KARYN POLITO has proudly represented the towns of Shrewsbury and Westborough in the House of Representatives since 2001. Karyn is motivated by her commitment to public service and the ability to positively impact the quality of life for all residents. For example, Karyn has been a leading advocate in this state for the passage of Jessica's Law, a bill which would establish tough mandatory minimum sentences for child sex offenders. Her advocacy paid off in 2008, when she was able to convince her Democratic colleagues to pass tougher sentencing legislation and to require District Attorneys to file more comprehensive reports about child sex offenses in Massachusetts.

In 2009, Karyn was chosen to be "Outstanding Italian" Grand Marshal of the Worcester Columbus Day Parade Click on the image above to watch a video about Karyn that was shown at the awards banquet held in her honor.

Karyn also believes strongly in allocating more state aid to go back to cities and towns, making Massachusetts more affordable, supporting public education and protecting families by passing stronger public safety laws. In her four terms in office, Karyn has advocated for a safer Commonwealth by filing legislation in a number of key areas: cracking down on drunk drivers, closing school registration loopholes for missing children, requiring defibrillators in public schools, and strengthening the experience requirements for young drivers. Karyn continues to understand the strain on local budgets, and has worked relentlessly to secure increases in local aid, Chapter 70 school aid, Special Education aid, and Special Education transportation aid, as well as for local grant funding.

Karyn also believes strongly in giving back to the community. She presents Inspirational Leader Awards at a rally she sponsors every October. She also hosts a very successful Polito Charity Golf tournament annually, which after five years has presented over $100,000 to Shrewsbury Youth and Family Services, the Westborough Food Pantry, and other local charities. Additionally, in 2003, Karyn passed the legislation allowing for the issuance of special license plates with the Red Sox and Jimmy Fund insignias. The Red Sox special-issued license plates have raised nearly $2,000,000 to date for the Jimmy Fund. All revenues derived from the plate go to the Jimmy Fund of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.