Robert Alfred DeLeo (born March 27, 1950 in Winthrop, Massachusetts) is an American former politician from the state of Massachusetts. He served as Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 2009 to 2020, having succeeded Salvatore DiMasi, who resigned due to allegations of an ethics violation. DeLeo represented the Nineteenth Suffolk district, and before becoming House Speaker, was the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee. The Nineteenth Suffolk district includes Winthrop and Revere. In addition to serving as a state representative, DeLeo served as a Winthrop town meeting member from 1977 to 2005 and was a member of the town's board of selectmen from 1978 to 1988. On December 16, 2020, it was reported that DeLeo would be stepping down as Speaker for a job at Northeastern University. He resigned both his house seat and speakership on December 29. Early life and education DeLeo resides in the same house in which he grew up. When he was young, his father, Al, was in charge of a restaurant at Suffolk Downs. Al was often seen around the community including at the Winthrop Golf Club, but "DeLeo never took up the game". DeLeo attended solely Boston area schools, graduating from the Boston Latin School, attaining a Bachelor of Arts degree from Northeastern University and a Juris Doctor from Suffolk University Law School. Massachusetts House of Representatives During his time in the Massachusetts House of Representatives between 1990 and 2005, he was known as "an amiable, rank-and-file lawmaker who focused on constituent issues such as toll hikes, the expansion of Logan Airport, and rates charged by the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority". In 2005, Speaker Salvatore DiMasi appointed DeLeo as chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means. According to the Globe, "He became so identified with handing out perks to members that earmarks became known as DeLeo Dollars". Prior to becoming the Speaker of the House, DeLeo had created a reputation for himself as a "consensus-builder", someone who strived to prevent "major flareups while crafting the budget". He does not ideologically identify himself with a large number of issues or legislation, but "his views appear more conservative" than the former speaker, DiMasi. Unlike DiMasi, who was strongly in favor of defending gay marriage rights, DeLeo was originally against same-sex marriage. In 2007 DeLeo may have shown a change in this belief when he voted against the amendment that would