patrick guerriero a former massachusetts state legislator mayor and advocate for marriage equality is a founding partner of civitas public affairs group a washington dcbased government affairs firm working on the local state and federal level for two decades guerriero has advised and counseled many of the nations leading democratic and republican elected officials and political donors on a wide range of issues civitas public affairs group with offices in washington dc and boston provides bipartisan government relations issuebased donorgiving strategies and publicpolicy campaign management to individuals nonprofits and corporations from september 1 2006 to june 30 2011 guerriero served as the founding executive director of gill action an issue advocacy group with offices in washington dc and denver colorado at gill action guerriero managed nationwide political operations and supported successful gubernatorial and legislative candidates in various states he also advocated for passage of state laws on nondiscrimination and relationship recognitionguerriero entered national politics when he served as president of the liberty education forum and log cabin republicans from january 1 2003 to september 1 2006 leading both organizations through periods of unprecedented growth from 19932001 guerriero won five consecutive elections he served three terms as a massachusetts state representative where he served on the powerful house ways and means committee and never missed a roll call casting more than 1000 consecutive votes in 1998 guerriero was elected mayor of the city of melrose massachusetts where he served two terms winning reelection with more than 80 percent of the vote in 2002 after serving as thengovernor jane m swifts deputy chief of staff guerriero became the nations first openly gay candidate for lieutenant governor when he was chosen by swift to be her running mateguerriero is an advocate for equality having appeared on major television programs such as nightline hardball with chris matthews the today show and the oreilly factor he has written opeds for publications including the wall street journal and the denver post and has been profiled in the new york times magazine the la times magazine the washington post and the advocate guerriero is the recipient of the us mayors association 2000 city livability award for his nationally recognized civility initiative and the 1998 fenn award for political leadership from the john f kennedy librarys new frontier society