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Jon Santiago
Official portrait, 2023
Massachusetts Secretary of Veterans' Services
Assumed office
March 1, 2023
Appointed byMaura Healey
Preceded byPosition established
Member of the
Massachusetts House of Representatives
from the 9th Suffolk district
In office
January 2, 2019 – March 1, 2023
Preceded byByron Rushing
Succeeded byJohn Moran
Personal details
Born
Jon Santiago

(1982-04-01) April 1, 1982 (age 42)
Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, U.S.[1]
Political partyDemocratic
EducationUniversity of Texas at Austin (BA)
University of Washington (MPH)
Yale University (MD)
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch/service United States Army
Years of service2013–present
RankMajor
UnitUnited States Army Reserve

Jon Santiago (born April 1, 1982) is an American physician and Democratic politician who served as the Massachusetts state representative for the 9th Suffolk district from 2019 to March 2023. He ran a campaign for mayor of Boston in 2021, but withdrew from the race before the primary election.

Santiago resigned from the legislature on March 1, 2023, after becoming Massachusetts' Secretary of the Executive Office of Veterans' Services.

Early life and education

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Santiago was raised in Boston and is of Puerto Rican descent.[2]

Since 2013, Santiago is a Major in the United States Army Reserve. He previously served as a volunteer community health specialist to the Peace Corps. Santiago graduated from Yale School of Medicine.[3] He is a member of the Massachusetts Black and Latino Legislative Caucus.[4]

State representative

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Santiago has served as the Massachusetts state representative for the 9th Suffolk district since 2019.[5] His district mostly comprises the South End neighborhood of Boston, though it also includes parts of Boston's Roxbury, Back Bay and Fenway neighborhoods.[6] His 2018 victory in the Democratic primary unseated the chamber's assistant majority leader[7] Byron Rushing, who had represented the district for 35 years, starting in 1983.[8] Santiago had at one time been a State House intern for Rushing before challenging him to his seat.[9]

Santiago continues to serve as an attending physician in emergency medicine for the Boston Medical Center, arguing that such a job informs his legislation, especially when it comes to matters of public health like the opioid epidemic.[9]

Santiago resigned from the legislature on March 1, 2023, after being appointed by governor Maura Healey to become Massachusetts' Secretary of the Executive Office of Veterans' Services.[10]

2021 Boston mayoral campaign

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On February 23, 2021, he announced his candidacy for the 2021 Boston mayoral election.[11][12][13]

He withdrew from the race on July 13, 2021, and later endorsed Acting Mayor Kim Janey ahead of the preliminary election.[13][14][15] Because he ended his campaign after the withdrawal deadline,[16] he was still listed on the ballot.[17]

Massachusetts Secretary of Veterans' Services

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Santiago was appointed by Governor Maura Healey to serve as Massachusetts' inaugural Secretary of the Executive Office of Veterans' Services, heading the Massachusetts Executive Office of Veterans' Services. The office and the secretary position were created by legislation that had been passed in 2022, and came into creation on March 1, 2023.[18] It assumed roles previously housed within the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services.[19]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Meet Jon - Jon Santiago for State Rep". Jonsantiago.org. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
  2. ^ Soroff, Jonathan (December 8, 2020). "The Interview: State Rep. and Emergency Physician Jon Santiago". Boston Magazine. Jon Santiago first caught Bostonians' eye when he defeated the beloved 35-year incumbent Byron Rushing for a seat in the state House of Representatives two years ago.
  3. ^ "Jon Santiago". New Politics. Retrieved January 8, 2019.
  4. ^ "2019-2020 Massachusetts Black & Latino Legislative Caucus". mablacklatinocaucus.com. Archived from the original on July 29, 2020. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  5. ^ "Representative Jon Santiago". malegislature.gov. Retrieved January 7, 2019.
  6. ^ "Jon Santiago for State Rep | Jon Santiago believes in doing more for Roxbury, the South End, Fenway, and Back Bay". jonsantiago.org. Retrieved January 7, 2019.
  7. ^ "Representative Byron Rushing". malegislature.gov. Retrieved January 7, 2019.
  8. ^ "PD43+ " Search Elections". PD43+. Retrieved January 7, 2019.
  9. ^ a b Reporter, Victoria McGrane-. "Five freshman lawmakers to watch on Beacon Hill – The Boston Globe". Boston Globe. Retrieved January 8, 2019.
  10. ^ "Governor Healey and Lt. Governor Driscoll Appoint Rep. Jon Santiago as First Cabinet-Level Veterans' Secretary". mass.gov. February 17, 2023. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
  11. ^ DeCosta-Klipa, Nik (February 23, 2021). "Jon Santiago enters 2021 race to be mayor of Boston". www.boston.com. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
  12. ^ Wintersmith, Saraya (September 8, 2021). "Janey Wins Endorsement From Former Moderate Rival Jon Santiago". www.wgbh.org. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
  13. ^ a b Wintersmith, Saraya (July 13, 2021). "Jon Santiago Suspends Campaign For Boston Mayor". www.wgbh.org. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
  14. ^ Marc Fortier (July 13, 2021). "Jon Santiago Drops Out of Boston Mayor's Race". nbcboston.com.
  15. ^ Kashinsky, Lisa (September 8, 2021). "An election of historic firsts". Politico.com. Retrieved September 8, 2021.
  16. ^ "Boston Preliminary Election Results". The New York Times. September 14, 2021. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  17. ^ "BALLOT POSITION DRAWING FOR PRELIMINARY MUNICIPAL ELECTION SEPTEMBER 14, 2021" (PDF). www.boston.gov. City of Boston. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
  18. ^ "Governor Healey and Lt. Governor Driscoll Appoint Rep. Jon Santiago as First Cabinet-Level Veterans' Secretary". Mass.gov. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  19. ^ Kinney, Jim (May 30, 2023). "How Massachusetts Veterans Services Secretary Jon Santiago is working to rebuild trust". MassLive. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
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