Meet Paul

Paul Ruseau, wearing a blue hoodie, sitting at a restaurant table with folded arms, in a cozy indoor setting with wall art and lighting fixtures in the background.

Paul Ruseau knows what it means when the system fails you. He grew up experiencing homelessness and food insecurity — and those experiences didn't just shape who he is, they defined what he believes government should be: a force that protects the most vulnerable and ensures that everyone has the dignity of a stable home, enough to eat, and a real shot at a good life.

Paul has called the Medford-Somerville community home for more than two decades — first in Somerville, and for the past 21 years in Medford, where he lives with his husband Bob and their two kids, Nev and Matthew. By day, the 55-year-old is a software engineer at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, where his work supports the technology behind life-saving cancer research.

Group of five people smiling outdoors in front of a yellow fire hydrant, with a school building and parked cars in the background.

For nine years, Paul has served on the Medford School Committee, where he ended out-of-school suspensions — a practice that disproportionately harms students of color and high-needs students — brought free meals to every student, and rewrote the district's bullying prevention plan, dress code, and disciplinary policies from the ground up. That work deepened his conviction that the challenges facing Medford and Somerville families — unaffordable housing, underfunded schools, inaccessible healthcare — can't be fully solved at the local level. Real, lasting change requires a champion in the State House.

Paul is running for State Representative because our communities deserve someone who has lived these struggles, not just read about them. He'll bring the same data-driven discipline he uses as an engineer and the same on-the-ground commitment he brings to his family and neighbors — fighting hard for universal healthcare, safe and affordable housing, fully funded public schools, and an economy that works for everyone in Medford and Somerville.

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Featured

Paul is a passionate leader who makes progressive ideas into reality by fighting hard for what he believes in and working for the people of his community every day. He is a special kind of visionary leader: one who not only dreams big, but does what it takes to make his dreams for a better future into reality. He started fighting for the people of Medford the day he decided to run for office and he hasn't stopped. If he can become the representative for the 34th Middlesex, I know he will never stop fighting for everyone in his district and everyone in the Commonwealth.

-Emily Lazzaro, Medford City Councilor

“What sets Paul apart is the ability to turn good ideas into policies that actually work. He understands how to deliver solutions that have real, measurable impact. That kind of practical leadership is exactly what our community needs”

-Jenny Graham, Vice-Chair of the Medford School Committee

“Paul is a VERY dedicated school committee member, which is part of why I support him. He is all about the work and all about using his privilege and his skills in service to others, particularly the marginalized. There are people who are in Politics to DO something, and people who are in it to BE someone. Paul is the former, and I trust him implicitly. Being a mediocre state rep is easy. being a good one is really really hard, and Paul has the skills, values, work ethic and temperment to be a GREAT one.”

-Andre Green, Somerville Ward 4 School Committee Member

“I’ve worked with Paul for more than a decade, and one thing is clear: he delivers. From historic investments in our schools to making sure every student is fed, Paul knows how to bring people together and turn our values into real results that improve people’s lives and leave no one behind—even when things get tough. Medford and Somerville deserve his tireless, principled leadership on Beacon Hill.”

-Justin Tseng, Medford City Councilor

“I am happy to endorse Paul Ruseau for Massachusetts State Representative, an experienced leader, visionary, and advocate for all. Paul has brought initiative and commitment to equity to his 8+ years on the Medford School Committee where he wrote policies endlessly to modernize and systemize our public schools.”

-Mea Mustone, Former Medford School Committee Member

“I've watched Paul show up for our kids for nine years — not just at meetings, but in the hard, unglamorous work of actually changing how our schools operate. He fought to make sure every student gets free meals. He pushed to raise teacher pay when no one else was willing to take that on. And when I've had a concern, he picks up the phone. Paul doesn't do this because it's his job. He does it because he's lived what happens when the system fails a kid, and he refuses to let that happen on his watch. Our families need that kind of fight at the State House.”

-Rachel Berry, Medford Mom