Just hours after his victory in the most hotly contested Democratic primary in years, Adrian Madaro was standing outside Maverick Station thanking residents for their support and reminding them that there is a general election ahead on March 31.
Madaro, a 26-year-old lifelong East Boston resident, finished first in a deep and talented five-candidate field in the Democratic primary for state representative March 3. Madaro bested Joe Ruggiero, Ed Deveau, Lou Scapicchio, and Camilo Hernandez in an exciting election that captivated the East Boston neighborhood during one of the snowiest periods in city history.
In a display of Eastie-style sportsmanship, the four other candidates joined Madaro at a unity breakfast Friday at Donna’s Restaurant at which time they pledged their support to the Democratic nominee who will face Independent candidate Joanne Pomidoro in the general election. Mayor Martin J. Walsh, who supported Ruggiero in the primary, was also present at the breakfast.
Madaro said he was humbled by the tremendous vote he received in his first bid for elective office. The former chief of staff to State Rep. Carlo Basile displayed strength at the polls across East Boston following an efficient and energetic campaign that resonated with younger voters especially.
“It was just such an unbelievably humbling and overwhelming experience and I feel really honored and privileged to be able to have this opportunity and hopefully things will go well on March 31,” said Madaro. “I’m going to keep working very hard to make that a reality.”
Madaro said “hard work” was the key to his victory, never taking any votes for granted. His sterling academic credentials – he holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from Tufts University and is a student at Suffolk Law School – caught voters’ attention from the outset, but it was his persistent knocking on doors, his campaign’s positive message, and his family’s deep roots and proven history of activism in Eastie organizations that helped propel him to a potent 42 percent of the overall vote.
“I worked very hard,” said Madaro. “I was all in from Day 1. I had to have the buy-in from my close friends and family which was the first domino to fall. I got nothing but support and at that point I moved forward. I didn’t stop working. I looked for any and every opportunity I could to spread my message and to interact with voters.”
Madaro surrounded himself with a solid team, headed by campaign manager Liana LaMattina and field coordinator Gigi Coletta, who showed expertise beyond their years while helping to organize and rally voters to their candidate.
“We had a group of young East Boston folks and it was great to see my generation of people getting engaged and involved and getting invested in to the future of their community,” said Madaro. “We may have been a young team but we were a forceful team that really worked very, very hard.”
Madaro said he learned a lot from his parents, Jacapo Madaro and Debra Cave, about work ethic and being active in the community in which you reside. He has an older sister, Lauren Bond, a teacher at East Boston High School who was also very supportive of his campaign.
“As a first-generation American, I saw what my father went through and I know from his stories,” said Madaro. “It doesn’t matter if you’re an immigrant from Italy, Latin America, Morocco, southeast Asia, from wherever – the immigrant experience is often the same. Knowing my father’s story is grounding and it helps me understand the struggles and the needs and priorities of today’s immigrant population in East Boston.”
Debra Cave’s involvement in East Boston is legendary and extensive, ranging from her presidencies of the Eagle Civic Association and East Boston Social Centers board to her founding membership in the Excel Charter School. She was a member of the public advisory committee for the new branch library in East Boston.
“My mother is a very active community member,” said Madaro. “She’s really my role model and guiding beacon. The fact that she’s been so involved in the community, has been a lifelong educator and very dedicated to her career – the fact that she was able to do all that and also find the time to come home, cook dinner, and be just a wonderful mom and always providing that love and support and encouragement – I’m a lucky kid.”
Adrian Madaro says he is in “full c
Adrian Madaro with his parents, Jacopo Madaro and Debra Cave, and his girlfriend, Ariel Glantz.
ampaign mode,” meeting with residents and preparing to debate the issues with Joanne Pomodoro in the weeks leading up to the election. “I have the utmost respect for Joanne and I look forward to earning the votes of the residents of East Boston in the general election and to have the opportunity to once again share my vision, my views – and hopefully to have the honor to serve and represent East Boston.”