Candidate Profile: Stephen Ternullo For 31st Middlesex State Rep.

STONEHAM, MA — With Election Day approaching, Massachusetts voters are getting a closer look at the candidates hoping to represent them on Beacon Hill.

Stephen G. Ternullo is running for the 31st Middlesex State Representative seat, which represents Stoneham and part of Winchester.

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Ternullo secured the Republican nomination after running unopposed in the Sept. 1 State Primary.

Age:
59

Position sought:
State Representative, 31st Middlesex District — Stoneham and Winchester

Party affiliation:
Republican

Family:
Husband, father, stepfather, and proud Papa to three granddaughters.

Education:
Medford Vocational Technical High School; Associated Technical Institute (ATI), where I earned my refrigeration certificate; and the Pipefitters Local 537 Training Center, where I completed my pipefitting education and training.

Occupation:
Commercial and industrial HVAC service technician, licensed refrigeration contractor, and licensed Unrestricted Master Pipefitter. I have spent more than 38 years working in the building trades.

Previous or Current Elected Office:
I have never held elected office.

I am a United States Army veteran, and my public and community service includes serving on the Stoneham Override Study Committee and Stoneham Veterans Committee and as Quartermaster of Stoneham VFW Post 620.

I am also a former youth sports coach and former youth hockey Board of Directors member. My commitment to serving and advocating for my fellow veterans remains an important part of my life.

Campaign Website:
TernulloForRep.com

Why are you seeking elected office?

I'm running because Massachusetts has become increasingly unaffordable, and I believe Beacon Hill has lost touch with the people who are paying the bills.

I'm not a career politician. I'm a United States Army veteran and a building-trades professional who has spent more than 38 years working, raising a family, paying a mortgage and property taxes, and serving my community.

My life has been about service — serving my country, coaching our kids, supporting my fellow veterans through organizations such as Stoneham VFW Post 620, working in the building trades, and giving back to my community.

Today, families and seniors are being squeezed by higher property taxes, energy bills, housing costs, and everyday expenses. Too many young people are wondering whether they can afford to build their future here.

Stoneham and Winchester deserve an independent representative who will question the status quo, demand accountability for taxpayer dollars, and put the people of this district ahead of Beacon Hill politics.

That is why I am running.

The single most-pressing issue facing our state is AFFORDABILITY, and this is what I intend to do about it:

Massachusetts has simply become too expensive for too many people.

My approach starts with fiscal discipline. State government cannot continue treating taxpayers and ratepayers as an unlimited source of money.

I will focus on three priorities: lowering energy costs, fighting for more local aid, and demanding greater accountability for how taxpayer dollars are spent.

On energy, I support an all-of-the-above approach that puts affordability and reliability first. When Beacon Hill passes costly mandates and those costs are passed on to ratepayers, families and businesses ultimately pay the bill. I will push back against mandates that make energy more expensive and fight for policies that help bring those costs down.

I will also fight for greater unrestricted local aid and a fairer Chapter 70 education funding formula, so Stoneham and Winchester receive the state support they truly deserve. More state support for our communities can reduce the pressure placed on local property taxpayers.

Before Beacon Hill passes another major spending program or mandate, legislators should have to answer a basic question:

What is this going to cost the taxpayer or ratepayer?

What are the critical differences between you and other candidates seeking this post?

This election presents voters with two very different approaches to representation.

My opponent has represented this district since 2015, so voters have a record they can examine. A 2026 Beacon Hill Roll Call analysis reported that, through September 11, my opponent voted with House Speaker Ronald Mariano 100% of the time on the roll calls on which he voted.

I believe Stoneham and Winchester deserve an independent voice at the State House — not a rubber stamp for House leadership.

One of the clearest differences between us is transparency.

In 2024, nearly 72% of Massachusetts voters who voted Yes or No on Question 1 voted YES, authorizing an audit of the Legislature.

The voters spoke. Beacon Hill should listen.

I support a full and meaningful legislative audit. Taxpayers fund the Legislature, and they have a right to know how their money is being spent and how their government operates. I will oppose efforts to undermine the audit Massachusetts voters approved.

I also support fiscal restraint, local control, protecting Proposition 2½, lowering energy costs, and getting Stoneham and Winchester the local aid they truly deserve.

My responsibility as State Representative will be to the people of Stoneham and Winchester — not House leadership and not any political party.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

My campaign is centered around three major priorities: a legislative audit, lower energy costs, and fighting for more local aid for Stoneham and Winchester.

First, the legislative audit. Massachusetts voters made their position clear when they overwhelmingly approved Question 1. I support a full and meaningful audit of the Legislature. Taxpayers fund state government, and they have a right to know how their money is being spent and how their government operates. Beacon Hill should respect the will of the voters.

Second, lower energy costs. Massachusetts families and businesses are struggling with extremely high energy costs. I support an all-of-the-above energy policy that prioritizes affordability and reliability. I will push back against costly mandates that ultimately get passed on to ratepayers and fight for policies that help bring energy costs down.

Third, more local aid. I will fight to get Stoneham and Winchester the local aid they truly deserve, including greater unrestricted local aid and a fairer Chapter 70 education funding formula. Our communities send substantial tax dollars to Beacon Hill, and I will fight to bring more of those resources back home to support our schools, public safety, infrastructure, and essential services while reducing pressure on property taxpayers.

Beyond those three priorities, I support protecting Proposition 2½ and local control, strengthening public safety, supporting small businesses and the building trades, protecting constitutional rights, and standing up for our veterans.

As a United States Army veteran and Quartermaster of Stoneham VFW Post 620, that last issue is personal to me. The men and women who served our country should never have to fight through unnecessary bureaucracy to receive the services and benefits they earned.

All of these issues come back to a basic principle: government must be accountable to the people it represents.

Your Money. Your Right To Know.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Never forget where you came from. Work hard, keep your word, treat people with respect, and don't be afraid to stand up for what you believe is right — even when standing up isn't the easy thing to do.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I have spent my life working, serving, and raising a family — not building a political career.

I served our country in the United States Army. I have spent more than 38 years working in the building trades. I am a former youth sports coach and former youth hockey Board of Directors member, and I continue to serve my fellow veterans as Quartermaster of Stoneham VFW Post 620.

Those experiences taught me something that I would bring with me to the State House: service is about showing up for people.

I am running because I don't want Massachusetts to become a place where our children and grandchildren cannot afford to stay.

I want seniors to be able to remain in the homes they worked their entire lives to own. I want young families to be able to afford a home and raise their children here. I want our small businesses to succeed. I want our veterans to know their state stands behind them. And I want taxpayers to know where their money is going.

If elected, I will listen to Republicans, Democrats, and unenrolled voters alike. I will ask difficult questions, demand accountability, fight to lower costs, and work to bring more of our tax dollars back to Stoneham and Winchester.

I will never forget who I work for.

I don't work for Beacon Hill. I work for you.