Massachusetts Democrats Defeat Term Limits for Speaker [OPINION] Massachusetts Democrats have solidified their grip on power at the State House by beating back an attempt to impose term limits for the Speaker of the House of Representatives. Quincy Democrat Ronald Mariano will likely serve in that powerful position until he retires or is voted out of office by his constituents, neither of which is likely to happen anytime soon. The 74-year-old Mariano, who was elected speaker by his House colleagues in December when then-Speaker Robert DeLeo resigned, was first elected to the Massachusetts House in a special election in 1991. He was appointed House majority leader in 2011 and was a powerful player in the DeLeo leadership team.