Setti Warren, Newton Mayor and Harvard IOP Director, Dies

Setti Warren, 55, director of Harvard Kennedy School’s Institute of Politics and a former mayor of Newton, Mass., died suddenly on Nov. 2, 2025; Harvard said he was found dead at his home and no cause has been announced. Warren, who served as Newton’s mayor from 2010 to 2018, was the first popularly elected African American mayor in Massachusetts and later ran campaigns for the U.S. Senate and governor. An Iraq War veteran and Navy Reserve intelligence officer, he also worked in the Clinton White House, for Senator John Kerry and FEMA. He joined Harvard as executive director of the Shorenstein Center and became IOP director in 2022, where he hosted prominent political figures and emphasized student engagement and ideological diversity. As mayor he prioritized schools, transportation planning, reducing the city’s carbon footprint and growing Newton’s innovation economy. His sudden death stunned students, alumni, civic leaders and the Newton community; he is survived by his spouse and two children.