(MassLive- John L. Micek and Ryan Mancini ) In a state as complex as Massachusetts with its 351 cities and towns, it takes a lot of people to make all the wheels turn.
Some serve on Capitol Hill. Some serve on Beacon Hill. Others make their presence felt on local school boards, school committees or in volunteer and non-governmental organizations.
These are MassLive’s picks for the political personalities — and the rising stars — to watch in the Bay State in 2025.
State Sen. John C. Velis, D- Hampden/Hampshire
A U.S. Army captain previously deployed to Afghanistan, state Sen. John Velis, 46, assumed his latest role after a six-year stint in the Massachusetts House of Representatives.
During his current tenure, he’s served on the Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use and Recovery and the Joint Committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs, both of which he is now the chair.
In these roles, he was able to push the SPEED Act in 2022 and the HERO Act in 2024 to become laws, respectively, under former Republican Gov. Charlie Baker and current Democratic Gov. Maura Healey.
The SPEED Act allows the spouses of United States Armed Services members to have an accelerated professional license process so they can financially support their families. The law set up resources for service members exposed to burn pits and airborne hazards, as well as state support to sign up for the federal Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
The HERO Act was a sweeping bill that increased benefits for veterans, supported businesses that hire veterans, updated the definition of a veteran and codified medical and dental benefits, among other reforms. With Gov. Healey’s support, Velis called the legislation an “equal parts governor’s bill, equal parts legislators’ bill” before she signed it into law.
“ It is now widely known that we are the best … state to be a veteran,” Velis said. “And when I leave [the Veterans and Federal Affairs] committee, you damn well better believe that it’s going to be better than I found it. So just really, really important work.”
For the 2025 to 2026 legislative session, Velis is also the vice chair of the Joint Committee on Aging and Independence and is a member of four other committees, including State Administration and Regulatory Oversight.