Francis Xavier Bellotti (born May 3, 1923) is an American lawyer and politician who served as both the 39th attorney general and the 61st lieutenant governor of Massachusetts.

Early life

Bellotti was born in Boston, Massachusetts. He graduated from Tufts University in 1947 and received his J.D. degree from Boston College in 1952. He served in the United States Navy during World War II reaching the rank of Lieutenant (junior grade).

Political career

In his first campaign for public office, Bellotti was the Democratic nominee for district attorney of Norfolk County in 1958, but was defeated in the general election. In 1962, Bellotti was elected as Lieutenant Governor for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts from 1963 to 1965. In 1964, he had challenged the sitting governor of his own party, Endicott Peabody, and defeated Peabody in the Democratic primary. However, he went on to lose the general election to John A. Volpe, with Volpe regaining the seat that he had lost two years earlier. In 1966, Bellotti was the Democratic nominee for Massachusetts attorney general, but was defeated by Republican Elliot Richardson. Being subsequently elected to that position in 1974, from 1975 until 1987 Bellotti served three terms as attorney general. In that capacity, he instilled professionalism among his staff, was a leader for civil rights and served as President of the National Association of Attorneys General. He sought the nomination of the Democratic party for governor in 1970 and in 1990, but was defeated in the Democratic primary election in both elections losing to Kevin White and John Silber respectively. In his official capacity for the state, he was the named party in the commercial speech case: First National Bank of Boston v. Bellotti, 435 U.S. 765 (1978), which established that corporations have some free speech rights under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.

Later life and career

After leaving office, Bellotti has practiced law in Boston with the firm of Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky, and Popeo. In 2012, the district courthouse in Quincy, Massachusetts, was named in his honor. He is currently the Vice Chairman of Arbella Insurance Group. He turned 100 on May 3, 2023.

Personal life

He is the father of twelve children, including Norfolk County Sheriff Michael G. Bellotti.

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