John Christopher Velis is an American

state legislator A state legislature is a legislative branch or body of a political subdivision in a federal system. Two federations literally use the term "state legislature": * The legislative branches of each of the fifty state governments of the United S ...

and Democratic member of 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 st ...

since 2020. He previously represented the 2nd Hampden and Hampshire district, which includes his hometown of Westfield, and currently represents the Hampden and Hampshire district after the 2020 census. Prior his election to the state senate, Velis was a member of the

Massachusetts House of Representatives The Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from 14 counties each divided into single-member ...

from 2014 to 2020.

Early life, education, and career

Velis was born in

Westfield, Massachusetts Westfield is a city in Hampden County, in the Pioneer Valley of western Massachusetts, United States. Westfield was first settled by Europeans in 1660. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population w ...

to Susan and Jim Velis, one of three children with his brother Adam and sister Jennifer. His uncle, Peter Velis, served as a Hampden Superior Court Judge from 1999–2012 and member of the

, where he represented the 5th Hampden district (

Southampton Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...

, Montgomery, and Westfield) from 1973–1979. He was educated at Westfield High School and graduated in 1998, attended

Roxbury Community College Roxbury Community College (RCC) is a public community college in the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. RCC offers associate degrees in arts, and sciences, as well as certificates. RCC has transfer agreements with Curry College, North ...

, graduated from

University of South Florida The University of South Florida (USF) is a public research university with its main campus located in Tampa, Florida, and other campuses in St. Petersburg and Sarasota. It is one of 12 members of the State University System of Florida. USF i ...

in 2004 with a Bachelor of Science in political science, and from Suffolk University Law School in 2008 with a Juris Doctor. Prior to practicing law with his uncle, Velis spent time a number of government settings holding internships in the Hampden County District attorney's office, Hampden County Superior Court and the Massachusetts Treasurer's office. He was also an intern at the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in ...

during the term of President

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...

. After returning to civilian life, Velis was appointed by Westfield Mayor Daniel Knapik to the Commission for Citizens with Disabilities and is a volunteer basketball coach for the Greater Westfield Boys & Girls Club.

Political career

Massachusetts House of Representatives

In 2014, Velis declared his candidacy for the

, representing the 4th Hampden District seat held by incumbent

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

state representative Donald Humason, Jr. During the same year, however, Humason won a special election to the

after State Senator Michael Knapik resigned to take a job at

Westfield State University Westfield State University (Westfield State) is a public university in Westfield, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1839 by Horace Mann as the first public co-educational college in America without barrier to race, gender, or economic class. Ra ...

, triggering another special election. He was unopposed in the Democratic primary and defeated Republican opponent At-large City Councilor Dan Allie in the general election on April 1, becoming the first Democrat to represent Westfield in 35 years. He began serving the remaining seven months of Humason's House term and campaigned for a first full-term in the regular November election, defeating Allie in a rematch. In 2016 and 2018, he was re-elected to a respective second and third term unopposed.

Massachusetts Senate

On November 8, 2019, Velis announced his candidacy for the

's 2nd Hampden and Hampshire district seat following his predecessor Donald Humason, Jr.'s election as

Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...

of Westfield. He was challenged by

John Cain of Southwick, a businessman and former Navy officer. On May 19, 2020, with the election delayed by the

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quickly ...

pandemic, Velis won the Senate seat over Cain with 64 percent of the vote, becoming the first Democrat in 25 years to represent the 2nd Hampden and Hampshire district. He defeated Cain in a rematch. Velis was re-elected to a second term in 2022, defeating Agawam city councilor Cecilia Calabrese.

Towns represented

In Hampden County: Agawam, Chicopee (Ward 7 - Precinct 7A, Precinct 9A),

Holyoke Holyoke is a city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States, that lies between the western bank of the Connecticut River and the Mount Tom Range. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 38,238. Located north of Springfield ...

, Montgomery, Russell, Westfield, and West Springfield.
In Hampshire County: Easthampton and

Military service

Velis enlisted in the

United States Army Reserve The United States Army Reserve (USAR) is a reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the Army element of the reserve components of the United States Armed Forces. Since July 2020 ...

in 2011 and is currently serving in the Judge Advocate General (JAG) Corps as part of the 3rd Legal Operations Detachment. While on active duty 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 ...

, Velis participated in the

War in Afghanistan War in Afghanistan, Afghan war, or Afghan civil war may refer to: *Conquest of Afghanistan by Alexander the Great (330 BC – 327 BC) * Muslim conquests of Afghanistan (637–709) *Conquest of Afghanistan by the Mongol Empire (13th century), see al ...

's Operation Enduring Freedom and taught the Rule of Law to tribal leaders and brought warring parties together to achieve peaceful solutions, overseeing all

ISAF ' ps, کمک او همکاري ' , allies = Afghanistan , opponents = Taliban Al-Qaeda , commander1 = , commander1_label = Commander , commander2 = , commander2_label = , commander3 = , command ...

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...

rule of law efforts throughout the

Zabul Province Zabul (Pashto/Dari: ) is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in the south of the country. It has a population of 249,000. Zabul became an independent province from neighbouring Kandahar in 1963. Historically, it was part of the Za ...

in the war-torn nation. In August 2017, Velis was sent to

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its eas ...

for about a month to participate in joint military training exercises with the U.S. Army and allies. On July 4, 2018, Velis was promoted to the rank of major while on deployment in Afghanistan.

Political positions

Velis describes himself as a

fiscally conservative Fiscal conservatism is a political and economic philosophy regarding fiscal policy and fiscal responsibility with an ideological basis in capitalism, individualism, limited government, and ''laissez-faire'' economics.M. O. Dickerson et al., '' ...

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

. Prior to running for state representative in 2014, Velis described himself as a

Taxes

Velis supported a $36.3 billion fiscal year 2015 budget with no tax increases and voted in favor of in-state tuition for veterans at Massachusetts State colleges and universities at about 12:00 AM on Thursday, May 1, securing about $165,000 in the house budget for the city of Westfield. How the funds are allocated, $100,000 to Noble Hospital will increase ease of access to the front entrance for older adults and the disabled; $50,000 grant for new Senior Center furnishings to make it more inviting to a wider range of older adults, host more activities and increase its use; and $15,000 to stimulate the local business community. He did not vote on Bill H.4111, a bill that appropriates funds for the expansion of the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center; rather deciding to abstain from voting, showing neither support or opposition. He voted in favor of increasing the minimum wage from $8.00 per hour to $11.00 per hour by 2017. He voted for the 2018 Car Rental Tax Surcharge, which added a $2 tax surcharge to automobile rentals.

Education

Velis cosponsored Bill H.4200 with Representative

John Scibak John W. Scibak (born May 4, 1953) is an American politician who represents the 2nd Hampshire District in the Massachusetts House of Representatives. He is a former South Hadley, Massachusetts Town Meeting Member (1990–2002) and was a member of ...

, a petition relative to the scheduling of high school athletic contests. He was one of 35 legislators to vote "no" on Bill H.4091, a bill that authorizes the expansion of charter schools in certain communities.

Disability rights

Velis cast his first vote in support of Bill H.4047, a bill relative to assisting individuals with autism and other intellectual or developmental disabilities. This legislation is intended to improve educational opportunities and access to services for people with autism or other intellectual disabilities. Bill H.4047 would also create a special commission to look at state policies dealing with individuals with autism, and allow families to set aside money tax free in savings accounts to pay and plan for the long-term care and housing of children with intellectual disabilities.

Transportation

Velis has cosponsored Bill S.2169 with Senator Donald Humason, Jr., a petition with the approval of the mayor and city council for legislation relative to the acceptance of Paper Mill Road as a public way in the city of Westfield.

Crime

Velis voted in support of Bill S.714, an act relative to juvenile life without parole sentences. Under the measure, people convicted of first-degree murder for crimes that occurred while they were between the ages of 14 and 18 could be eligible for parole after serving 20 to 25 years in prison. For crimes that were deemed to involve deliberate premeditated malice or extreme atrocity or cruelty, the wait would be 25 to 30 years.

Manufacturing

Velis has cosponsored Docket HD4311 with Representatives

Diana DiZoglio Diana DiZoglio (born June 5, 1983) is an American politician who is the current Massachusetts State Auditor. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, DiZoglio had previously represented the Massachusetts Senate's 1st Ess ...

and Jonathan Zlotnik, otherwise known as An Act Relative to the Taxation of Inventory in Manufacturing. According to DiZoglio, the bill is designed to gradually eliminate the inventory tax manufacturers pay on raw materials over a period of four years.

Gun rights

In 2015, Velis introduced legislation on behalf of Gun Owners Action League (GOAL) and the Massachusetts affiliate of the National Rifle Association that would create a commission to review policies regarding the alleged dangers of gun free zones, which GOAL said had become targets for terrorists and murderers. Velis is opposed to legislation limiting the gun rights of law-abiding citizens. He was one of 11 Democrats to vote against House Speaker

Robert DeLeo Robert Emile DeLeo (born February 2, 1966) is an American musician, songwriter and producer, best known as the bassist for rock band Stone Temple Pilots. He is part of Delta Deep and he has also played in Talk Show and Army of Anyone. He is th ...

's bill aimed at preventing gun violence.

Electoral history

;State Legislature

References

Project Vote Smart Vote Smart, formerly called Project Vote Smart, is a non-profit, non-partisan research organization that collects and distributes information on candidates for public office in the United States. It covers candidates and elected officials in s ...

, - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Velis, John C. Massachusetts Democrats Living people People from Westfield, Massachusetts United States Army officers University of South Florida alumni Suffolk University Law School alumni Massachusetts lawyers 1979 births 21st-century American lawyers 21st-century American politicians United States Army personnel of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) Military personnel from Massachusetts