Kim Driscoll
73rd Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts
Assumed office
January 5, 2023
GovernorMaura Healey
Preceded byKaryn Polito
50th Mayor of Salem
In office
January 2, 2006 – January 4, 2023
Preceded byStanley Usovicz
Succeeded byBob McCarthy
Personal details
Born (1966-08-12) August 12, 1966
Hawaii, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseNick Driscoll
Children3
EducationSalem State University (BA)
Massachusetts School of Law (JD)

Kimberley Lord Driscoll (born August 12, 1966) is an American politician and lawyer who has served as the 73rd lieutenant governor of Massachusetts since 2023. A member of the Democratic Party, Driscoll previously served as the 50th mayor of Salem from 2006 to 2023.[1][2] Before becoming mayor, Driscoll served as an elected member of the Salem City Council and worked as the deputy city manager and chief legal counsel for the city of Chelsea.

Early life and career

Driscoll was born in Hawaii while her father was serving in the United States Navy.[3] Her mother was born in Grenada and raised in Trinidad. Driscoll moved to Salem, Massachusetts, in 1986 and graduated from Salem State College in 1989. She earned a Juris Doctor from the Massachusetts School of Law.[4][5]

After interning in Salem's planning department during college, Driscoll became Beverly's community development director. After graduating from law school, she spent three years as a real estate and commercial development attorney.[6] Driscoll went on to serve as chief legal counsel and then as deputy city manager of Chelsea, Massachusetts, for five years.[7] She was a city councilor for the fifth ward in Salem before running for mayor in 2005.

Mayor of Salem

Driscoll in 2014

Driscoll was elected mayor of Salem in 2005, taking office in January 2006 at City Hall.[8] She was re-elected to the position in 2009 with over 80% of the vote, and won again in 2013 and 2017.[9] Driscoll has considered running for higher office, including the United States Senate, United States House of Representatives, or Governor of Massachusetts.[10][11][12][13][14]

As a result of her leadership, Salem became one of 110 cities and towns in the state of Massachusetts designated as Commonwealth "Green Communities." This status made the city eligible for municipal renewable power and energy efficiency grants from the state. In 2013, Salem received eight stations where drivers can charge their electric vehicles;[15][16] four are located at the Museum Place Mall, near the Peabody Essex Museum, and the other four are located inside the South Harbor parking garage across the street from the Salem Waterfront Hotel.[17] Also in 2013, under the leadership of Driscoll, the city moved to a mandatory[18] recycling program for trash pick up in Salem.[19][20][21]

Driscoll obtained a federal grant to cover 90% of the cost of Nathaniel Bowditch, a $2.1 million 92-foot high-speed catamaran that travels from Salem to Boston annually from May to October.[22] The maiden voyage took place on June 22, 2006.[23] The ferry is named after Nathaniel Bowditch, who was from Salem and wrote the American Practical Navigator.[24][25][26][27][28] In 2016, Driscoll set up for the Salem acquisition and redevelopment of the parcel at 289 Derby St. into a gateway park along the waterfront.[29][30]

As of 2017, a $1 billion transformation of the Salem waterfront is underway. The project was originally proposed in 2006, and involved dredging to make the waters deeper for larger boats. In 2016, the city acquired the vacant parcel at 289 Derby Street for redevelopment as gateway park along the waterfront. The Salem Harbor Power Station, an old 1940s coal-powered facility, was replaced with a smaller and cleaner natural gas powered plant, occupying one-half of the original footprint, allowing for additional waterfront redevelopment in the future.[31] 40-acres of prime waterfront land is up for sale, the largest deal in the city's modern history.[32][33]

Lieutenant governor of Massachusetts

In January 2022, Driscoll declared her candidacy for lieutenant governor of Massachusetts in the 2022 election.[34] At the Massachusetts Democratic Party State convention in June 2022, Driscoll topped the field with support from 41.4 percent of the delegates, winning the endorsement of the Massachusetts Democratic Party.[35][36] Since announcing her candidacy, Driscoll consistently led the field in the polls.[37][38] She won the Democratic primary and faced Republican Leah Cole Allen in the November general election.[39] Driscoll defeated Cole Allen.[40]

On January 5, 2023, Driscoll was inaugurated as the 73rd lieutenant governor of Massachusetts.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Friedman, Hannah (April 11, 2015). "Interview with Kim Driscoll, Mayor of Salem, Massachusetts". thepolitic.org.
  2. ↑ Staff Reports. "Driscoll wins in landslide". Salem News. Retrieved August 17, 2022.
  3. ↑ Gurley, Gabrielle (January 15, 2013). "Harboring ambition". CommonWealth Magazine. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
  4. ↑ Writer, Alyse Diamantides Staff. "30 new US citizens take oath in Salem". Eagle-Tribune. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
  5. ↑ writers, Tom Dalton and Matthew K. RoyStaff. "And now something you didn't know about Mayor Driscoll". Salem News. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
  6. ↑ Gurley, Gabrielle (January 15, 2013). "Harboring ambition". CommonWealth Magazine. Retrieved August 17, 2022.
  7. ↑ D'Agostino, Kristin (April 25, 2008). "The CEO of Salem". The Salem Gazette.
  8. ↑ Mooney, Ryan (June 8, 2012). "Mayor Kim Driscoll honored by Salem State University". Boston.com. Retrieved July 22, 2013.
  9. ↑ "Driscoll will seek a third term » Local News » SalemNews.com, Salem, MA". Salemnews.com. July 18, 2013. Retrieved July 22, 2013.
  10. ↑ "Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll won't run against Sen. Scott Brown". Boston Herald. April 5, 2011. Retrieved July 22, 2013.
  11. ↑ "Benton: An uphill race for Moulton » Opinion » SalemNews.com, Salem, MA". Salemnews.com. Retrieved July 22, 2013.
  12. ↑ "Possible candidates for Mass. governor in 2014". The Boston Globe. January 13, 2013. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
  13. ↑ "Uproar on Common over family planning aid cuts". March 20, 2011.
  14. ↑ "Will 2012 Be the 'Year of the Casino'?".
  15. ↑ "Mass. awards $3.7M in Green Communities grants".
  16. ↑ "Green Communities Division (MassDOER)". Mass.gov.
  17. ↑ "Salem Installs Vehicle Charging Stations". December 18, 2012.
  18. ↑ "City of Salem, MA - Recycling & Trash". Archived from the original on December 2, 2013. Retrieved November 24, 2013.
  19. ↑ WRITER, Bethany BraySTAFF. "Mandatory recycling begins Monday in Salem".
  20. ↑ Dowd, William J. "Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll reflects on tenure, 2017 priorites".
  21. ↑ "Harboring ambition - CommonWealth Magazine". January 15, 2013.
  22. ↑ "Meet the Mayors". Washington, D.C.: United States Conference of Mayors. Archived from the original on June 27, 2008. Retrieved March 30, 2013.
  23. ↑ Authority, Massachusetts Bay Transportation. "Ferry < Schedules & Maps < MBTA - Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority". www.mbta.com.
  24. ↑ "The Salem Partnership - The Salem Harbor Plan". www.salempartnership.org. Archived from the original on March 3, 2012. Retrieved May 20, 2017.
  25. ↑ Tom Dalton staff writer. "Salem ferry cuts back to three days a week". Salem News.
  26. ↑ writer, Tom DaltonStaff. "Salem may dump ferry operator". Salem News.
  27. ↑ WickedLocalSalem.com, Brendan Davis/. "Tourism on the rise this year in Salem". Archived from the original on April 4, 2017. Retrieved May 18, 2017.
  28. ↑ WRITER, TOM DALTONSTAFF. "Salem ferry sees drop in ridership".
  29. ↑ Driscoll, Kim. "Driscoll: Envisioning a waterfront walkway".
  30. ↑ "Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll's 2017 State of the City Address" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on November 7, 2017. Retrieved May 23, 2017.
  31. ↑ "$1 Billion "Transformation" for Salem, Mass".
  32. ↑ "Salem Harbor Footprint". www.footprintsalemharbor.com.
  33. ↑ Dowd, William J. "Footprint Power CEO gives update on Salem Power Plant".
  34. ↑ "Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll announces run for Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts". WWLP. January 13, 2022. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
  35. ↑ Young • •, Colin A. "Dem. Delegates Endorse Healey, Qualify Chang-Díaz For Ballot". NBC Boston. Retrieved August 17, 2022.
  36. ↑ Service, Colin A. Young | State House News. "Driscoll endorsed by Mass. Dems in LG bid". Salem News. Retrieved August 17, 2022.
  37. ↑ "Poll: Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll Widens Lead in Massachusetts Lt. Governor Race". Framingham SOURCE. April 20, 2022. Retrieved August 17, 2022.
  38. ↑ "New UMass Amherst / WCVB Poll Finds Healey, Diehl Running Away with Party Nominations for Massachusetts Governorship : UMass Amherst". www.umass.edu. Retrieved August 17, 2022.
  39. ↑ "Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll wins Democratic lieutenant governor primary". www.wbur.org. Retrieved October 3, 2022.
  40. ↑ "Democrats sweep Mass. Midterms".
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