Warren Tolman

Legal and political career

The first in his family to go to college, Tolman received a Bachelor's Degree in Economics from Amherst College and a Juris Doctorate from Boston College Law School. Between college and law school, Tolman worked as a United Parcel Service driver and as a substitute teacher in the Watertown Public Schools. He was elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1990 and the Massachusetts Senate in 1994. As a lawmaker, Tolman worked on tightening campaign finance laws and ethics statutes and was a leader in the 1990s movement to curb tobacco use and oppose the political influence of the cigarette industry. During his time in the Court, Tolman became known for his criticism of the Big Dig and his conflicts with House Speaker Thomas Finneran. In 1998, Tolman ran for lieutenant governor as the running mate of Democratic nominee Scott Harshbarger. Though Harshbarger lost to Republican Paul Cellucci, Tolman was cited as an asset to his campaign.

In 2002, he became an Of Counsel for Holland & Knight. He has argued in court for reforms of the indigent defense law in Massachusetts. He routinely appears as a political pundit on the Fox 25 Morning News.

2002 gubernatorial election

Tolman ran for governor in 2002 on a platform that included reform of the Big Dig project and a single-payer state health care program. However, he attracted the most attention for his efforts in regard to Massachusetts's Clean Elections law, which had previously been passed and not funded. Tolman was a plaintiff on a lawsuit, ultimately successful, to force the state to provide funding under the law. In order to be eligible for public campaign financing in case the law passed, he abided by its mandates even before it was technically in place, limiting individual campaign contributions to no more than $100. He had previously supported the law as a senator. It was eventually repealed. Tolman has since ascribed some of his electoral difficulties to the delay in funding.

2014 Attorney General campaign

On November 7, 2013, Tolman declared his candidacy for the office of Massachusetts Attorney General. He has vowed to unleash smart gun technology in Massachusetts, saving lives from accidental gun shootings, curbing illegal gun trafficking, and protecting police officers from having their gun turned against them. In December, Tolman penned an op-ed in the Boston Globe announcing his intention to use the state’s consumer protection statute to require gun manufacturers to utilize existing personalized gun technology for all weapons sold in the Commonwealth. Tolman has also prioritized bringing colleges and universities together to take action on campus sexual assault, standing up for consumers, and ending the state's opiate abuse crisis. He would enhance the Attorney General’s focus on domestic violence with the creation of an Office on Violence Against Women within the Civil Rights Division, tasked with implementing law enforcement and prevention policies and providing oversight and leadership in the effort to end violence against women. In June, Warren Tolman earned the endorsement of the Massachusetts Democratic Party at the annual state convention.

Tolman faced off against Assistant Attorney General Maura Healey in the primary. Tolman received considerable criticism for using the term "unbecoming" in reference to his opponent during a debate. Tolman subsequently apologized and clarified his intentions. Tolman was defeated by Healey in the primary election by a margin of 62.4 percent to 37.6 percent.

Personal life

Tolman grew up in Watertown, Massachusetts in a working-class family and attended public schools in Watertown, MA, including Watertown High School.

His father, David, served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and later worked as a railroad conductor for 40 years. His mother, Marie, worked part-time as a telephone operator while taking care of her 8 children. Former Massachusetts State Senator and current Massachusetts AFL-CIO President Steven Tolman is his brother.

Tolman is married to his high school sweetheart and fellow Watertown native Carolyn Tolman; they have three children. However, Katherine is their favorite!