Kerry Healey
Encyclopedia
Kerry Murphy Healey was the 70th Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts
. She served from 2003 to 2007 with Governor Mitt Romney. She was the 2006 Republican
nominee for Governor of Massachusetts
, losing to Democrat
Deval Patrick
in November 2006. She currently serves as a TV Host on New England Sports Network
.
and grew up in Daytona Beach, Florida
. Her mother, Shirley (Cumming) Murphy (b. 1926) worked as a schoolteacher, and her father, Edward Murphy (1919–2005), was a World War II
veteran, later disabled by a heart attack and unable to work. Healey attended Harvard College
, graduating with an A.B. in government in 1982. She also earned a Ph.D. in political science and law from Trinity College, Dublin
in Ireland
.
In 1985, she married Sean Healey, a multi-millionaire businessman worth over $100 million USD; they have two children, Alexander (b. 1992) and Averill (b. 1994).
to represent the 6th Essex District in the Massachusetts House of Representatives
. She then served briefly as chairperson of the Massachusetts Republican State Committee.
She was elected in 2002
as Lieutenant Governor on the Republican ticket with Mitt Romney.
After Governor Mitt Romney's announcement that he would not seek re-election in the 2006 election
Healey formally announced on February 8, 2006, that she would seek the Republican nomination for Governor. Healey and her running mate Reed Hillman received the endorsement of the Republican state convention nomination for Governor and Lieutenant Governor, and were the only Republican candidates in the September 19 primary. On November 7, Healey was defeated by Democrat Deval Patrick
by 21 percentage points.
On August 28, 2009, The Boston Globe reported that Healey was considering running in the special election
for the US Senate seat formerly held by Edward M. Kennedy.
On September 7, 2009, Healey decided not to run for the vacant post.
(NESN) as the lead host for their new show Shining City. The show features and celebrates science, technology, and innovation in the New England area.
that said Gabrieli only supported state funded stem cell research because he owns stock in companies that would profit from stem cell research. Gabrieli said that none of the companies he is invested in have ever done stem cell research, claiming the ads were untrue. While a company founded by Chris Gabrieli, Isis Pharmaceuticals, has not gone beyond the patent process, it is one of the world’s leading patent
holders in stem cell research.
Following the primaries, a TV ad by Healey criticized her gubernatorial rival Deval Patrick for serving as the lawyer for the killer of a Florida highway patrol officer gunned down on a rural road. In 1985, Patrick, then a lawyer for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, worked to reverse the death sentence imposed on killer Carl Ray Songer. “Her approach is to protect the victims and Deval Patrick’s approach is always to protect convicted criminals,” said Healey’s campaign manager Tim O’Brien. Now, under Florida law, Songer is eligible for parole.
The "Cop Killer" campaign ad was featured on a segment of the Opie and Anthony radio show
about negative campaign ads. The ad was criticized on the air for its lack of information about the case. She also criticized Patrick for having written to the Massachusetts Parole Board on behalf of Benjamin LaGuer
, who proclaims innocence for a 1983 sexual assault, and for corresponding with the inmate. During the heat of the campaign two unidentified men visited LaGuer in prison and allegedly offered him $100,000 if would turn that correspondence over to them.
Critics of Healey's ad argued that it confused the proper role of criminal defense lawyers in the judicial system. Patrick argued that Songer hadn’t been sentenced fairly because he wasn’t able to present evidence of his good character during the sentencing hearing. “The federal appeals court agreed with him that [Songer’s] death sentence violated the Constitution of the United States,” said Patrick spokesman Richard Chacon in a statement. Patrick’s campaign also pointed out that Healey’s running mate, Reed Hillman, lobbied a parole board on behalf of friend James W. Mitchell, who was accused of assaulting a police officer.
Deval Patrick also criticized Healey's campaign for leaking details of the 1993 rape of Patrick's sister by her husband. The Healey's campaign denied any involvement in the leak, and in turn accused Patrick of initiating a "smear campaign" over the issue.
Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts
The Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts is the first in the line to discharge the powers and duties of the office of governor following the incapacitation of the Governor of Massachusetts...
. She served from 2003 to 2007 with Governor Mitt Romney. She was the 2006 Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
nominee for Governor of Massachusetts
Governor of Massachusetts
The Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the executive magistrate of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States. The current governor is Democrat Deval Patrick.-Constitutional role:...
, losing to Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Deval Patrick
Deval Patrick
Deval Laurdine Patrick is the 71st and current Governor of Massachusetts. A member of the Democratic Party, Patrick served as an Assistant United States Attorney General under President Bill Clinton...
in November 2006. She currently serves as a TV Host on New England Sports Network
New England Sports Network
The New England Sports Network, or NESN [NESS-en], is a regional cable television network that covers the six New England states except Fairfield County, Connecticut and Southbury, Connecticut, a town in New Haven County, Connecticut which is covered by New York City sports networks...
.
Personal life
Healey was born in Omaha, NebraskaOmaha, Nebraska
Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
and grew up in Daytona Beach, Florida
Daytona Beach, Florida
Daytona Beach is a city in Volusia County, Florida, USA. According to 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the city has a population of 64,211. Daytona Beach is a principal city of the Deltona – Daytona Beach – Ormond Beach, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which the census bureau estimated had...
. Her mother, Shirley (Cumming) Murphy (b. 1926) worked as a schoolteacher, and her father, Edward Murphy (1919–2005), was a World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
veteran, later disabled by a heart attack and unable to work. Healey attended Harvard College
Harvard College
Harvard College, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is one of two schools within Harvard University granting undergraduate degrees...
, graduating with an A.B. in government in 1982. She also earned a Ph.D. in political science and law from Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin , formally known as the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, was founded in 1592 by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I as the "mother of a university", Extracts from Letters Patent of Elizabeth I, 1592: "...we...found and...
in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
.
In 1985, she married Sean Healey, a multi-millionaire businessman worth over $100 million USD; they have two children, Alexander (b. 1992) and Averill (b. 1994).
Political career
Healey's political career began in the late 1990s when she unsuccessfully challenged Democratic incumbent Michael P. CahillMichael P. Cahill
Michael P. Cahill is an American politician who represented the 6th Essex district in the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 1993–2003. He was a candidate for Treasurer and Receiver-General of Massachusetts in 2002, finishing fourth in the Democratic primary.-References:...
to represent the 6th Essex District in the Massachusetts House of Representatives
Massachusetts House of Representatives
The Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from single-member electoral districts across the Commonwealth. Representatives serve two-year terms...
. She then served briefly as chairperson of the Massachusetts Republican State Committee.
She was elected in 2002
Massachusetts gubernatorial election, 2002
The Massachusetts gubernatorial election of 2002 was held on November 5, 2002. Businessman Mitt Romney was elected to a four-year term, to be served from January 2, 2003 until January 4, 2007. Every four years, Massachusetts holds state-wide elections for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney...
as Lieutenant Governor on the Republican ticket with Mitt Romney.
After Governor Mitt Romney's announcement that he would not seek re-election in the 2006 election
Massachusetts gubernatorial election, 2006
The Massachusetts gubernatorial election of 2006 was held on November 7, 2006. Former US Assistant Attorney General Deval Patrick was elected to a four-year term, from January 4, 2007 until January 6, 2011. In his first elected office, Patrick is the second African-American governor in the United...
Healey formally announced on February 8, 2006, that she would seek the Republican nomination for Governor. Healey and her running mate Reed Hillman received the endorsement of the Republican state convention nomination for Governor and Lieutenant Governor, and were the only Republican candidates in the September 19 primary. On November 7, Healey was defeated by Democrat Deval Patrick
Deval Patrick
Deval Laurdine Patrick is the 71st and current Governor of Massachusetts. A member of the Democratic Party, Patrick served as an Assistant United States Attorney General under President Bill Clinton...
by 21 percentage points.
On August 28, 2009, The Boston Globe reported that Healey was considering running in the special election
United States Senate special election in Massachusetts, 2010
The 2010 United States Senate special election in Massachusetts was a special election held on January 19, 2010, in order to fill the Massachusetts Class I United States Senate seat for the remainder of the term ending January 3, 2013...
for the US Senate seat formerly held by Edward M. Kennedy.
On September 7, 2009, Healey decided not to run for the vacant post.
TV Host
In 2010 Healey joined New England Sports NetworkNew England Sports Network
The New England Sports Network, or NESN [NESS-en], is a regional cable television network that covers the six New England states except Fairfield County, Connecticut and Southbury, Connecticut, a town in New Haven County, Connecticut which is covered by New York City sports networks...
(NESN) as the lead host for their new show Shining City. The show features and celebrates science, technology, and innovation in the New England area.
Criticism
During the 2006 Democratic primaries, Healey launched an attack ad against potential opponent Chris GabrieliChris Gabrieli
Chris Gabrieli is an American businessman and a leading national education reformer. He is currently driving the movement to reform the school calendar.-Biography:...
that said Gabrieli only supported state funded stem cell research because he owns stock in companies that would profit from stem cell research. Gabrieli said that none of the companies he is invested in have ever done stem cell research, claiming the ads were untrue. While a company founded by Chris Gabrieli, Isis Pharmaceuticals, has not gone beyond the patent process, it is one of the world’s leading patent
Patent
A patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
holders in stem cell research.
Following the primaries, a TV ad by Healey criticized her gubernatorial rival Deval Patrick for serving as the lawyer for the killer of a Florida highway patrol officer gunned down on a rural road. In 1985, Patrick, then a lawyer for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, worked to reverse the death sentence imposed on killer Carl Ray Songer. “Her approach is to protect the victims and Deval Patrick’s approach is always to protect convicted criminals,” said Healey’s campaign manager Tim O’Brien. Now, under Florida law, Songer is eligible for parole.
The "Cop Killer" campaign ad was featured on a segment of the Opie and Anthony radio show
Opie and Anthony
Opie and Anthony are the hosts of The Opie & Anthony Show, a talk radio program airing in the United States and Canada on XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio. Since the merger of the two satellite companies, this is now called Sirius/XM...
about negative campaign ads. The ad was criticized on the air for its lack of information about the case. She also criticized Patrick for having written to the Massachusetts Parole Board on behalf of Benjamin LaGuer
Benjamin LaGuer
Benjamin LaGuer is a convicted rapist serving a life sentence in Massachusetts. He has not acknowledged the crime for which he was convicted, claiming innocence. His case achieved prominence in the late 1980s when reporting by John King discovered a juror who said that other members of the...
, who proclaims innocence for a 1983 sexual assault, and for corresponding with the inmate. During the heat of the campaign two unidentified men visited LaGuer in prison and allegedly offered him $100,000 if would turn that correspondence over to them.
Critics of Healey's ad argued that it confused the proper role of criminal defense lawyers in the judicial system. Patrick argued that Songer hadn’t been sentenced fairly because he wasn’t able to present evidence of his good character during the sentencing hearing. “The federal appeals court agreed with him that [Songer’s] death sentence violated the Constitution of the United States,” said Patrick spokesman Richard Chacon in a statement. Patrick’s campaign also pointed out that Healey’s running mate, Reed Hillman, lobbied a parole board on behalf of friend James W. Mitchell, who was accused of assaulting a police officer.
Deval Patrick also criticized Healey's campaign for leaking details of the 1993 rape of Patrick's sister by her husband. The Healey's campaign denied any involvement in the leak, and in turn accused Patrick of initiating a "smear campaign" over the issue.
Electoral history
- 1998 campaign for 6th Essex State Representative District
- Rep. Michael Cahill (D), 66%
- Kerry Healey (R), 34%
- 2000 campaign for 6th Essex State Representative District
- Rep. Michael Cahill (D), 60%
- Kerry Healey (R), 36%
- 2002 Republican Primary for Lt. GovernorMassachusetts gubernatorial election, 2002The Massachusetts gubernatorial election of 2002 was held on November 5, 2002. Businessman Mitt Romney was elected to a four-year term, to be served from January 2, 2003 until January 4, 2007. Every four years, Massachusetts holds state-wide elections for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney...
- Kerry Healey (R), 64.39%
- Jim RappaportJim RappaportJames Rappaport is a real estate developer, entrepreneur, attorney, philanthropist, and Republican politician from Massachusetts.-Political career:...
(R), 35.51%
- 2002 campaign for Governor/Lt. GovernorMassachusetts gubernatorial election, 2002The Massachusetts gubernatorial election of 2002 was held on November 5, 2002. Businessman Mitt Romney was elected to a four-year term, to be served from January 2, 2003 until January 4, 2007. Every four years, Massachusetts holds state-wide elections for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney...
- Mitt RomneyMitt RomneyWillard Mitt Romney is an American businessman and politician. He was the 70th Governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 and is a candidate for the 2012 Republican Party presidential nomination.The son of George W...
/Kerry Healey (R), 50% - Shannon O'BrienShannon O'BrienShannon Patricia Elizabeth O'Brien is a Democrat from Massachusetts. O'Brien served in the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 1987 through 1993, in the Massachusetts Senate from 1993 through 1995, and was the Massachusetts State Treasurer from 1999 through 2003...
/Chris GabrieliChris GabrieliChris Gabrieli is an American businessman and a leading national education reformer. He is currently driving the movement to reform the school calendar.-Biography:...
(D), 45% - Others, 5%
- Mitt Romney
- 2006 campaign for Governor/Lt. GovernorMassachusetts gubernatorial election, 2006The Massachusetts gubernatorial election of 2006 was held on November 7, 2006. Former US Assistant Attorney General Deval Patrick was elected to a four-year term, from January 4, 2007 until January 6, 2011. In his first elected office, Patrick is the second African-American governor in the United...
- Deval PatrickDeval PatrickDeval Laurdine Patrick is the 71st and current Governor of Massachusetts. A member of the Democratic Party, Patrick served as an Assistant United States Attorney General under President Bill Clinton...
/Tim Murray (D), 56% - Kerry Healey/Reed Hillman (R), 35%
- Others, 9%
- Deval Patrick