Al Turco Seeks Re-Election to Republican State Committee

[Editor's note: The following information is from a press statement by Republican State Committee member Al Turco.]

Al Turco of Wakefield recently announced his candidacy for re-election to a four-year term on the Republican State Committee, according to a press statement from his office. The State Committee election will be held on March 6—the same day as the Presidential Primary in Massachusetts.

Turco currently serves as a Wakefield Selectman. He is a longtime Republican activist who has, as an unpaid volunteer, devoted a tremendous amount of time and energy to recruit and support Republican candidates.

Turco joined the  Wakefield Republican Town Committee in 2000 and served as the chairperson from 2004-09. In 2004, Turco was the chairperson of Richard Tisei's successful State Senate re-election effort against Democratic candidate Katherine Clark.

In 2006, Turco coordinated the volunteer effort for Lt. Governor Kerry Healey's campaign for governor in his senate district. In 2010, Turco was chairperson of Tisei's campaign for lieutenant governor and worked with Essex County Sheriff Frank Cousins as a regional co-chairperson of Charlie Baker's gubernatorial campaign. 

The Republican State Committee is composed of 80 members, with one woman and one man from each of the Massachusetts' 40 State Senate Districts. Its goal is to recruit and support Republican candidates for state and federal office.

In 2010, Turco worked to recruit then Saugus Selectman Donald Wong to run for State Representative. Wong defeated a Democratic incumbent. That year, Turco also helped recruit Malden City Councilor-at-Large Craig Spadafora, who ran a strong race for the State Senate.

In the statement, Turco said, "Members of the Republican State Committee must be sensible and responsible people. We do not see our opponents as enemies. However, we passionately believe that Massachusetts would be a better place in which to live if we had a vibrant two-party system that could develop improved solutions to the challenges we face as a society. I want to do my part as an active volunteer to make that happen."

Turco has been endorsed for re-election to the State Committee by Tisei, a candidate for Congress, by Baker who was the GOP's gubernatorial candidate in 2010 and also by the Republican Town Committees in Reading, Stoneham and Wakefield, as well as the Republican City Committees in Malden and Melrose.

House Minority Leader Brad Jones also supports Turco's re-election effort. In the statement, Jones said, "In the past 10 years, no one in the Senate District has done more volunteer work for Republican candidates than Al Turco. I'd urge voters on March 6 to vote to keep Al on the Republican State Committee. We need him there."  

Gerard Leeman, Wakefield Finance Committee vice chairperson and chairperson of the Wakefield Republican Town Committee, said in the statement, "Al's leadership of our Town Committee over the years has been exemplary. Al draws upon his in-depth knowledge of local government, broad understanding of the issues and terrific political instincts to ensure that we are in touch with citizens' concerns."

Scott Conway, chairperson of the Melrose Republican City Committee, said in the statement, "I've worked on many Republican Campaigns with Al Turco. I can tell you from experience that no one works harder than Al or is a more dedicated volunteer. It's imperative that we keep Al as our representative to (the Massachusetts) GOP".

Turco is a retired lawyer who specialized in business law. He's a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Harvard College and a Cum Laude graduate of Harvard Law School. In the past, he served on the Wakefield School Committee and as the Wakefield Town Moderator. Currently, in addition to being a Wakefield Selectmen, Turco is a director of Wakefield Cooperative Bank and a Director of the Wakefield Chamber of Commerce.

He and his wife Joanne live in Wakefield.