Commonwealth Report Legislators Method

House · Democrat

Thomas P. Walsh

Current member · 12th Essex

Data through FY2026; built October 19, 2026.

Residence

Peabody

First elected

House 1986

Prior public offices

Peabody City Council 1984-1987/2014-present; Peabody School Committee 1998-2001

Occupation

Legislator / Funeral Director

Seats held, General Courts 189–194 (the FY2017–FY2026 budgets)
SessionChamberDistrictLinesNote
189th (2015–16)House12th Essex2011 lines
190th (2017–18)House12th Essex2011 lines
191st (2019–20)House12th Essex2011 lines
192nd (2021–22)House12th Essex2011 lines
193rd (2023–24)House12th Essex2021 lines
194th (2025–26)House12th Essex2021 lines

Posts and stipends

Thomas P. Walsh was paid $206,977 in leadership and committee stipends from 2019 to 2026 (2026 to date).

Posts and stipends by session (stipends by calendar year)
SessionPostsFirst yearSecond year
189th (2015–16)No post recordednot available$0
190th (2017–18)No post recorded$0$0
191st (2019–20)Vice chair, House Committee on Ethics$5,633$5,633
192nd (2021–22)Chair, House Committee on Ethics$17,043$17,043
193rd (2023–24)Chair, House Committee on Bills in the Third Reading$40,936$40,936
194th (2025–26)Chair, House Committee on Bills in the Third Reading$44,862$34,893 (to date)

Posts: the Legislature’s leadership and roster records as compiled for this project; where those name no post, the member’s committee chair, vice-chair and ranking roles from the Legislature’s member profiles. Stipends: additional compensation in the Comptroller’s payroll data (CTHRU dataset 9ttk-7vz6), 2016–2026; 2026 is the year to date. Stipends for 2015 are not available. Base salary is not included.

The district

12th Essex on its 2021 lines: 1 city or town, 45,482 residents (2020).

Peabody

Percentages are each place’s share of the district’s 2020 residents; for a town split between districts, the share of the town inside this one follows.

Population-weighted Fairness Index of the district’s cities and towns: 39 for all state aid and 20 for discretionary money (50 is a fair share).

Local earmarks are counted three ways. District money uses the first, clauses that name a place in the district; the second table adds organizations located in the district (placed in the district) and state facilities located there (everything placed). Three ways to count a local earmark.

District money, first measure: enacted earmarks in clauses naming a place in the district, by session (district money, not the member’s)
SessionDistrictDollarsIn corrective clausesPer resident per budget, rankWithout corrective clauses, rank
189th (2015–16)12th Essex$139,000$0$3.21 · 66th of 160$3.21 · 65th of 160
190th (2017–18)12th Essex$159,000$0$1.84 · 131st of 160$1.84 · 131st of 160
191st (2019–20)12th Essex$262,000$0$3.02 · 98th of 160$3.02 · 96th of 160
192nd (2021–22)12th Essex$361,000$0$4.18 · 124th of 160$4.18 · 124th of 160
193rd (2023–24)12th Essex$604,000$0$6.64 · 93rd of 160$6.64 · 89th of 160
194th (2025–26)12th Essex$175,000$0$3.85 · 131st of 160$3.85 · 130th of 160

District money is where enacted earmarks land, by the place a clause names, mapped to districts by 2020 population; it is not attributed to the member and does not include leadership’s base-text money that names no place. Ranks are of district money per resident among the chamber’s districts, 1 = most. “In corrective clauses” is the part carried by a Ways and Means chair’s corrective amendments, which is leadership’s money; the last column gives the per-resident figure and rank without it. Sessions are labeled by the General Court that enacted each budget. Per-resident figures use the district as drawn for each session (2011 lines through the 192nd General Court, 2021 lines from the 193rd), so they will not equal a session’s dollars divided by the resident count above.

The same district on the other two measures, by session (enacted; includes any corrective-clause money)
SessionDistrictPlaced in the districtPer resident per budget, rankEverything placedPer resident per budget, rank
189th (2015–16)12th Essex$139,000$3.21 · 83rd of 160$139,000$3.21 · 85th of 160
190th (2017–18)12th Essex$159,000$1.84 · 145th of 160$159,000$1.84 · 146th of 160
191st (2019–20)12th Essex$262,000$3.02 · 117th of 160$262,000$3.02 · 118th of 160
192nd (2021–22)12th Essex$361,000$4.18 · 136th of 160$361,000$4.18 · 138th of 160
193rd (2023–24)12th Essex$604,000$6.64 · 110th of 160$604,000$6.64 · 116th of 160
194th (2025–26)12th Essex$175,000$3.85 · 138th of 160$175,000$3.85 · 142nd of 160

Budget amendments

Thomas P. Walsh sponsored 46 budget amendments in FY2017–FY2026, asking for $6.1 million in all.

Amendments sponsored

46

FY2017–FY2026 budgets

Adopted, known outcomes

87%

26 of 30

Chamber rate, same ask sizes

62%

expected at the chamber’s rates

Of the 30 with a known outcome, 26 were adopted (87%). At the chamber’s adoption rate for amendments of the same size, about 19 (62%) would have been.

Largest enacted items matched to an amendment Thomas P. Walsh filed (strong text matches)
YearAmountEnacted budget text (excerpt)Amendment
FY2024$100,000“the city of Peabody to provide assistance in planning for the departure of Rousselot Peabody Inc., including, but not limited to, land use planning…”H3900 #466
FY2023$100,000“the Northeastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council, Inc. to provide mental health, wellness and suicide prevention services to emergency service…”H4700 #702
FY2022$100,000“the lighting and facade improvement of the Lowell street and Route 128 underpass at exit number 39 in the city of Peabody”H4000 #858
FY2022$75,000“the Northeastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council, Inc. to provide mental health, wellness and suicide prevention services to emergency service…”H4000 #859
FY2026$50,000“the construction of a 6 foot tall privacy fence bordering the perimeter of the Oak Ledge Heights manufactured housing community at 161 Newbury street…”H4000 #1378

Strong matches: 21 enacted items, $886,000 (the member’s share where several amendments claim one clause). A further one weaker text match is not listed; attribution is inferred from amendment text and is less certain there. House attribution is inferred throughout, because the House adopts most amendments inside consolidated amendments.

30 outcomes are inferred by matching amendment text to the House’s consolidated amendments, because the House records most amendments only as “Consolidated A–G.” Ask size is the larger of the earmark dollars and the line-item change an amendment requests; bands: no dollar amount, under $50,000, $50,000–$250,000, $250,000–$1 million, $1–5 million, $5 million or more. Leadership’s unattributed base-text and corrective-amendment money is never assigned to a member. The comparison describes outcomes; it is not a measure of merit.

Bills sponsored

Thomas P. Walsh filed 145 bills as lead sponsor in these sessions; 40 were enacted on their own. In completed sessions, 27% of their lead bills were enacted on their own, against chamber medians of 3% to 7% for the same sessions.

Most bills die in every legislature, and many policies pass inside other bills; the chamber median for the same session is the fair comparison.

Bills filed as lead sponsor, by session and outcome
SessionChamberLead billsEnactedFolded into an enacted billVetoedSent to studyReported favorably, then diedNo actionPending (session open)Enacted rateChamber medianCosponsored
189th (2015–16)House200001100%6%2
190th (2017–18)House8111230012%7%81
191st (2019–20)House1600088000%4%125
192nd (2021–22)House17100510106%3%48
193rd (2023–24)House49230011132047%4%42
194th (2025–26)House5315008003028%*1%21

Enacted bills as lead sponsor

Show all 40

Outcomes are the furthest point each bill reached in the record. “Folded into an enacted bill” means the history names the enacted bill that absorbed it. “Passed both branches; no chapter recorded” means the bill was enacted by both branches and laid before the Governor, with no chapter or veto in the history; in the 194th General Court such bills are shown as laid before the Governor (pending). The 194th General Court is in session until January 2027, so its open bills are pending, not dead, and its rates (*) are not comparable with completed sessions. Chairs and leaders control the calendar, which raises their rates. Source: malegislature.gov bill histories.

Recorded votes on accountability measures

Thomas P. Walsh cast 81 yes-or-no votes on the 81 accountability roll calls in this file (17 yes, 64 no).

Roll calls on rules, audits, public records, term limits and pay
DateMeasureVoteChamber result
January 25, 2017Recommit the 2017 pay-raise bill (H.58) to Ways and MeansNoYeas 35, nays 125
January 25, 2017Amd 3 (Lyons): legislators' raise not effective until next General CourtNoYeas 40, nays 120
January 25, 2017Amd 5 (Lyons): cap the increases at 4%NoYeas 36, nays 124
January 25, 2017Engrossment of the pay-raise bill (stipend increases)YesYeas 116, nays 44
January 26, 2017Enactment of the pay-raise billYesYeas 116, nays 43
February 2, 2017Override of Gov. Baker's veto of the pay-raise billYesYeas 116, nays 43
February 2, 2017Amendment 1.0 (Geoff Diehl): Text of the proposed House amendment (Representative Diehl) to the House Bill relative to Rank and File (House, No. 2017)NoYeas 34, nays 124
February 2, 2017Sustain the Chair's ruling (point of order, Mr. Mark) against Diehl amd 2, Speaker term limitsYesYeas 123, nays 33
February 2, 2017Amendment 3.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): 24 Hour Time Frame for Bills to Be Acted OnNoYeas 35, nays 124
February 2, 2017Amendment 4.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Access to InformationNoYeas 35, nays 124
February 2, 2017Amendment 9.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Emergency Scheduling of HearingsNoYeas 38, nays 121
February 2, 2017Amendment 10.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Equal Representation on Ethics CommitteeNoYeas 35, nays 124
February 2, 2017Amendment 15.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): InoculatorsNoYeas 37, nays 122
February 2, 2017Amendment 16.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Local Aid ResolutionYesYeas 38, nays 121
February 2, 2017Amendment 27.0 (James J. Lyons, Jr.): Defining and Limiting Informal SessionNoYeas 34, nays 124
February 2, 2017Amendment 20.0 (Shaunna L. O'Connell): Public access to House financial accounts auditsNoYeas 34, nays 125
February 2, 2017Amendment 21.0 (Shaunna L. O'Connell): Public access to committee votesNoYeas 41, nays 118
February 2, 2017Amendment 5.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Local Aid ResolutionNoYeas 37, nays 122
February 2, 2017Amendment 11.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Committee Roll Calls on WebsiteNoYeas 38, nays 121
February 2, 2017Amendment 13.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Reports of Conference Filing DeadlineNoYeas 37, nays 122
February 2, 2017Amendment 14.0 (Shaunna L. O'Connell): Public access to committee votesNoYeas 38, nays 121
January 30, 2019Amendment 1.0 (Jonathan Hecht): Time to review billsNoYeas 55, nays 103
January 30, 2019Amendment 2.0 (Jonathan Hecht): Time to review amendmentsNoYeas 47, nays 111
January 30, 2019Amendment 3.0 (Jonathan Hecht): Committee materials and votesNoYeas 49, nays 109
January 30, 2019Collective bargaining for House employees (curb on leadership control of staff); not a disclosure/power-of-leadership rule in the narrow sense (contested meaning)NoYeas 9, nays 149
January 30, 2019Amendment 11.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Access to InformationNoYeas 40, nays 118
January 30, 2019Amendment 12.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Emergency Scheduling of HearingsNoYeas 35, nays 123
January 30, 2019Amendment 14.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Committee Polls – 2 HoursNoYeas 44, nays 114
January 30, 2019Amendment 16.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): House AuditsNoYeas 35, nays 123
January 30, 2019Amendment 17.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): HWM Reports on BillsNoYeas 33, nays 125
January 30, 2019Amendment 19.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Local Aid ResolutionNoYeas 32, nays 126
January 30, 2019Amendment 20.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Review of Consolidated AmendmentsNoYeas 32, nays 125
January 30, 2019Amendment 22.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Committee Votes on WebsiteNoYeas 44, nays 113
January 30, 2019Fingerprint remote voting from committee rooms (contested meaning)NoYeas 32, nays 125
January 30, 2019Amendment 25.0 (Marc T. Lombardo): Matters considered in an informal sessionNoYeas 32, nays 125
January 30, 2019Amendment 31.0 (John H. Rogers): Relative to Rule 18CNoYeas 43, nays 113
January 30, 2019Amendment 32.0 (Patrick Joseph Kearney): relative to Rule 100 ( c ) 3NoYeas 5, nays 152
January 30, 2019Amendment 33.0 (Patrick Joseph Kearney): relative to Rule 20A and Rule 33ANoYeas 5, nays 152
January 30, 2019Equitable office space (leadership allocates offices) (contested meaning)NoYeas 11, nays 146
January 30, 2019Amendment 38.0 (Denise Provost): To assure adequate time to prepare and file amendmentsNoYeas 44, nays 113
January 30, 2019Amendment 41.0 (Russell E. Holmes): Equal Pay Amendment IINoYeas 5, nays 152
January 30, 2019House rules (H2019), rules package: on adoption of the order (contested meaning)YesYeas 125, nays 32
January 30, 2019Conference-committee appointment deadline; adopted 157-0 (contested meaning)YesYeas 157, nays 0
January 30, 2019Amendment 11.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Committee Roll Calls on WebsiteNoYeas 47, nays 110
January 30, 2019Amendment 12.0 (Marc T. Lombardo): Informal SessionNoYeas 36, nays 121
January 30, 2019Joint rules (H2021), rules package: on adoption of the order (contested meaning)YesYeas 157, nays 0
February 24, 2021Amendment 8.0 (Erika Uyterhoeven): Public Committee Votes and TestimonyNoYeas 36, nays 122
February 24, 2021Amendment 3.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Electronic PollNoYeas 38, nays 121
February 24, 2021Amendment 6.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Procurement AmendmentNoYeas 34, nays 125
February 24, 2021Amendment 11.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Conference Committee ReportNoYeas 35, nays 123
February 24, 2021Joint rules (H68), rules package: on adoption of the Order (contested meaning)YesYeas 128, nays 31
July 7, 2021Remote voting for members on military duty; adopted 160-0 (contested meaning)YesYeas 160, nays 0
July 7, 2021Amendment 2.0 (Tami L. Gouveia): Speaker Term LimitsNoYeas 35, nays 125
July 7, 2021Amendment 6.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Emergency Scheduling of HearingsNoYeas 30, nays 129
July 7, 2021Amendment 9.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Committee Polls - 2 HoursNoYeas 35, nays 124
July 7, 2021Amendment 11.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Access to InformationNoYeas 33, nays 126
July 7, 2021Amendment 13.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Review of Consolidated AmendmentsNoYeas 32, nays 127
July 7, 2021Amendment 12.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Committee Votes on WebsiteNoYeas 38, nays 121
July 7, 2021Amendment 16.0 (Erika Uyterhoeven): Public Committee VotesNoYeas 41, nays 117
July 7, 2021Amendment 3.0 (Christopher M. Markey): Review Period for Released BillsNoYeas 39, nays 119
July 7, 2021House rules (H3930), rules package: on adoption of the order (contested meaning)YesYeas 129, nays 29
February 1, 2023Amendment 7.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Time to review technical/ perfecting amendmentsNoYeas 23, nays 130
February 1, 2023Amendment 12.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Review of Consolidated AmendmentsNoYeas 23, nays 130
February 1, 2023House rules (H2023), rules package: on adoption of the order (contested meaning)YesYeas 153, nays 0
February 1, 2023Amendment 3.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Local Aid ResolutionNoYeas 23, nays 130
February 1, 2023Amendment 9.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Hearing ScheduleNoYeas 24, nays 129
February 1, 2023Joint rules (H2025), rules package: on adoption of the order (contested meaning)YesYeas 153, nays 0
February 25, 2025Amendment 2.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Roll CallsNoYeas 23, nays 128
February 25, 2025Amendment 3.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Formal Session NotificationNoYeas 23, nays 128
February 25, 2025Amendment 4.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): General Court AuditsNoYeas 23, nays 128
February 25, 2025Amendment 5.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Opinion of the JusticesNoYeas 23, nays 128
February 25, 2025Amendment 6.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Committee PollsNoYeas 23, nays 128
February 25, 2025Amendment 7.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Committee Poll NotificationNoYeas 23, nays 128
February 25, 2025Joint rules (H2026), rules package: on adoption of the order (contested meaning)YesYeas 128, nays 23
February 25, 2025Amendment 18.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Time to Review LegislationNoYeas 23, nays 128
February 25, 2025Amendment 17.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Audit by State AuditorNoYeas 24, nays 127
February 25, 2025Amendment 2.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Committee PollsNoYeas 23, nays 128
February 25, 2025Amendment 3.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Committee Poll NotificationsNoYeas 23, nays 128
February 25, 2025House rules (H2024), rules package: on adoption of the order (contested meaning)YesYeas 128, nays 23
June 26, 2025Joint rules (conference report) (S2545), rules package: on acceptance (contested meaning)YesYeas 147, nays 2
June 3, 2026Engross H.5469 (public records law applied to the Legislature). Reform advocates split (contested meaning)YesYeas 125, nays 28

Votes marked “contested meaning” are rules-package and public-records passage votes; reform advocates were on both sides of them. Descriptions are the project’s plain summaries of each question, or the question as recorded for rules-package roll calls; the official record is on malegislature.gov. Votes are facts; no score is computed.

Campaign money in

Thomas P. Walsh’s committee reported $40,000 in contributions of $250 or more in years the member served, 2015–2026.

By year (years in the Legislature)
YearContributions
2015$2,550
2016$8,803
2017$2,850
2018$3,150
2019$3,150
2020$1,050
2021$3,300
2022$1,000
2023$2,900
2024$3,200
2025$3,400
2026$5,100
By kind of contributor
KindTotalShare
Political committees and PACs$24,00060%
Individuals$9,30023%
Unions and associations$6,70317%
Individuals’ money by the employer they reported
Employer reportedShare
A named employer47%
Self-employed25%
Retired13%
Not reported or withheld15%

Not counted as contributions: $55,000 in other receipts of $250 or more in the same years (candidate loans and the candidate’s own money, transfers, refunds, bank interest and aggregated small receipts).

Largest employers and organizations
Employer or organizationKindTotalContributions
MA & NORTHERN NE LABORERS' DISTRICT COUNCIL POL ACTION COMMcommittee or PAC$2,5005
RETIRED PUBLIC EMPLOYEES PACcommittee or PAC$2,3005
RETIRED PUBLIC EMPLOYEES COMMITTEE FOR POLITICAL ACTIONunion or association$1,6004
AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS MA PACcommittee or PAC$1,5004
MA DEMOCRATIC PARTYcommittee or PAC$1,5001
MA & NO NEW ENGLAND LABORER'S DISTRICT COUNCILunion or association$1,5003
BOSTON POLICE PATROLMENS ASSOC POL ACTION COMMcommittee or PAC$1,5003
ENVIRONMENTAL LEAGUE OF MASSACHUSETTS ACTION FUNDunion or association$1,3031
MA ASSOC OF REALTORS POL ACTION COMM - MA RPACcommittee or PAC$1,2003
RETIRED PUBLIC EMPLOYEES COMMITTEE FOR POLITICAL ACTIONcommittee or PAC$1,0002

Source: Office of Campaign and Political Finance, itemized receipts of $250 or more since 2015; OCPF filer record: Walsh Committee (CPF 16291). Individuals are grouped by the employer they reported; no individual contributor is named, and an employer field that is a person’s name is withheld. Massachusetts bars business contributions to candidates. Employer shows affiliation, not instruction.

Sources

Every figure traces to a public record.

Facts only: posts, stipends, sponsored amendments, enacted items, roll-call votes and district money. No score or grade is computed. Associations shown here are not evidence of cause. Method.