"It vets judicial nominees and approves politically fraught pardons, yet operates in obscurity. Now, in a political cycle largely bereft of intraparty intrigue, the little-known Governor’s Council also may boast the liveliest Democratic primary battles in Massachusetts.Fourteen Democrats are vying in Tuesday’s primary for one of the eight seats on the council, a long-ignored, sometimes ridiculed body with roots in the Colonial era. A pair of its longest-serving members are facing primary challengers in their districts, including in a tense rematch in Greater Boston. Two other seats are open. Come November, more than half of the panel could be new faces, an oddity in a State House defined by incumbent supremacy.There’s the potential for history-making, too: The batch of Democratic candidates includes three women of color, any of whom would be the first to ever serve on the council and its first person of color in more than three decades.At stake is the responsibility to vet every judge, clerk-magistrate, and Parole Board member nominee chosen by the governor, as well as any proposed pardons or commutations. As the spotlight on the power, and problems, of the US Supreme Court and federal judiciary has grown, so, too, has the interest in Massachusetts’ own judicial gatekeeper — at least say those seeking a part-time council spot and its $36,025 annual salary."
Continue reading the article (subscription maybe required) ->
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/08/30/metro/governors-council-massachusetts-democratic-primaries-sept-3/
3 of the four candidate participated in the Norfolk Debate which can be viewed here -> https://www.franklinmatters.org/2024/08/norfolk-cable-presents-district-2.html
2 of the candidates were interviewed by Frank Falvey and can be viewed here
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| Video link -> Tamisha Civil |
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| Video link -> Muriel Kramer |
