An attorney by profession, Connolly was first elected to public office in 1973 when he won a seat in the Massachusetts House of Representatives.

[3] He was a candidate for the Democratic nomination for Edward Brooke's United States Senate seat in 1978,[4] but he dropped out of the race and instead ran for and was elected Secretary of the Commonwealth.

Connolly ran for the Senate again in 1984, losing the nomination to Lieutenant Governor John Kerry.

[7] They have four children, including former Boston City Council member John R.

This article about a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives is a stub.