Karyn Polito


Karyn Polito is an American attorney, businesswoman and politician currently serving as the 72nd Lieutenant Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Polito was a Republican member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives representing the Eleventh Worcester District from 2001 to 2011. Polito was first elected Lieutenant Governor in 2014 as the running mate of Charlie Baker. She and Baker were re-elected to their respective posts in 2018.

Education, early career, and family

Polito graduated from Holy Name Central Catholic High School. Shortly after graduating from Boston College with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1988, she received her Juris Doctorate from the New England School of Law in 1991.
An attorney, Polito co-owns and operates a commercial real estate development firm.
Polito is a lifelong resident of Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, where she resides with her husband, Stephan M. Rodolakis, and their two children, Robert Rodolakis 16 and Judy Rodolakis 13. Rodolakis is an attorney specialising in bankruptcy proceedings.

Career in politics and government

Polito is a member of the Republican Party. Her experience in politics and government includes stints as a Shrewsbury Town Meeting member, a member of the Shrewsbury Zoning Board of Appeals, and a Shrewsbury selectman. Polito was Commissioner of the Massachusetts State Lottery from 1999 to 2000.

Massachusetts House of Representatives

In 2000, Polito was elected State Representative for the 11th District of Worcester, which covers the town of Shrewsbury and precincts 1 and 4 of the adjacent town of Westborough in Worcester County. She served in the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 2001 to 2011, winning every election without any opposition.

State Treasurer campaign, 2010

On March 1, 2010, Polito announced she would run for the office of Treasurer and Receiver-General of Massachusetts. She was unopposed in the Republican primary. Polito lost in the general election to Democratic candidate Steve Grossman, but received the most votes of any Republican running for office in Massachusetts in 2010.

Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts

2014 campaign

On December 3, 2013, Polito announced her candidacy for Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts. The leading GOP candidate for Governor, Charlie Baker, endorsed her candidacy. She was not opposed in the September 2014 primary. Baker and Polito won the 2014 gubernatorial election, defeating Democratic candidates Martha Coakley and Steve Kerrigan, respectively, 48.40% to 46.54%.

2018 campaign

In August 2018, Baker and Polito formally launched their re-election campaign. Both were successful in the Republican primary election held on September 4, 2018, with Polito running unopposed. Baker and Polito faced challengers Jay Gonzalez and Quentin Palfrey of the Democratic Party in the general election. The Baker/Polito ticket defeated the Gonzales/Palfrey ticket by a margin of 1,781,341 votes to 885,770.

Issues and record

Karyn Polito has been described as a socially moderate Republican who is generally conservative on most other issues. On The Issues, a non-partisan organization that records a politician's position on issues, considers her to be a "Moderate Conservative." Polito did not vote for President Donald Trump in 2016 and announced that she does not support Trump's reelection.