John J. Cronin is a lawyer,

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

state Senator, and former American military officer. Before election to the Massachusetts Senate, Cronin attended the

United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a fort, since it sits on strategic high groun ...

and served two tours in

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...

as an Army infantry officer. Cronin was honorably discharged from active duty as a Captain in 2018. Cronin currently serves as the Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Consumer Protection, the Vice Chair of the Joint Committee on Healthcare Financing, and a member of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. He currently represents the cities of Fitchburg,

Leominster Leominster ( ) is a market town in Herefordshire, England, at the confluence of the River Lugg and its tributary the River Kenwater. The town is north of Hereford and south of Ludlow in Shropshire. With a population of 11,700, Leominster is t ...

, and the towns of Lancaster, Lunenburg,

Townsend Townsend (pronounced tounʹ-zənd) or Townshend may refer to: Places United States *Camp Townsend, National Guard training base in Peekskill, New York *Townsend, Delaware *Townsend, Georgia *Townsend, Massachusetts, a New England town ** Townsend ...

Ashby Ashby may refer to: People * Ashby (surname) * Alan la Zouche, 1st Baron la Zouche of Ashby (1267–1314), governor of Rockingham Castle and steward of Rockingham Forest, England * Walter Ashby Plecker (1861–1947), American physician and publi ...

, Groton, Westford,

Shirley Shirley may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Shirley'' (novel), an 1849 novel by Charlotte Brontë * ''Shirley'' (1922 film), a British silent film * ''Shirley'' (2020 film), an American film * ''Shirley'' (album), a 1961 album by Shirley Bas ...

, and Clinton in the

Massachusetts Senate The Massachusetts Senate is the upper house of the Massachusetts General Court, the bicameral state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Senate comprises 40 elected members from 40 single-member senatorial districts in the ...

Early life and education

John Joseph Cronin was born in Leominster. Cronin graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 2013. He earned his

Juris Doctor The Juris Doctor (J.D. or JD), also known as Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D., JD, D.Jur., or DJur), is a graduate-entry professional degree in law and one of several Doctor of Law degrees. The J.D. is the standard degree obtained to practice law ...

from

Suffolk University Law School Suffolk University Law School (also known as Suffolk Law School) is the private, non-sectarian law school of Suffolk University located in downtown Boston, Massachusetts, across the street from the Boston Common and the Freedom Trail, two block ...

in 2022 and is a licensed attorney. In private practice, Cronin represents veterans with matters before the Veterans Administration.

Military career

After graduation from West Point, Cronin commissioned as an infantry officer and was stationed in Texas with the 3rd Cavalry Regiment. Cronin served as a Rifle Platoon Leader and Executive Officer in an infantry company during his two tours of duty in Afghanistan. He is a recipient of the Combat Infantryman’s Badge and a combat veteran. He was honorably discharged from active duty as a Captain in 2018.

Legislative Agenda

Innovation Pathways and the Career Technical Initiative

Throughout his time in the Massachusetts Senate, Cronin has been a staunch advocate for expanding funding for and access to workforce development programs. He made increasing access to vocational high schools a pillar of his 2020 campaign, often tying the region’s long-term success to 21st-century industries like

life sciences This list of life sciences comprises the branches of science that involve the scientific study of life – such as microorganisms, plants, and animals including human beings. This science is one of the two major branches of natural science, the ...

and

advanced manufacturing Advanced manufacturing is the use of innovative technology to improve products or processes, with the relevant technology being described as advanced, innovative or cutting edge. Advanced manufacturing industries increasingly integrate new innov ...

. During his first year in the Senate, Cronin secured $600,000 in seed funding for Innovation Pathway Programs (IPP), which provides high school students with the coursework and training to enter regionally aligned, high-demand industries directly after graduation. By 2023, IPP received more than $5 million in annual state funding with programs in healthcare, advanced manufacturing, and life sciences expanded to dozens of high schools across the state.

Gateway Cities

Throughout his initial campaign and tenure in the Senate, Cronin has advocated for the restoration of Massachusetts’ Gateway Cities - midsize urban centers that anchor regional economies and have historically been viewed as a “gateway” to the American dream. At the beginning of the 2023 legislative session, Cronin was named Senate Chair of the Gateway Cities Legislative Caucus (GCLC), composed of State Senators and Representatives across the Commonwealth’s 26 Gateway Cities. He currently chairs the caucus alongside New Bedford Representative Tony Cabral. Under Cronin and Cabral, the GCLC successfully advocated to expand funding for the Housing Development Incentive Program (HDIP), which allows the state to provide tax credits to developers who build housing in economically depressed corners of the state.

References