Setti Warren facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Setti Warren
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Warren in 2011
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| Mayor of Newton | |
| In office January 1, 2010 – January 1, 2018 |
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| Preceded by | David Cohen |
| Succeeded by | Ruthanne Fuller |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Setti David Warren
August 25, 1970 Newton, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | November 2, 2025 (aged 55) Newton, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | Boston College (BA) Suffolk University (JD) |
Setti David Warren (born August 25, 1970, died November 2, 2025) was an important American leader. He served as the Mayor of Newton, Massachusetts. Newton is a town near Boston. Warren was a member of the Democratic Party. He also ran for a seat in the United States Senate in 2012. Setti Warren made history as the first African-American person to be elected mayor by the people in Massachusetts.
He also tried to become the Governor of Massachusetts in 2018. He announced his plan in 2017. However, he later decided to stop his campaign in 2018. This was because it was hard to raise enough money to run.
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Setti Warren's Early Life and School Days
Setti Warren was born on August 25, 1970. He had a twin sister named Makeda. His parents were Joseph and Elpidia Warren. His father, Joseph D. Warren, helped Governor Michael Dukakis with his presidential campaign in 1988. He also worked at Northeastern University. Setti's mother, Elpidia Lopez, was a social worker. Setti also had a stepmother, Martha. Sadly, his younger sister, Kara, passed away in 2005 at age 27. She had struggled with asthma.
Setti went to Jackson Walnut Park for elementary school in Newton. Then he attended Newton North High School. He was chosen as class president every year there. He later went to Boston College. At college, he was also elected to lead the student body. He earned a degree in history in 1993. Later, he studied law at Suffolk University Law School at night. He finished his law studies in 2006. However, he did not take the exam to become a practicing lawyer.
After college, Setti Warren worked for his family's business for two years. In 1995, he joined President Bill Clinton's campaign to be re-elected. From 1996 to 2000, he worked in different offices at the White House. He helped with planning events and working with government leaders. He also helped with social events.
From 2000 to 2001, he was a director for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in New England. FEMA helps people during disasters. After that, he worked at Boston College for two years, helping to raise money.
In 2003, Warren joined the United States Naval Reserve. This meant he was ready to serve in the military if needed. Around the same time, he worked for Senator John Kerry's campaign for president. He helped plan Kerry's travels. After the election, Warren worked in Senator Kerry's office in Massachusetts. He also helped with local committees in Newton.
In 2007, Warren went to serve in the United States Navy in Iraq. He was an intelligence specialist. Before he left, he started thinking about running for mayor of Newton. While he was training, his team officially started his election campaign.
Becoming Mayor of Newton
In May 2008, the mayor of Newton, David Cohen, said he would not run again. This opened the door for new candidates. Setti Warren was on leave from Iraq in June 2008. He announced he wanted to run for mayor. However, he had to wait until he finished his military service in October. Military rules do not allow active service members to run for office.
In November 2008, Warren officially announced his campaign. He promised to keep the trust between the people of Newton and their leaders. During his campaign, he talked about his experience with FEMA. He also mentioned his skills in managing public workers.
On November 3, 2009, Setti Warren was elected mayor. He won with 11,233 votes, beating Ruth Balser. He started his term as mayor on January 1, 2010.
Warren ran for re-election on November 5, 2013. Many candidates ran, but only two made it to the final election. Warren won again, defeating Ted Hess-Mahan.
In June 2013, Warren decided not to support a plan for new housing. This plan was for people who had been homeless. It was called Engine 6. The project needed money from the city. Warren's decision stopped the project from moving forward.
Setti Warren served two full terms as mayor until 2018. In November 2016, he announced that he would not run for a third term.
Running for U.S. Senate in 2012
On May 9, 2011, Setti Warren announced he would run for the United States Senate. He wanted to represent Massachusetts in the 2012 election. However, on September 29, 2011, he decided to leave the race. He felt he did not have a clear way to win. He then supported Elizabeth Warren, who became the Democratic candidate. Later, he said he felt he had run for Senate too soon in his time as mayor.
Campaigning for Governor of Massachusetts
On May 20, 2017, Setti Warren announced he was running for Governor of Massachusetts. He spoke from his home, surrounded by his family and friends. He talked about "income inequality" as a very important issue. He suggested ideas like healthcare for everyone and free college tuition. He also proposed a new tax for very wealthy people.
Warren stopped his campaign on April 26, 2018. He explained that it was too hard to raise enough money. He felt it was impossible to win against the current governor. He chose not to support any of the other candidates.
His Family Life
Setti Warren was married twice. His first marriage ended. He later married Elizabeth Tasker "Tassy" Plummer on August 12, 2006. Senator John Kerry was a groomsman at their wedding. Tassy grew up in Newton and met Setti while working on John Kerry's presidential campaign. As of 2017[update], Tassy was a leader at Harvard University's Center on the Developing Child. They had a daughter named Abigail and a son named John. Setti Warren was a Catholic.
His Passing
Setti Warren passed away suddenly at his home in Newton on November 2, 2025. He was 55 years old. At the time of his passing, he was the director of Harvard University's Harvard Institute of Politics. He had held this important role since 2022. His passing was announced by leaders from Harvard University.
