Gravellese Pledges to be a Full-Time State Rep If Elected

Candidate for state representative Joe Gravellese said if he is elected to the position, he will resign from his full-time job and any other boards he serves on “so I can dedicate myself to doing the job of state representative.”

Gravellese is running in the Sept. 1 Democratic Primary in the Sixteenth Suffolk District that consists of Revere, Chelsea, and Saugus. Revere Councillor-at-Large Jessica Giannino is also running for the seat.

Gravellese issued a statement last week about his intentions if he is elected state representative. He elaborated further on the matter during an interview with the Revere Journal.

 â€œIf elected, I will leave my job at Boston College and the volunteer board that I serve on in the city,” said Gravellese. “It [state representative] is a full-time job. It’s not even just about voting, it’s about all the things that you do in the time between votes – to advocate, to build relationships, to fight for people in the community, to do constituents services. The best reps are the ones that do it full-time.”

Gravellese added, “I want to make it perfectly clear that she [Giannino] has every right to hold both positions [state representative, if elected, and councillor-at-large]. There’s nothing against it legally. But I do think the voters deserve an answer one way or other what she is going to do, because I think it’s something people would take into consideration when they vote.”

The Revere Journal contacted Giannino for a comment on Gravellese’s “full-time rep” statement and the councillor responded promptly.

“Being a state representative is a 24/7 obligation to the constituents who elect you. It would be my honor to serve the Sixteenth Suffolk District on Beacon Hill and I will leave no room for doubt as far as my commitment to being a legislator,” said Giannino.