Uncontested in Nov. final, David Biele’s ready to get going in 4th Suffolk district

David Biele

This month’s primary election included a busy lineup of campaigns for state and federal posts, one of which was the 4th Suffolk state representative slot left open when Nick Collins moved over to the Senate in a special election earlier this year.

South Boston native David Biele scored a convincing win over Matthew Rusteika to earn the Democratic nomination in the district, which includes precincts in South Boston and pockets of Dorchester.

In an interview with the Reporter this week, the 33-year-old Biele, who faces no opposition in the final election on Nov. 6, chalked up his primary victory to hard work and what he called the “bread and butter” of any successful campaign: “Knocking on as many doors as you can, going to bus stops, and just engaging as many voters and residents as you can.”

Working hard is a value that Biele says was instilled in him from an early age as he grew up in a working-class family in Southie’s City Point neighborhood. His father, a construction laborer, worked three jobs to provide for his family and to help Biele become the first in his family to graduate from college.

“When I was in school at Boston College and BC Law, I worked alongside him to help pay for tuition and books and what-not, and I saw how hard he worked and the jobs he had to do to provide for the family,” said Biele. “And it just gave me a greater respect and appreciation for what he did, because raising a family in Boston isn’t easy.

“More importantly, he was a father who never missed little league, never missed hockey, you know, put his family first. He taught me that you always do the right thing.”

Serving in public office is just another way for Biele to give back to the community that raised him. He already serves on the board of the South Boston Boys and Girls Club, and has mentored a youth from his neighborhood for nearly eight years through a program at the Labouré Center.
He enters the Legislature with a considerable amount of experience in politics: He spent five years as an aide in Collins’s office. This familiarity with the role and various players in nearby precincts has prepared him well for his duties, he said.

“In my experience working in the representative’s office, I had the opportunity to work with some great elected officials here in Dorchester: Councillor Essaibi-George, Sen. Forry, Councillor Baker, so I’m looking forward to working with them. I was thankful to have Sen. Forry’s support, Councillor Baker’s support, you know, having them vouch for me really meant a lot to me.”

Despite his strong Southie roots, Biele was quick to point out that the fragments of Dorchester in his precinct – South Bay, the Polish Triangle and Columbia Point – merit the same level of attention. “It’s the Fourth Suffolk seat, not the South Boston seat, and that’s not something I’m gonna forget,” he said. “It’s a very active district. The people who live here are very well informed and very passionate about their neighborhoods.”

With an eye toward his Dorchester constituents, Biele said some of the main issues he intends to focus on include transportation and public safety in Andrew Square, keeping an eye on development in the Bayside sector of Columbia Point, and working towards fixing Kosciusko Circle, which he knows has been “a problem area for a long time.”

He also placed emphasis on addressing the opioid crisis, a matter that has affected his life on a personal basis. “I have friends and a family member who have dealt with addiction. It’s something that I’ve seen up close and personal in a lot of different ways,” he said. “And I don’t think there’s a person out there who either doesn’t have a family member or doesn’t know somebody who’s had to deal with it.”

Biele acknowledged that he has “big shoes to fill,” referring to the work done by Collins, a longtime family friend who attended high school with Biele at Boston Latin.

“My predecessor has set the bar high, and that’s something that I’m looking to continue,” he said. “There’s a lot of work to do but I’m ready to roll up my sleeves and get to work.”


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