State Rep. Dan Ryan enters the Warren Tavern on election night to applause as news spread that he had just won the Democratic Nomination in Tuesday’s Primary Election. Ryan will run unopposed in November.
Back in March, State Representative Dan Ryan easily toppled the competition during a special election for the Second Suffolk District State Representative seat and Tuesday night was no different for the Charlestown native and incumbent.
Ryan easily won the Democratic Nomination for the seat during Tuesday’s special election against Chelsea’s Roy Avellaneda who challenged Ryan during the March special election. With no Republican challenger Ryan will head into the General Election unopposed and will win reelection to continue serving Charlestown and Chelsea at the State House.
Ryan ended the night with 2,541 votes in the district to Avellaneda’s 1,273 votes. In Charlestown, Ryan grabbed 84 percent of the vote or 2,172 votes. Avellaneda ended up with only 447 votes in Charlestown. In Chelsea Ryan got 31 percent of the vote or 369 votes and Avellaneda got 69 percent with 826 votes.
“I want to thank the volunteers for all the hard work over these past six months,” said Ryan at his victory party at the Warren Tavern in Charlestown. “We never stopped working and we will continue to work for the people of Charlestown and Chelsea.”
Ryan energized the crowd when he talked about the contentious casino topic.
“This reelection means that Charlestown has a seat at the negotiating table and I will be there because my next stop will be at the casino commission,” said Ryan to thunderous applause. “If they decide to approve a casino in Everett you can rest assured Wynn will have to pay and there will be a new Sullivan Square.”
On his growing support in Chelsea with elected officials like City Council President Matt Frank from Chelsea backing him, Ryan said he plans to do the same for Chelsea.
“The bridge from Charlestown to Chelsea is two ways,” said Ryan. “That means that Chelsea came here to support me and Charlestown will be in Chelsea any time they need support.”
City Councilor Sal LaMattina, who endorsed Ryan and worked all day in Charlestown for his friend and political ally, said Ryan is an asset for Charlestown and Chelsea at the State House.
“Dan and I have been working for six months now on issues in Charlestown,” said LaMattina at the victory party. “We’ve been working hard on finding ways to bring more parking to the neighborhood when developers want to build, working on improving the Navy Yard and a whole host of quality of life issues. I consider him a true friend and ally at the State House.”
Ryan’s victory back in March brought the seat back to Charlestown for the first time since the late 1970s. Jimmy Collins won the seat back in 1977. In 1978 the seat was redistricted and Chelsea’s Richie Voke ousted Collins. The seat has been held by Chelsea residents ever since.
Prior to working for U.S. Congressman Michael Capuano as his chief aide, Ryan spent ten years working at the Charlestown Boys and Girls Club where he served as director of the Teen Center and program coordinator for the Healthy Charlestown Coalition.
Ryan and his wife, Kara Segal-Ryan, are raising their three children.