Ex-Patriots Player Matt Light Loses Foxborough School Committee Bid

FOXBOROUGH, MA — Former New England Patriots player Matt Light will not have a seat on the Foxborough School Committee.

The offensive lineman lost his bid after receiving 1,137 votes, while Robert Canfield III and fellow incumbent Brent Ruter received 1,792 and 1,710 votes, respectively.

"I was willing to do the job, but it wasn't my time," Light wrote on his campaign Facebook page after hearing the results Tuesday. "My focus is needed in other areas and after this experience, I'm more thankful for all the people in my life today than ever before."

Light, 43, who has not been shy about his opinion against school masking requirements, said he wanted to change the school's policies following its response to the pandemic. Canfield and Ruter supported masking requirements.

In an interview with Sean Spicer on March 31, Light said he was inspired to run after having conversations with friends and family about Foxborough's school pandemic policies.

"We cannot allow what's happened over the last two years in this pandemic to be brushed under the rug," Light said during the interview. "What our kids are going through as they go to public schools shouldn't be happening."

For 11 years, Light was an offensive lineman for the Patriots before retiring in 2011. The three-time Super Bowl winner has remained a Foxborough resident for over 20 years, with four children — three of whom are still students.

According to an article from the Boston Globe, Light and his wife, Susie, say that officials ignored their concerns for their son's safety during the mask mandate because he has a heart condition.

On his Facebook page, Light says he never gives up on anything he's started but decided not to seek any further support through campaigning, citing how tired he was of politics and personal attacks. Instead, he says he will turn his attention to the Light Foundation, a charity he founded to empower children through outdoor activities.