 0.2
Total votes 8,384 100.0
Massachusetts 9th Norfolk General Election, 2018 [18]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Shawn C. Dooley 12,029 58.7
Democratic Brian P. Hamlin 8,437 41.2
Write-in 14 0.1
Total votes 20,480 100.0
Massachusetts 9th Norfolk General Election, 2016 [19]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Shawn C. Dooley 14,427 60.9
Democratic Brian P. Hamlin 9,267 39.1
Write-in 13 0.1
Total votes 23,707 100.0

Dooley faced no opposition in the 2014 General Election.

Massachusetts 9th Norfolk Special General Election, 2014 [20]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Shawn C. Dooley 1,922 61.1
Independent Christopher G. Timson 659 20.9
Democratic Edward J. McCormick, III 566 18.0
Write-in 13 0.1
Total votes 23,707 100.0
Massachusetts 9th Norfolk Special Republican Primary, 2013
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Shawn C. Dooley 111 100
Total votes 111 100.0

2013 Annual Town Election, Norfolk School Committee For Three Years[5]

Candidate Votes %
Shawn Dooley 1,101 98.3
Write-ins 19 1.7
Blank votes 452 –
Total 1,527 100

2011 Annual Town Election, Norfolk Town Clerk For Three Years

Candidate Votes %
Shawn Dooley 656 53.4
Gail Bernardo 571 46.5
Write-ins 1 0.1
Blank votes 7 –
Total 1,235 100

2010 Annual Town Election, Norfolk School Committee For Three Years[5]

Candidate Votes %
Shawn Dooley 1,132 99.0
Write-ins 11 0.96
Blank votes 726 –
Total 1,869 100

See also

References

  1. ^ "Representative Shawn Dooley".
  2. ^ Jim Hand. "Dooley wins by landslide in 9th Norfolk District state rep. race". The Sun Chronicle. Retrieved July 16, 2018.
  3. ^ Lewontin, Max. "Norfolk Rep. Shawn Dooley is Sworn In". The Sun Chronicle. Retrieved July 16, 2018.
  4. ^ "Bio: Shawn Dooley". The Sun Chronicle. Retrieved July 16, 2018.
  5. ^ a b c "Welcome to Town of Norfolk, MA". www.norfolk.ma.us. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
  6. ^ Dooley, Shawn. "T invites enemy state into our midst". Commonwealth Magazine. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
  7. ^ Jonas, Michael. "State rep's rail-car warning echoes in DC". Commonwealth Magazine. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
  8. ^ Reilly, Tom (August 11, 2020). "Republican state Rep. Shawn Dooley of Norfolk slams governor over coronavirus restrictions | Local News". thesunchronicle.com. Retrieved October 6, 2020.
  9. ^ Kashinsky, Lisa; Tiernan, Erin (January 3, 2021). "Massachusetts Republicans Re-elect Jim Lyons as Chairman". Boston Herald.
  10. ^ "Shawn Dooley".
  11. ^ "PD43+ » 2022 State Senate General Election Norfolk, Worcester & Middlesex District". PD43+. Retrieved March 20, 2023.
  12. ^ "State House News Service". StateHouseNews.com. Retrieved March 20, 2023.
  13. ^ Mohl, Bruce (January 4, 2023). "Baker making last-minute appointments as he exits". CommonWealth Magazine. Retrieved March 20, 2023.
  14. ^ Reilly, Tom (January 5, 2023). "Political notebook: Norfolk's Shawn Dooley gets a new job, as does Joseph Kennedy III". The Sun Chronicle. Retrieved March 20, 2023.
  15. ^ "PD43+ » 2022 State Senate General Election Norfolk, Worcester & Middlesex District".
  16. ^ "PD43+ » 2020 State Representative General Election 9th Norfolk District".
  17. ^ "PD43+ » 2020 Republican State Committee Man Norfolk, Bristol and Middlesex District".
  18. ^ "PD43+ » 2018 State Representative General Election 9th Norfolk District".
  19. ^ "PD43+ » 2016 State Representative General Election 9th Norfolk District".
  20. ^ "PD43+ » 2014 State Representative Special General Election 9th Norfolk District".