Richard Gerard Wells Jr., a Democrat, is seeking reelection to the Massachusetts House of Representatives representing the 7th Norfolk District. Wells is certified for the Nov. 3, 2026, general election ballot.

A lifelong Milton resident, Wells won the seat in 2024 after incumbent William Driscoll retired to run for the Massachusetts Senate, according to his Wikipedia biography. He defeated two other candidates in the Democratic primary and unenrolled (no party affiliation) candidate Clinton Graham in the general election.

Candidate information

Party: Democratic

Hometown: Milton, Massachusetts

Education: Bachelor's degree in criminal justice and law enforcement administration from Western New England University (1988). Master's degree in criminal justice and public policy from Boston University (1997).

Experience and public service

Wells served as a police officer at Harvard University from 1983 to 1984 before joining the Milton Police Department, where he served as an officer from 1984 to 2007 and then as chief of police from 2007 to 2016.

He served on the Milton Select Board from 2017 to 2026. Wells said on his campaign website that he served nine years on the board, including twice as chair. According to his Wikipedia biography, he continued to serve on the Select Board until April 2026, fifteen months into his term in the state House.

Wells worked as an adjunct professor at the University of Massachusetts Boston from 1998 to 2001. He has served as a teaching consultant for front line leadership at the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Municipal Police Training Committee since 2014. He also worked as a security specialist and team leader at Osen-Hunter Group from 2022 to 2025.

Wells said he serves on the Joint Committees on Public Safety and Homeland Security, Revenue, Higher Education, and Municipalities and Regional Government in the state House.

On the issues

Wells said on his campaign website that he wants to fight for increased education and special education funding and secure greater Fair Share investments for education and transportation.

He called himself a strong advocate for the Blue Hills Reservation and said he is working to advance the cleanup of the Neponset River.

Wells said he wants to ensure that all people in Milton and Randolph are valued and receive essential support, especially in public education and public safety.

Sources: Public campaign materials, published candidate profiles and the public records linked above. Policy statements are attributed to the candidate; funding or implementation details are included where available.

The Milton-Canton Ledger did not receive a direct questionnaire response from the candidate and does not endorse candidates.