Jeffrey Davis Perry (born January 8, 1964) is a former member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives who represented the 5th Barnstable District from 2003-2011. He was the Republican Party nominee for United States Congress in Massachusetts's 10th congressional district in the 2010 election, losing to Democrat Bill Keating.
Education and early career Perry has an associate's degree (A.A.) from Bristol Community College, and a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in sociology from Curry College.Profile in Massachusetts General Court Member Directory He completed an executive management program at the Law Enforcement Executive Center at Babson College, graduated from the Plymouth Regional Police Academy, and served for eight years as a Wareham police officer. After leaving the police force, Perry started a private investigation business.
State representative In 2002, Perry was elected as a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives. He represented the Fifth Barnstable District, covering the town of Sandwich plus portions of Barnstable, Bourne and Mashpee. He was last reelected by a 70% to 30% margin in 2008. In 2010 he resigned to run for the U.S. House; his term ends in January 2011.State House – Overview, The Boston Globe; retrieved November 28, 2010. He was succeeded by Republican Randy Hunt.
Perry had served on the following Legislative Committees: Joint Committee on Education;Joint Committee on Education, Massachusetts House of Representatives. Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security;Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security, Massachusetts House of Representatives. House Committee on Ways & Means;House Committee on Ways & Means, Massachusetts House of Representatives. and Joint Committee on State Administration and Oversight.Joint Committee on State Administration and Oversight, Massachusetts House of Representatives website; accessed April 9, 2014.
Academia While serving as a State Representative, Perry attended night classes for four years at the New England School of Law, where he was recognized as "the student who has shown the greatest promise of outstanding contributions to public service." After completing his law degree there, he passed the Massachusetts Bar Examination in 2007 and worked at the firm of Flannigan and Perry, P.C., located in Hanover and Hyannis, while he continued to work in the state legislature.Jeffrey, Karen. Political Notes: The bar is raised for Rep. Perry , Cape Cod Times, November 12, 2007; accessed April 9, 2014.
Perry is an adjunct professor of criminal justice at Cape Cod Community College, and previously taught constitutional law at Bridgewater State College.
Political positions Perry is an ally of Mitt Romney,Jeffrey, Karen. "Romney on guest list for Perry's fundraiser" , Cape Cod Times, June 23, 2008.Kinne, David. "Patrick, Romney will speak at respective conventions", The Standard-Times (New Bedford), August 24, 2008.Jeffrey, Karen. rallies support for Cape lawmaker , Cape Cod Times, June 27, 2008. and an admirer of Ronald Reagan.Jeffrey, Karen. Political Notes: Delahunt brings you ... neighbors! , Cape Cod Times, May 12, 2008. He is the author of a self-published book titled, My GOP: It is Time for Republicans to Get Back to the Principles of Ronald Reagan.Perry, Jeff. My GOP: It is Time for Republicans to Get Back to the Principles of Ronald Reagan , mygopbook.com; accessed April 9, 2014.
While in the State House, Perry cosponsored a bill opposing a state proposal to reopen a dredge dumping site in Buzzards Bay.Kibbe, David. "Bill targets disposal in bay", The Standard-Times (New Bedford), March 7, 2006. He has supported the efforts of Democratic Governor Deval Patrick to bring casinos to Massachusetts.Vosk, Stephanie and Kibbe, David. Patrick's casino plans killed, tribe's 'on track' , Cape Cod Times, March 21, 2008.Kibbe, David. “Massachusetts casino gambling gets new life” , Cape Cod Times, January 26, 2009. Perry unsuccessfully sponsored legislation to require residency verification as a condition for receiving public benefits."Poll: 70% favor residency proof to receive public benefits", The Daily News Tribune, May 17, 2007.
Public safety and law enforcement Perry opposed allowing police to pull over motorists for not wearing seat belts.Kibbe, David. “Seat belt shocker in House: Legislators reverse course, kill new bill”, The Standard-Times (New Bedford), May 24, 2006. He has supported maintaining criminal penalties against possession of small amounts of marijuana.Kibbe, David. “Pot law will go into effect on schedule” , Cape Cod Times, December 30, 2008.
Perry is a member of a special legislative commission on drugs, which has focused on such drugs as OxyContin and oxycodone.Berry, Jake. “Probe continues in Jordan Mendes slaying” , Cape Cod Times, December 3, 2008.
Fiscal policy Perry said he hopes efforts by Governor Deval Patrick to reduce earmarks will succeed, but until then "each legislator has to fight or we're going to get left out."Wangsness, Lisa. “House stands by budget earmarks”, Boston Globe, April 18, 2007. Thus, he requested earmarks himself, such as $25,000 for the Sandwich Glass Museum, and $16 million to bring widespread broadband access to Cape Cod.Kibbe, David. “Broadband bill clears House” , Cape Cod Times, July 1, 2008. He opposed using state funds for a convict's sex change operation“New England in Brief ... Opposition grows on convict's sex change”, Boston Globe, April 9, 2008. and has supported tax credits for home heating costs.“Business in Brief….Bill would give tax credit for heat costs”, The Patriot Ledger, October 7, 2008.
Perry supports giving state lottery proceeds to local governments.Kibbe, David. “GOP says state should make up for delayed Lottery aid”, The Standard-Times (New Bedford), February 14, 2008. He opposes state tax increases, calling concerns about revenue shortfalls "hysteria"Kibbe, David. “'Painful budget' awaits state lawmakers” , Cape Cod Times, January 22, 2008.Kibbe, David. “Patrick pushes gas tax hike” , Cape Cod Times, February 21, 2009. and expressing concern that increasing sales taxes could cause people to avoid taxation altogether by making purchases online or by going out of state.Kibbe, David. “Police details: Patrick sits in the driver's seat” , Cape Cod Times, April 9, 2008. Perry has advocated reducing the state's gasoline excise tax in July and August to stimulate the tourism industry.Kibbe, David. “Cape rep wants gas tax holiday to aid summer tourism”, The Standard-Times (New Bedford), May 13, 2008.
Electoral history In 2002, Perry ran against Democrat Ruth W. Provost in the general election to represent the newly created Fifth Barnstable district in the Massachusetts House of Representatives. Provost had been a three-term incumbent of the Second Plymouth district, but her district was redrawn to her disadvantage after the 2000 U.S. Census and she opted to run for election in the new district.Conkley, Jeff (November 7, 2002). Former Rep. Provost out, but not down; Three-term Democrat lost bid for newly created 5th Barnstable District seat, The Patriot Ledger (Quincy, Massachusetts). The vote was 51% to 49% for Perry.MA State House - Fifth Barnstable, OurCampaigns.com, November 5, 2002. In 2004, Perry won 66% to 34% over Democrat Garry N. Blank in the general election for the Massachusetts House of Representatives for the Fifth Barnstable district.MA State House - Fifth Barnstable, ourcampaigns.com; November 2, 2004. In 2006, Perry was reelected in an uncontested election.MA State House - Fifth Barnstable, ourcampaigns.com; November 7, 2006. In 2008, he received 70% of the vote to 30% for Democrat Glenn S. Pare in the race to represent the Fifth Barnstable district in the Massachusetts House of Representatives.MA State House - Fifth Barnstable, ourcampaigns.com, November 4, 2008.
In 2010, Perry ran to represent the 10th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives and was defeated by Norfolk County District Attorney William Keating. Keating received 132,582 votes (47 percent) while Perry received 119,829 votes (42 percent). Independents Maryanne Lewis, James Sheets and Joseph van Ness received 16,673 votes (6 percent), 10,438 votes (4 percent) and 3,075 votes (1 percent) respectively.US House - 10th Distsrict , capecodonline.com; November 2, 2010. He launched his campaign before Democratic incumbent William Delahunt announced his retirement, making this an open seat.Miga, Andrew. “Rep. Delahunt says he won't run for re-election”, The Guardian, March 5, 2010. Perry defeated Joe Malone, Robert Hayden and Raymond Kasperowicz for the GOP nomination.
Controversies Wareham police strip searches In 2010, controversy arose about Perry's time in the early 1990s as a Wareham police sergeant, when on two separate occasions, Scott Flanagan, a subordinate police officer, conducted illegal strip searches of two teenage girls, aged 14 and 16. Perry supported Flanagan up until Flanagan entered a guilty plea. Perry said he had assumed Flanagan was innocent.Wedge, Dave. “Dem: Cop scandal will haunt Jeffrey Perry campaign” , Boston Herald, May 16, 2010. Flanagan pleaded guilty in 1993 to indecent assault and civil rights violations, and subsequently was sentenced to four years in prison. Perry was named in two federal civil rights lawsuits brought against the town. The town lost one of the cases and settled the other. Perry said that although he was named as a defendant, he was never questioned and never appeared in court.Brennan, George. “Perry's link to strip searches in spotlight” , Cape Cod Times, May 15, 2010.Slack, Donovan and Phillips, Frank. "Perry's record as officer examined", Boston Globe, May 15, 2010. Perry stated in May 2010 that, if given the chance, he would not have done anything differently: "I did what I think is good police work." Perry resigned seventeen days after Flanagan was indicted, for what Perry said were reasons unrelated to the controversy.Wirzbicki, Alan and Slack, Donovan. "Breaking silence, strip search victim criticizes Perry", Boston Globe, October 20, 2010; accessed April 9, 2014.
One of the victims, Lisa Allen, who was 14 years old at the time she was assaulted by Flanagan in 1991, has made a public statement against Perry and his role in the incident:
He [Perry] had to hear me screaming and crying. Instead of helping me, Jeff Perry denied anything happened .. Perry did not care about protecting teenaged girls in Wareham from police officer Flanagan. Jeff Perry cared only about protecting police officer Flanagan. ... It upsets me that Jeff Perry can run for Congress after what he did to me when I was 14 years old.'
Allen's father said in 2010 that he was surprised and angry that Perry is running for Congress. "There's nowhere he should run except out of town", he said.
The father of Heather Adams, the victim in the 1992 incident, however, stated in 2010 that he believed Perry was simply doing his job and that the 1992 incident should have no impact on Perry's political career. "Jeff Perry was young and handled it the best way he could ... He was worrying about his men. You have to look at everything, not just heat of the moment. Time heals all wounds. I don't have anything bad to say about him", Adams' father added.Brennan, George. “Perry's link to strip search in spotlight” , Cape Cod Times, May 15, 2010.