Bill Keating (1970)

Member of Congress

What is Bill Keating (1970) known for?

William Richard Keating, known as Bill Keating, was born on September 6, 1952, in Norwood, Massachusetts. A respected lawyer and politician, he has been serving as the U.S. representative for Massachusetts's 9th congressional district since 2013. He began his congressional career representing Massachusetts's 10th congressional district in 2011, before redistricting led him to his current position.

Keating's political career is steeped in Massachusetts' legislation. He served in both houses of the Massachusetts General Court from 1977 to 1999, where he raised his profile advocating for criminal justice issues, and penned numerous bills concerning taxation, drug crime, and sentencing reform. Notably, he tried to overthrow Senate President William M. Bulger in 1994 - a move that didn't succeed, but considerably boosted his local name recognition. These experiences paved the way for his three terms as the district attorney of Norfolk County before his election to Congress.

The congressman was raised in Sharon, Massachusetts, attending Boston College and Suffolk University Law School, after which he was elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1976 at just 24 years old. He later served in the Massachusetts Senate from 1985 to 1999.

In the fallout from the 2012 redistricting, which drew his home in Quincy into the district of fellow incumbent Stephen Lynch, Keating chose to run in the redrawn 9th district. This district combined the eastern portion of his old district with new territory on the South Coast taken from the 4th district, long represented by Barney Frank. Since then, Keating has been reelected five times from this district.

As of the 117th Congress (2021–23), he sits on the House Armed Services Committee and the Foreign Affairs Committee, where much of his work has centered.