Maura Healey

Maura Healey
Governors office · Public domain · source
Name	Maura Healey
Office	Governor of Massachusetts
Term start	January 5, 2023
Predecessor	Charlie Baker
Office1	44th Attorney General of Massachusetts
Term start1	January 22, 2015
Term end1	January 5, 2023
Predecessor1	Martha Coakley
Successor1	Andrea Campbell
Birth date	January 8, 1971
Birth place	Winthrop, Massachusetts
Party	Democratic Party
Spouse	Sacha G. Miller
Education	Harvard College (AB), Yale Law School (JD)

Maura Healey is an American politician, former civil rights attorney, and the current Governor of Massachusetts. She served two terms as the state's Attorney General before winning the 2022 gubernatorial election. Healey is noted for litigation on consumer protection, civil rights, and healthcare issues and for being one of the first openly gay governors in United States history.

Early life and education

Healey was born in Winthrop, Massachusetts and raised in a family with roots in Boston, Massachusetts neighborhoods. She attended Winthrop High School before matriculating at Harvard College, where she studied public policy and graduated with an AB. After working in the Clerk of Court and interning at offices including Suffolk County legal entities, she earned a JD from Yale Law School, where she participated in clinical programs and worked with public interest groups connected to Americans for Democratic Action and other civil rights organizations.

Legal career and public service

After law school, Healey clerked for judges in the Massachusetts Appeals Court and practiced at private firms including Ropes & Gray. She joined the Office of the Attorney General of Massachusetts and later served as chief of the Civil Rights Division, litigating alongside state agencies such as the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination. Healey worked on cases against corporations like Opioid manufacturers and financial institutions, coordinating with federal entities including the United States Department of Justice and state attorneys general associations such as the National Association of Attorneys General. Her legal work involved collaboration with nonprofit organizations like ACLU affiliates and Lambda Legal in litigation on LGBTQ rights, and with public health organizations such as Massachusetts Department of Public Health on healthcare access.

Massachusetts Attorney General (2015–2023)

Elected Attorney General in 2014, Healey led high-profile actions involving consumer protection, antitrust, and environmental enforcement. She brought suits and settlements with entities including Pharmaceutical Company manufacturers implicated in the opioid crisis, negotiated agreements with technology companies over data privacy, and joined multistate litigation targeting healthcare insurers like Blue Cross Blue Shield affiliates. Healey's office challenged federal actions by the Trump administration on immigration and civil rights, coordinating with other state attorneys general such as Gurbir Grewal and Josh Shapiro. She secured enforcement actions against utility companies involved in grid reliability disputes and worked with regulatory bodies like the Federal Communications Commission and Environmental Protection Agency on matters affecting Massachusetts consumers and ecosystems such as the Charles River watershed. Healey expanded enforcement against housing discrimination in partnership with organizations including HUD-regional offices and supported litigation to preserve access under statutes such as the Affordable Care Act.

Governor of Massachusetts (2023–present)

Healey was elected Governor in 2022, succeeding Charlie Baker. Her administration prioritized initiatives interacting with the Massachusetts General Court, negotiating budgets with legislative leaders including Karen Spilka and Ronald Mariano. Early executive actions involved appointments to state agencies such as the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, and directives affecting statewide public safety agencies including the Massachusetts State Police. She has overseen responses to public health challenges with Massachusetts Department of Public Health leadership and collaborated with neighboring governors such as Phil Scott and other regional executives on interstate infrastructure and climate resilience programs. Healey's administration has also engaged with federal programs administered by agencies like the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Transportation to leverage funding for transit and housing projects.

Political positions and initiatives

Healey's policy portfolio emphasizes consumer protection, civil rights enforcement, healthcare access, climate resilience, and housing affordability. She has supported legislation in the Massachusetts Legislature to expand tenant protections and increase funding for public housing authorities such as Massachusetts Housing Finance Agency. On climate, she backed initiatives aligning with the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative and coordinated with the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs to reduce emissions affecting the Boston Harbor region. Healey has advocated for reproductive rights in alignment with organizations such as Planned Parenthood and legal protections following decisions by the United States Supreme Court. Her office has pursued antitrust enforcement often in multistate coalitions with attorneys general from states like California and New York.

Personal life and recognition

Healey is married to Sacha G. Miller and resides in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She is openly lesbian and has been recognized by advocacy organizations such as GLAAD and legal groups including Massachusetts LGBT Bar Association. Honors have come from civic institutions including Harvard University alumni associations and civic awards from entities like Boston Bar Association for public service. She has been profiled by national publications covering leaders in state politics and featured in lists recognizing influential elected officials across the United States.

Category:Governors of Massachusetts Category:Attorneys General of Massachusetts Category:Harvard College alumni Category:Yale Law School alumni