The Massachusetts Governor’s Council, or Executive Council, is a governing body that provides advice and consent to the Governor of Massachusetts on matters such as judicial nominations, pardons, and commutations. Composed of eight councilors and the Lieutenant Governor, who serves ex officio, or as the result of one’s position, the eight individuals are elected from their respective districts every two years with no term limits.
This year on September 3, candidates for Councilor will be aspiring their primary elections. Newton residents will see two names on their ballots — incumbent Councilor Marilyn Petitto Devaney and challenger Mara Dolan — running to represent District 3, which covers parts of Boston and many surrounding Greater Boston area cities and towns.
Devaney, the District 3 Councilor since January 1999, is the oldest member of the Council (85) and was formerly a member of Watertown’s City Council for over two decades before winning the 3rd District Governor’s Council Democratic Primary in 1998 against 7 other candidates.
A member of the Democratic party, Devaney’s focus, as listed on her campaign website, primarily involves governmental transparency, her position as a non-lawyer, and dedication to the role through her strong attendance record during her time in the position.
Dolan ran against Devaney before, losing by 1,658 votes in the 2022 Democratic Primary. A public defender and member of the Democratic party, Dolan’s focus involves providing scientifically backed judgment pertaining to court cases of addiction, equitable treatment of those who appear before prosecution, and a pro-choice position on abortion, according to her campaign website and Instagram.
The winner of this September 3 race will become the Democratic nominee for the seat, running unopposed in the November General Election.
Bella Ishanyan is a Fig City News intern, Massachusetts High School Journalist of the Year, and off to UMass Amherst in September.
Ed. Note: We have revised this article to remove “former” from before “public defender” because Mara Dolan informed us that she is currently in this role.
