Page 7 - BusinessWest June 12, 2023

Orlando Ramos
State Representative, 9th District
For his studio photograph when he became a member of the 40 Under Forty class of 2014, Orlando Ramos chose to put on his blue box-
ing gloves and robe — he trained under legend Duke Belton and fought for several years — with a dress shirt and tie underneath.
The juxtaposition of those clothing items was well-thought-out, and quite poignant.
Indeed, at that time, when Ramos was 31 and serving as a Springfield city councilor (Ward 8) and district director for state Sen. James Welch, he was essentially sending a message — that he was still fighting ... just not in the ring. Instead, he was fight- ing for Springfield, the city where he grew up (the Pine Point neighborhood, to be more specific), and its residents.
That fight took him to the presidency of the City Council, a role he carried out for two years, 2017 and 2018.
Today, the fight continues, but in a different set- ting. Sort of. Instead of City Hall in Springfield, Ramos’ professional mailing address is now the State House in Boston, where he serves as repre- sentative for the 9th District, which represents Pine Point and other neighborhoods in the northern part of the city.
But Ramos is looking to come back to City Hall, in this case the corner office. Indeed, he is a candi- date for mayor in what promises to be a heated fight (there’s that word again) that will play out over the
Orlando Ramos’ 40 Under Forty photo in 2012 (left) emphasized he’s a fighter in more ways than one — and that hasn’t changed.
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