State Rep. Carmine Gentile says he won’t seek reelection
The Democratic lawmaker has held his office since 2015 and plans to serve out his term.
State Rep. Carmine Gentile says he won’t seek reelection this fall, meaning Acton will soon have a new face in its legislative delegation.
Gentile, a Democrat, announced his decision in a social media post Tuesday morning. He’s held his office since 2015 and plans to serve out his term.
“I have enjoyed representing the people of the 13th Middlesex District these past 11 years and look forward to the year ahead,” he said.
Gentile, a Sudbury resident, has championed a range of initiatives, including hybrid participation in Town Meeting.
Acton wasn’t part of his constituency when he was first elected. He started representing precincts three and four in 2023 after Massachusetts’ decennial redistricting.
Those precincts encompass much of the eastern side of Acton and include more than 40% of the town’s population.
Gentile most recently won reelection in November 2024, defeating Republican Virginia Gardner 73.4% to 26.6%.
Acton’s three-person state delegation also includes Rep. Simon Cataldo and Sen. Michael Barrett.
Gentile’s entry into Acton politics has coincided with major discussions around MCI-Acton prison redevelopment and a state-run redesign of the Route 2 rotary.
Acton legislators recently secured a $250,000 state budget earmark for prison reuse planning.
It’s been “an absolute honor” to work with Gentile, Cataldo told The Acton Bridge in an email, praising his colleague’s “careful, thoughtful, and empathetic” handling of constituent concerns.
Gentile has several pending bills for local measures that require state approval:
- Two proposals would raise money for affordable housing with a building permit surcharge and a real estate transfer fee on property sales over $1 million, respectively.
- One bill follows a 2025 Acton Town Meeting vote to ban second-generation anticoagulant rodenticide that can harm pets and wildlife.
- Others would allow remote participation at Acton Town Meetings and ranked choice voting in town elections.
Alongside Gentile’s statewide legislation on issues including pollution and addiction treatment is a more lighthearted proposal to designate the Sky Bar — which is now manufactured in Sudbury — as the commonwealth’s official chocolate bar.
Barrett didn’t immediately respond to Bridge questions about Gentile’s exit.
Gentile’s legislative aide, Ravi Simon, recently resigned his role. Within within 24 hours of Gentile’s retirement post, Simon announced his intent to run for the seat his boss is vacating.
This year’s state primary is scheduled for September 1. The general election to choose Gentile’s successor is November 3.
February 11, 4:05 p.m.: This breaking story has been updated.
