Peter Blute

Peter Ignatius Blute
Born	(1956-01-28) January 28, 1956 Worcester, Massachusetts, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Politician, radio host
Years active	1986–present
Known for	United States Representative from Massachusetts's 3rd congressional district (1993–1997)

Peter Ignatius Blute (born January 28, 1956) is a former American politician who represented Massachusetts's 3rd congressional district as a Republican in the United States House of Representatives for two terms, serving from January 3, 1993, until January 3, 1997. As of 2024, Blute and fellow Republican Peter G. Torkildsen are the most recent members of the GOP to have been elected to the U.S. House from Massachusetts.

Early life and career

Born in Worcester, Massachusetts, Blute is one of eleven children and currently lives in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts. He graduated from St. John's High School and obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from Boston College in 1978. Prior to entering politics, he owned a business specializing in sports promotion and marketing and also worked as a marketing representative for The Burdett School.

Blute was elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1986 and served there until 1993, when he secured a seat in the 103rd United States Congress. In the 1992 election, he unseated nine-term incumbent Joseph Early, becoming the first Republican to hold that district's seat since 1947. After serving two terms, Blute was defeated in his 1996 reelection campaign by Jim McGovern, which ended Republican representation both for this district and for Massachusetts in the U.S. House.

After Congress

Between 1997 and 1999, Blute held the position of executive director at the Massachusetts Port Authority (MassPort). His leadership concluded amid controversy stemming from a "booze cruise" funded by MassPort and described as a "survey" of Boston Harbor. During this event, actress Gidget Churchill exposed herself to a Boston Herald photographer, leading to scrutiny regarding the event's management and media notification processes.

Following his tenure at MassPort, Blute transitioned into radio broadcasting. From 1999 until 2005, he co-hosted morning shows on WRKO Boston alongside Andy Moes, John Osterlind, and Scott Allen Miller. In early 2006, he began hosting the morning drive-time program on AM 830 WCRN Worcester, continuing until May 27, 2011.

On December 21, 2011, Blute was named deputy chairman of the Massachusetts Republican Party.

Family

Blute is the son of Dr. Robert Blute and Ann-Marie Blute, who holds the title of a Dame of Malta. Among his eleven siblings is Paula Ebben, a news anchor for WBZ-TV.

His grandfather, Paul H. Hines, served as a state representative and was an aide to Mayor John Hynes. Additionally, his uncle Peter F. Hines was a member of the Boston City Council from 1958 to 1968 and campaigned for Mayor in 1967.

In 2005, Boston magazine placed the Blute family tenth on its list of "50 families that run [Boston]."

Electoral history

• 1992 Election for Massachusetts's 3rd Congressional District
  • Rep. Joseph Early (D), 44.3%
  • Peter Blute (R), 50.4%
  • Others, 5.3%
• 1994 Election for Massachusetts's 3rd Congressional District
  • Rep. Peter Blute (R), 54.6%
  • Kevin O'Sullivan (D), 44.2%
  • Others, 1.2%
• 1996 Election for Massachusetts's 3rd Congressional District
  • Rep. Peter Blute (R), 45.4%
  • James P. McGovern (D), 52.9%
  • Others, 1.7%

External links

• WGBH "Greater Boston" program from November 16, 2001 covering the MassPort "booze cruise" controversy
• "Blute announces he will not run against Kennedy" Boston Globe, February 24, 2006

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