21 Facts About Patrick Guerriero

Patrick Guerriero was born on March 3,1968 and is a former Massachusetts state legislator, mayor, and advocate for marriage equality.

In 2002, after serving as then-Governor Jane Swift's deputy chief of staff, Guerriero became the nation's first openly gay candidate for lieutenant governor when he was chosen by Swift to be her running mate.

Patrick Guerriero entered politics when he served as president of the Liberty Education Forum and Log Cabin Republicans from January 1,2003 to September 1,2006.

Patrick Guerriero was born to an Italian immigrant, mason father and a social worker mother.

Patrick Guerriero worked his way through college, spending summers mixing cement and hauling bricks for his family's masonry business.

The next year, Guerriero attended Boston College's Thomas P O'Neill Jr.

In 1993, Patrick Guerriero was elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives.

Patrick Guerriero supported initiatives related to lower taxes, limited government expenditure, improved public schools, public safety, and welfare reform.

Patrick Guerriero was a staunch supporter of the 1993 Education Reform Act that required students to pass standardized graduation tests.

Patrick Guerriero was an advocate for gay and lesbian issues, effecting strict anti-hate crimes legislation and increased AIDS awareness funding.

In 1998, Patrick Guerriero was elected mayor of the city of Melrose, Massachusetts.

Patrick Guerriero stepped down in May 2001 to accept the position of deputy chief of staff with acting Governor Jane Swift's administration.

In May 2001, Patrick Guerriero accepted the position of deputy chief of staff to acting Massachusetts Governor Jane Swift.

On January 3,2002, Swift named Patrick Guerriero her running mate.

Patrick Guerriero is an advocate for LGBT equality, having appeared on major television programs such as Nightline, Hardball with Chris Matthews, The Today Show, and The O'Reilly Factor.

On January 1,2003, Patrick Guerriero succeeded Rich Tafel as the leader of the Log Cabin Republicans.

In early 2004, Patrick gained national recognition for successfully challenging President George W Bush - launching the first national television ad that helped defeat Bush's proposed Federal Marriage Amendment.

In October 2004, Patrick filed Log Cabin Republicans v United States challenging the constitutionality of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy.

In 2013, Guerriero was a signatory to an amicus curiae brief submitted to the Supreme Court in support of same-sex marriage during the Hollingsworth v Perry case.

On September 1,2006, Patrick Guerriero became the first executive director of the Gill Action Fund, an organization working to advance gay and lesbian equality through the legislative, political, and electoral process.

Gill Action under Patrick Guerriero advocated for passage of state laws on nondiscrimination and relationship recognition in 13 states.