John Mattox

John Amos Mattox

Party Democratic Home state Massachusetts

John Amos Mattox III (born June 14, 1939) is an American politician and former US Marine serving as the U.S. representative for Massachusetts 8th congressional district; he has been in Congress since 1970. A Democrat, Mattox is in his 26th term as a member of the House. The district includes a part of Boston, Massachusetts. Mattox is the dean of the House delegation and the most senior Democrat in the House. He is also the Assistant Democratic Caucus Chairman.

Born in Boston, MA, John A. Mattox III was the youngest of the Mattox children. His sisters, Clara and Annabel, were born in 1941 and 1943 respectively. The Mattox family was relatively prosperous. As members of the prosperous upper-middle-class, the Mattox line were strong supporters of FDR and Harry Truman, despite their conservative leanings (though they certainly favored Truman a little more strongly). John Mattox III was raised to oppose all forms of hatred and bigotry-- strong parts of his Methodist faith. In addition to the three children, the Mattox Family also consisted of their parents (Abigail and John Jr.), their paternal grandparents (John Sr. and Thalia), and their mother’s sister (Pamela).

Towards the end of the Depression, the Mattox Family suffered for some time financially. Mattox Sr. and Mattox Jr. continued to keep the family law firm open, however; Mattox III took a strong interest in law early on, often attending hearings and cases that intrigued him. His family often defended the poor, the scorned, and those that were unable to get past the policies that prevented them from moving forward. In 1941, Mattox Sr. caught influenza and died, having suffered from asthma for most of his life. Mattox Jr. chose to enter local politics part-time, leaving his aides and fellow lawyers to spend more time on the business. After several failed attempts to be elected to office, Mattox Jr. returned to the practice and worked there the rest of his life.

In 1961, Mattox III graduated from high school and immediately joined the Marine Corps against his father’s wishes. He told his family that he “wanted to serve his country no matter what” and that he would find a way to do it “every day for the rest of [his] life.” Mattox III fought in the Vietnam War from 1961 to 1967. Upon his return, he officially changed his party registration to Democratic as he felt that the party was leaving the ideals of Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, and La Follette. He spent several months taking care of his mental health. In 1969, he married a young woman named Virginia Wolfe, who was the daughter of a member of the state legislature. Despite being four years her senior, they became very affectionate with one another and built a very close relationship.

Towards the end of 1969, Mattox III’s father-in-law approached him with an offer to run for Congress with the backing of the Democratic Party. Mattox III agreed, remembering his promise to serve his country. He defeated the incumbent, Rep. Torbert H. MacDonald in a very close primary (49.1%-48.9%); Mattox later said that he would have lost without a minor third contender in the race. Mattox largely campaigned on the platform proposed in 1968 by the DNC, with a few personal tweaks as he had served in Vietnam. Mattox won handily with over 60% of the vote.

In 1971, Mattox welcomed his first children: Isabella and Henry. Just weeks later, however, the family matriarch, Thalia Mattox, died of pneumonia. Mattox III helped support and pass environmental legislation, noise control reform, and educational changes that the Democrats had promised. In 1972, former Rep. MacDonald challenged Mattox for his seat; Mattox won the primary with 53% of the vote and went on to win 67% of the vote in the general election. In 1973, Mattox welcomed another set of twins to the family: Avery and Abigail. Sadly, Avery passed several days after he was born due to complications with the birth. Mattox faced no primary challenger until 1980. His father, Mattox Jr., died in 1969; his aunt Pamela passed in 1983, and his mother has yet to die but lives in a Boston nursing facility. His wife, Virginia, passed in 2008 due to cancer complications.

In 1972, Mattox was an early supporter of Senator Ted Kennedy. When Ted announced he would not run, Mattox almost immediately endorsed George McGovern. In 1976, Mattox endorsed Jimmy Carter, though he feared that the Southern governor wasn't "liberal enough on social issues." In 1980, Mattox endorsed Ted Kennedy and made no comment when Carter received the nomination; he later shared that he cast his vote for Kennedy though he wasn't on the ballot. In 1984, he reluctantly endorsed Mondale. In 1988, he initially backed (fake Jesse Jackson) before ultimately endorsing (Dukakis).

Following the release of the Watergate Scandal to the public, Mattox was appointed to assist senior members of Congress in overseeing the Senate's investigations. In the case the United States v. Nixon, Mattox publicly called for Justice Rehnquist to recuse himself; Rehnquist made no indication if Mattox made any role in the decision to recuse himself from the decision. Mattox was an early supporter of impeachment, and he was emboldened as more of the scandal unfolded. Privately, he began questioning the legitimacy of the 1972 contest, but close friends prevented him from going public with the claims of a potentially stolen election.

In 1980, Mattox was primaried by a 34-year-old man named Henry Welles. Welles has also served in the military and often attacked Mattox (who was then 45) for not doing enough for all veterans. When it came out that Welles was anti-labor and anti-Kennedy, however, Mattox was able to surge in the polls and clinch a victory. He was not primaried again until 2018 for not being “liberal enough;” he met his attackers by sponsoring bills to abolish the Electoral College, establish a Green New Deal, protect abortion rights, and raise taxes on the 1% by astronomical margins. Mattox is now seen as one of the more liberal members of Congress.

In 2011, Mattox was appointed Senior Whip of the Democratic Caucus, a position that he held until he passed it on in 2019. Mattox proved that he was very firm and able despite his age (76-84), and he served admirably as he made his best to be persuasive among Democrats and Republicans alike. He has also assisted Whips in the Senate and occasionally helped persuade more liberal members of the House to vote one way or another since he left the office of Whip. In 2012, following the unexpected death of his predecessor, Mattox also became the ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee. After the midterms in 2012 took out several members of other committees, Mattox was also appointed ranking member of the House Ethics Committee and a normal member of the Education & Labor Committee. Mattox also received 15 votes for Speaker of the House, including one Republican. Mattox has continued to serve on those committees and is the ranking member of both. Mattox has intentions to leave E&L and stay in Ethics as long as he is able.

In 2016, he actively campaigned for Sam Baginski's presidential campaign to bring about more change in American society. When Baginski failed to get the nomination, he reluctantly endorsed Dianne Clifford. Clifford offered to appoint Mattox, then 81, as the Secretary of Veteran Affairs after she won. Mattox declined, saying that he would prefer to stay in the Capitol than leave his constituents without someone they can trust. When Clifford "lost," Mattox was outraged; liked other Democrats, he called for the end of the College, warning that the Wolf Admin would be a disaster for America.

Mattox slowly became less active and vocal in politics. He did not actively campaign but relied on his family, friends, and volunteers to campaign on his behalf while he did the "good work of the people's Congress." That is not to say that he did not host events, however. Throughout 2020, he often held public and private events alike with Senator Sam Baginski, members of the Kennedy Family, (John Legend), and (Bette Midler). Mattox has known (Midler) since the '80s and the two have developed a sense of connection with one another; they are close social media allies, often making humorous jabs at one another or backing each other up on policy or in debates.

After Diehl was nominated, Mattox spoke on his behalf at the DNC, endorsing Diehl whole-heartedly though he preferred Baginski. Mattox urged people all across the country to vote Blue no matter what, and like most people, Mattox was again astonished when Diehl lost by the flimsiest of margins. "This is a bunch of goddamn bats**t," he hissed at the Democratic Caucus's election party. "When the f*** are we going to learn that these goddamn Republicans are going to find a way or die trying? F*** it all to hell!" It is one of two recorded outbursts in his time as a member of Congress where he has uttered a single curse word, let alone five. (The other was at the Watergate hearings where Mattox said "damn" twice.) In 2021, he received two votes for the Speakership as he had previously urged all others to vote by the party line. Mattox has done his best to subvert the GOP's agenda, often holding press conferences or criticizing members of the Republican caucus, such as Congresswoman Durant-- one of his favorite targets.

Starting in the 117th Congress, Mattox has reemerged as a vocal voice in national and Democratic politics. He has spoken with several members of both parties to work on partisan and bipartisan legislation. Mattox is the chief creator of the Modern Economic Aid and Development (MEAD) Act, and he hopes to pass it before Congress adjourns at the end of 2021.

Having served in the Armed Forces and seen war up close, Mattox usually has a thing or ten to say when it comes to foreign policy and diplomacy. He sees China and Russia as equally dangerous, supports finding consensus with allies on foreign policy, and often works with members across the Democratic Party’s political spectrum to get legislation passed. He has been a very critical opponent of Presidents Wolfe and Richardson. In addition to the liberal legislation mentioned from his 2018 primary campaign, Mattox has also co-sponsored anti-gerrymandering bills, anti-hate crime bills, LGBTQ+ rights reforms, Medicare-For-All-Who-Want-It, the abolishment of first-past-the-post, and other progressive reforms. Mattox was reluctant to support the DNC platform in 2020, but did so for fear of retaliation; he did not consider it progressive enough to help the working people of America. Mattox is honest-- sometimes too honest: he sometimes opposes incrementalism because he knows it isn’t enough. At times, he lacks concentration, but he makes up for it with enthusiasm, boundless energy, and a natural joy at being with people. Though a skilled debater and campaigner, Mattox has become more gaffe-prone in recent years due to his age. As one of the longest-serving members of Congress, he receives much respect and is sometimes attacked for being a member of the aging establishment. The following bills are pieces of legislation that Mattox has either sponsored or co-sponsored: -The Affordable Care Act -The Green New Deal -Stimulus funds for the ongoing economic disaster -Medicaid/Medicare Acts (the 1970s) -Clean Air Act Amendments -Clean Air Act -National Environmental Policy Act -Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act -End of the military draft -Gun-Free School Zones Act -Trade Expansion Act -PATRIOT Act -Taxpayer First Act -Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Act of 2017 -The MEAD Act