How Honors Student Joe Romano Made History by Just 4 Votes

It’s a familiar election day refrain: “Every vote counts.”    

Last month, Bentley Honors student Joe Romano ’27, MSA ’27 experienced the truth behind the cliché, edging out his opponent in Winthrop’s Town Council race by just four votes. In doing so, he also made history, becoming the Massachusetts city’s youngest-ever elected official at just 20 years old.  

Romano isn’t rattled by the razor-thin margin. He understands why Winthrop residents might have hesitated to support a young, first-time candidate with limited political experience. But he’s determined to show those who supported him that they made the right choice.  

“All of the other races were decided by a hundred votes or more, so I feel like I have something to prove,” Romano says. “If anything, I’m even more determined make a difference for my community.”  

Born and raised in Winthrop — a suburban, seaside community on a peninsula that forms the northern boundary of Boston Harbor — Romano has long been interested in local politics. In middle school, he discovered the Town Council’s monthly meetings are broadcast on the city’s local public access station. He hasn’t missed a session since.  

“I’ve wanted to get more involved for a long time, but until now I’ve been too young,” Romano explains. In Winthrop, Town Council members must be at least 18 years old to fulfill the four-year terms. When nomination papers for this year’s election became available, Romano decided to throw his hat in the ring as a candidate for his district, Precinct 3. “It just felt like my calling, that now was the time for me to step up and represent my community.”  

Romano’s mother worried that becoming a town councilor might distract him from his studies. As a member of Bentley’s Honors Program and Advanced Standing in Accounting program — an accelerated curriculum that allows participants to earn both a bachelor’s and master’s degree over four years — he has a demanding course load. But Romano is confident in his ability to balance both worlds. He believes the lessons he’s learning at Bentley will be instrumental in helping him drive positive change.

Romano was surprised to learn from one of his Bentley professors — fellow Winthrop resident and Lecturer in Accounting Eric Gaynor — that an accountant had never served on the Town Council. He’s excited to become the first when his term begins this January. “My background in accounting and finance is a big advantage,” Romano says. “I understand how to read a budget and track and manage spending, which will be helpful for managing town finances.”

That’s particularly important for a city like Winthrop, he notes. One of the oldest communities in Massachusetts, it’s also one of the densest, with a population of nearly 18,900 living in an area of just 1.6 square miles. “We’re primarily residential, so we don’t generate as much tax revenue as communities with large commercial bases,” he explains. “That means we have to be really strategic with our spending.”

A central issue in Romano’s campaign was the need to address frequent flooding in his district. “I like to describe Precinct 3 as a peninsula on a peninsula,” he says. “We’re kind of segregated from other Winthrop districts, with only two lanes of access. When the area floods, it creates a huge safety hazard. Emergency vehicles can’t get in or out.” With sea levels rising, Romano knows the Town Council will need to find a long-term — and cost-effective — solution.

As an Honors student, Romano is required to complete a creative, community-based or independent research project known as a Pathway Experience. He realized the assignment could serve a dual purpose. He’s using the project to explore flood mitigation strategies used in other coastal areas.  

“There are lots of ways to address the issue,” he explains, from restoring salt marshes and improving existing storm drains to erecting tide gates and pump stations and creating fortified floodwalls from manmade or organic materials. With Associate Professor of Mathematical Sciences Greg Vaughan as his adviser, Romano is conducting a cost-benefit analysis of the various methods used by other Massachusetts communities. He’ll present his Bentley research at a future Town Council meeting and hopes his findings “will help us determine the best strategy for helping Winthrop residents.”

While he has no way of knowing what the future holds, Romano says he’s going into public service with optimism and an open mind. 

“I’m so grateful to have this opportunity,” he says. “I’ve met so many great people in Winthrop over the last few months, and I feel honored to represent them. I’m committed to putting in as much work as I can on their behalf over the next four years.” He knows he may not always see eye-to-eye with his fellow councilors, but “I know we all want to do what’s best for our precincts and for Winthrop as a whole.”  

Romano hopes to inspire other young people to become similarly engaged in their communities. “There’s definitely a need for younger representation in town governance,” he says. “We have fresh voices and fresh perspectives that can really make a difference. I hope that I can be a positive example for my peers. I want them to see me on the Town Council and think, ‘I can do this, too.’”