The quarterback of the Worcester delegation will be missed.

• Position: NEWS

Byline: John J. Monahan

COLUMN: MASS POLITICS

Any way you slice it, the Central Massachusetts legislative delegation in general and the Worcester delegation in particular will have trouble filling the political gap left this month by Vincent Pedone's exit as state representative from the 15th Worcester District.

When the region needed juice to leverage funding for key state projects over the last decade, many of which have produced hundreds of jobs during the Great Recession, Pedone was usually playing a key role coordinating local presentations and lining up political rationales to build support in the House.

He chaired two committees that dealt with largely local and municipal issues before assuming chairmanship of the powerful Committee on Third Reading, which has a final say-so on all bills moving toward passage. His rise in the ranks since winning the seat in 1993 came largely because he was viewed by House Democrats as forward thinking and reliable while his counsel to other elected officials from Worcester and elsewhere was in regular demand.

He was the person many elected officials from Worcester turned to for advice when big political problems erupted over the last 10 years and clear political thinking was needed over what to do next or when a political disagreement had to be settled or a neighborhood battle had erupted.

One colleague recently described him as the quarterback of the Worcester delegation.

It's anyone's guess who might pick up the slack in the House left by his departure for a new job, but there are plenty of people who could

step up in leadership and influence.

While veteran state Rep. John Binienda remains the dean of the delegation and a top member of the House leadership team chairing the Rules Committee, state Rep. Hank Naughton of Clinton has advanced in leadership standing and now chairs the Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee. State Rep. James O'Day, meanwhile, stepped up in rankings last year when he became vice chairman of Third Reading.

Turnover at the top could also create new openings for relative newcomer John Mahoney of Worcester. District voters will be scanning for a new leader from the realigned 15th Worcester District come November, unless the House goes along with local requests for a special election this spring to fill Pedone's unexpired term.

While the city and the region may have lost a political force in the House, Central Massachusetts continues to benefit in terms of clout from...