Sen. Pat Jehlen says it was ‘just time’ to retire after 50 years of public service

Sen. Pat Jehlen has never been afraid to take a step into the unknown. In fact, it’s been her trademark in her 50 years of public service.

“There was a vacant seat,” a laughing Jehlen says, when asked what made her run for public office. “That was 1975 and I was running for the Somerville School Committee.”

It’s a long time ago, Jehlen says, and a long journey to her current position representing the people of the 2nd Middlesex District in the Mass. Senate, which includes portions of Cambridge and Winchester and all of Somerville and Medford.

But it’s a position Jehlen will only hold onto until the end of December. In November 2025, she decided not to run for re-election.

“I’d been thinking about it for a while,” the 82-year-old says. “Then I made the decision. I felt much lighter, more focused. I’ve been in government a long time. It just seemed like the right time.”

Jehlen set about making a list of the things she wanted to accomplish before the year was over.

“I’ve taken on a few projects, but I’m not in the race or campaigning,” Jehlen explains. “I am just focusing on getting stuff done.”

What stuff?

“There are so many things that haven’t gotten done in the district, so many issues that people care about,” she says.

Jehlen lists home care licensure, adult assisted living, a bill to move forward on social insurance for long-term care, working with the attorney general’s office to support people with wrongful convictions, and finding funding for education and early childhood literacy.

That’s a long list, but it's something Jehlen feels she can finish or make a large dent in.

“I’m still in office until Dec. 31,” she says. “Most of the things I want to make happen will take place through July. That’s the end of the formal session.”

And Jehlen said she will probably be taking on whatever ballot questions end up on the November ballot. But that’s it.

There are already three challengers vying for the job: Medford/Somerville Rep. Christine Barber, Winchester School Committee member Tom Hopcroft and Somerville City Councilor Matt McLaughlin.

A long career

So, how did Jehlen land in office to begin with? She says she was a history and civics teacher in Brookline but was living in Somerville with her family.

That’s when a seat on the School Committee became vacant. And she thought, “Why not?”

Jehlen won and sat on the body for 16 years.

“We made a lot of progress in the schools,” she says of her time in office. “I helped win the lawsuit that challenged funding of the public schools, and Somerville really profited.”

Jehlen was also instrumental in starting school choice in Somerville and integrating the high school and trade school into one campus.

In 1991, Joe Mackey ran for district attorney and left an open seat as state representative. Jehlen decided to run — and won. She was in the position until 2005 when Sen. Charles Shannon died of leukemia, leaving his seat open.

Jehlen ran against Mackey and Rep. Paul Casey, of Winchester. She said running for the seat was an easy decision.

“There’s more influence in the Senate,” she says. “There were things I wanted to get done.”

Like now?

“You know, I haven’t thought about what's next for me,” she says, shrugging. “I tend to think about what’s left to do. I am totally focused on my bucket list.”

OK, that’s not totally true, she admits a short time later.

“There’s no plan,” she stresses. “I think I’ll see my friends more often and I’ll take better care of my garden. My husband retired quite a while ago and he’s running a blog about Boston Public Schools.”

Will she still be involved in politics?

“I think in some way,” Jehlen says. “I was involved before I was even in office. There might be an issue here and there. I don’t really know. I just know I’ll be involved.”

In fact, Jehlen wishes the general public was more involved.

“I think we need a lot better civics education,” Jehlen says. “I don’t think we’ve done enough in the requirements. People need to learn to have civil discourse and learn how their government works and how to make it work for them.”

There’s a sigh as Jehlen thinks about where we are as a nation.

“I think everyone needs to model better behavior,” she says. “On the local level, we have a lot to do.”