Many readers may not be familiar with the work of the Governor’s Council, but I believe it’s very important to know. This body of eight elected members works directly with the governor and lieutenant governor in Boston, providing advice and consent on important judicial and executive nominations and policy decisions.
Our representative here in District 8, consisting of all four western counties of the state, is former Springfield mayor Mary Hurley. She is retiring, and there are four Democrats running in the September primary to replace her – three male lawyers from Hampden County, and North Adams School Committee member and Democratic City Committee Chair Tara Jacobs.
I am voting for Tara Jacobs. Not just because she can help maintain gender balance on the Governor’s Council, which including Councilor Hurley is five men and three women, but because she is well-educated, politically savvy, and has strong experience confirming nominees to important positions such as school superintendents and library directors.
Being from North Adams, she’s not beholden to the Springfield political machine, and since she’s not a lawyer, she can truly remain objective throughout the judicial confirmation process. Ms. Jacobs’ campaign website says she is running to be a voice for equity, inclusion, accountability, and social justice for all of western Massachusetts, and that is the kind of voice western Massachusetts needs in Boston.
Please allow me to recommend Tara Jacobs to your readers to be the next Governor’s Councilor from District 8.
Erica Manville
East Longmeadow
This article was originally published in the Daily Hampshire Gazette on August 30th, 2022: https://www.gazettenet.com/Letter-Erica-Manville-47807637
