State Rep. Joshua Tarsky, a Needham Democrat, is running for reelection to the Massachusetts House of Representatives in the 13th Norfolk District. The general election is Nov. 3, 2026.

Tarsky succeeded Denise Garlick as the district's representative, assuming office on Jan. 1, 2025, according to Ballotpedia. The 13th Norfolk District includes Needham.

Candidate information

Residence: Needham, where he lives with his wife and three children, according to his Wikipedia entry.

Education: Bachelor's degree in theater studies from Yale University (2004); master's degree in international education policy from Harvard University (2012); juris doctor from Suffolk University (2019), according to BallotReady.

Party: Democratic

Experience and public service

Tarsky said on his campaign website that his commitment to public service began on Sept. 11, 2001, during his first days at Yale, when he watched the terrorist attacks unfold. He said he enlisted in the U.S. Army as a Special Forces soldier shortly after graduation.

He served as a Special Forces medical sergeant in the U.S. Army from 2004 to 2010, according to BallotReady. Tarsky said on his legislative website that he deployed to Afghanistan and South America. He has served as a Judge Advocate General attorney in the Massachusetts National Guard since 2020, according to BallotReady.

In education, Tarsky taught at Lawrence High School from 2012 to 2016 and served as assistant principal at Sandwich High School from 2016 to 2022. He was interim principal at Mashpee Middle-High School in 2022 and subsequently served as principal at Holbrook Middle-High School, according to BallotReady.

In the Legislature, Tarsky said he serves on the House Committee on Climate Action and Sustainability and the House Veterans and Federal Affairs Committee.

On the issues

Tarsky outlined the following positions on his campaign and legislative websites:

Education: Tarsky said he supports raising starting teacher salaries, increasing state aid to public schools and passing a state law allowing school districts to ban cell phones in schools. He also said he backs adding resources to treat and combat mental illness, including additional adjustment counselors.

Housing and cost of living: Tarsky said the cost of living in Massachusetts is too high. He said he supports tax credits for police, firefighters, teachers, nurses and other public servants to purchase homes near the communities they serve. He also said he backs tax breaks and interest subsidies for young families buying first homes.

Healthcare: Tarsky said he supports expanding the Massachusetts Loan Repayment Program for Health Professionals to address physician burnout and recruit additional doctors and medical specialists to the state. He also said he backs increased support for community hospitals and ambulatory care centers.

Environment: Tarsky said he supports decreasing the use of plastic bottles and bags and increasing electric charging ports. He also said he supports creating more walking paths and bicycle lanes in Dover, Medfield and Needham and speeding the electrification of the transit system.

Veterans: Tarsky said he supports greater access to mental health treatment for veterans, increased educational opportunities for veterans transitioning to civilian life and advocacy for veterans' families.

Sources: Public campaign materials, published candidate profiles and the public records linked above. Policy statements are attributed to the candidate; funding or implementation details are included where available.

The Needham-Dedham Times did not receive a direct questionnaire response from the candidate and does not endorse candidates.