George Rogers (Massachusetts politician)

George Rogers (August 2, 1933 – June 30, 2018) was an American politician who served as a member of the Massachusetts General Court and as Mayor of New Bedford, Massachusetts.

George Rogers
George Rogers in 1967
Member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives from the 12th Bristol District
In office
1999–2003
Preceded byJoseph McIntyre
Succeeded byMark A. Howland
Member of the Massachusetts Senate from the Bristol and Plymouth District
In office
1975–1978
Preceded byJohn F. Parker
Succeeded byRobert M. Hunt
Mayor of New Bedford, Massachusetts
In office
1970–1971
Preceded byEdward F. Harrington
Succeeded byJohn A. Markey
Member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives from the 2nd Bristol District
In office
1969–1970
Member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives from the 7th Bristol District
In office
1965–1969
Personal details
Born(1933-08-02)August 2, 1933
New Bedford, Massachusetts
DiedJune 30, 2018(2018-06-30) (aged 84)
New Bedford, Massachusetts
Political partyDemocratic
Residence(s)New Bedford, Massachusetts
Alma materProvidence College
OccupationTeacher
Politician

Early career

Born and raised in New Bedford, Rogers graduated from Providence College in 1958 and later taught at Fairhaven High School and Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational-Technical High School.[1] He began his career in elected office as a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives, where he served from 1965 to 1970. In 1969, he was elected Mayor of New Bedford.[2] In 1971, Rogers lost his reelection campaign to John A. Markey.[3]

Return to the General Court

In 1974, Rogers returned to New Bedford politics as a Councilor-at-Large. Later that year, he was also elected to the Massachusetts Senate. In 1978, Rogers was convicted of conspiracy to commit bribery and was sentenced to two years in prison and fined $5,000.[4]

In 1980, Rogers was once again elected Councilor-at-Large, a position he held until 2003. From 1999 to 2003, he simultaneously held seats on the New Bedford City Council and in the Massachusetts House of Representatives. Rogers was defeated in the 2002 Democratic primary by Freetown, Massachusetts Selectman Mark A. Howland.[5] Rogers's defeat came months after he was accused of showing pornography to a minor; he was eventually found not guilty.[6][7]

Later career

Rogers lost re-election to the New Beford City Council in 2003. He ran for the Democratic nomination for his old House seat in 2004, finishing third behind Stephen Canessa and Mark A. Howland.[8] In 2015, he ran unsuccessfully for a seat on the New Bedford School Committee.[9][10] Rogers died in 2018 at age 84.[11]

References
  1. Aimee Chiavaroli (Jul 1, 2018). "Former mayor, state legislator George Rogers dead at 84". southcoasttoday.com.
  2. George B. Merry (November 3, 1969). "Mayoral races spark N.E. elections". Christian Science Monitor.
  3. "There Were Surprises, a Few Irregularities in N.E. Mayoralty Voting Tuesday". Associated Press. October 6, 1971. Retrieved 2011-02-20.
  4. "Lawmaker collapses at jail sentencing". UPI. August 25, 1978. Archived from the original on 2020-02-09. Retrieved 2011-02-20.
  5. Massachusetts Election Statistics 2002. 2002.
  6. Dave Wedge (January 10, 2002). "New Bedford rep cleared of showing porn to minor". Boston Herald. Retrieved 2011-02-20.
  7. Aimee Chiavaroli (Jul 1, 2018). "Former mayor, state legislator George Rogers dead at 84". southcoasttoday.com.
  8. Massachusetts Election Statistics 2004. 2004.
  9. Curt Brown (October 25, 2015). "At 82, George Rogers still has a desire to serve". southcoasttoday.com.
  10. Aimee Chiavaroli (Jul 1, 2018). "Former mayor, state legislator George Rogers dead at 84". southcoasttoday.com.
  11. Aimee Chiavaroli (Jul 1, 2018). "Former mayor, state legislator George Rogers dead at 84". southcoasttoday.com.
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