Bob McCarthy Pulls Papers to Run for State Senate

The following was information was released by Robert McCarthy's campaign:

Robert B. McCarthy, a Watertown Democrat, announced today that he has taken out nomination papers for the office of State Senator representing the new Second Suffolk and Middlesex Senate District.

McCarthy was a candidate for Senate Senate in a special election held last December to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of the Senator Steven Tolman, now President of the Massachusetts AFL-CIO. In a race that included four candidates, McCarthy came in second in each of the district’s communities, which included Belmont, Watertown, Cambridge and Boston.  

McCarthy is a third generation Watertown firefighter, who retired as a Fire Captain with 34 years of service in 2001. McCarthy proudly served in the United States Navy (Submarine Service) during the Vietnam era. He presently serves as one of seven Commissioners of the Public Employee Retirement Administration Commission of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. 

McCarthy served as President of the Professional Firefighters of Massachusetts from 1987 to 2011, where he worked tirelessly at the State House working with the Executive and Legislative branches of state government to ensure firefighters and their families had the tools, training and resources to protect the public. He helped to establish new financial grants to all fire departments for safe staffing and the equipment needed to perform their duties on a higher plane of skill and efficiency. 

McCarthy was appointed by Governor Dukakis and Governor Cellucci to serve as a member of the Board of Trustees at Fitchburg State University (1990-1999) and the University of Massachusetts (1999-2007). He graduated from St. Patrick’s High School Watertown and obtained an Associate in Science from Massachusetts Bay Community College. He also completed the Harvard College Trade Union Program on a scholarship.  

McCarthy currently is employed as a consultant and resides in Watertown with his wife of 44 years, Dotty (Maurer) McCarthy. They have three children and five grandchildren.