Richard K. Whitney, of Boston, Massachusetts, has been a driving force in the Massachusetts Prohibition Party since 1970. He has served as co-chairman of his state convention, as a local organizers, as a state committee member, and as a National Committee member, in addition to being a standard-bearer in 6 elections. He also has been influential in the Action! Prohibitionists Caucus, and he has been editor/publisher of the Massachusetts Statesman for many years.
      Richard was born on 1 September 1938. He has no children and lives alone. He is a member of the Park Street Church (Congregational) in Boston and for 40 years was a sexton at the church. He is a graduate of the Worcester, Massachusetts public schools and of Zion Bible Institute; he has attended Berkshire Christian College. He serves on the board of directors of the Mission Hill Housing Service.
      While attending Berkshire Christian College in the early 1960s, Whitney realized that he should join a political party which stands for Christian principles in society. After checking out all of the parties listed in the almanac, he settled on the Prohibition Party.
      Richard made his first run for public office in 1985, standing for election to District Six of the Boston City Council. He obtained 964 votes, 13.56% of the total.
      Since then, he has run five times for State Representative from the Suffolk District, in 1986 he received 486 votes (10.72%) in Suffolk 17, in 1988 he received 989 votes (13.55%) in Suffolk 16, in 1990 he received 1331 votes (15.87%) in Suffolk 15, in 1994 he received 807 votes (14.44%) in Suffolk 15, and in 1996 he received 572 votes (10.11%) in Suffolk 15.
      His opponent in each of the Suffolk contests was a Democratic incumbent, Kevin Fitzgerald; the district is heavily Democratic.
      Whitney died in a Warren, Rhode Island nursing home on 2 May 2020, after a long illness.  He had been watched over by his brother James, an attorney in Rhode Island.

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