For the first time in our state’s history, Massachusetts will boast an all-female executive team, including Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, (first woman and first person of color to be elected as Boston’s mayor), State Governor Maura Healey, (first woman and first openly gay elected governor), Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll, Attorney General-elect Andrea J. Campbell, (first black woman to hold this constitutional office), State Auditor Diana DiZoglio (only the second woman ever to hold this position) and Treasurer of Massachusetts Deborah Goldberg (second-longest-serving treasurer in Massachusetts history). The number of women who won statewide offices this year marks a milestone in the commonwealth’s history. Only nine women have served in constitutional offices in 242 years.
On January 5th, 2023, Maura Healey was sworn in inside the chambers of the Massachusetts State House, becoming the state’s 73rd governor. Kim Driscoll, who previously served as the mayor of Salem, became the 73rd lieutenant governor. They both made history as the first all-women ticket sworn in to helm a state.
Maura Healey, a Democrat, made history eight years ago when she became the first openly gay person to be elected a state attorney general in the United States. She made history again as the first woman elected governor in Massachusetts and the first openly gay elected governor in the nation. Her win also marks the flipping of the state’s top executive seat to a Democrat for the first time since Deval Patrick was reelected in 2010 and only the second time since Michael Dukakis’ reelection in 1986.
“It is the honor of my life to serve this great state,” Healey said. In her inaugural address, she pledged to tackle challenges like housing, cost of living, transportation and climate change.
Extinction Rebellion, a decentralized, international and politically non-partisan movement using non-violent direct action and civil disobedience to persuade governments to act justly on the Climate and Ecological Emergency held signs outside of the Maura Healey swear in ceremony, hoping their voices would be heard.
Extinction Rebellion member Jan Surrey said: “I am very excited to be here. Maura Healey is a wonderful person, and really loves Common Well. It is memorable to see a gay woman, beautiful spirit, and she has been at campaigns and has a climate person, designated. But we are not sure how much she is willing to lead and get into fossil fuels and infrastructure. There are plans being built right now, and planning to be built that should not be built. We said we will give her a month, and we will be more active. We love her and that’s why we want to hold her accountable. We want a positive message to become the center of her governing.”
