American politician, first woman President of the Massachusetts State Senate.
Murray was first elected to the state senate in 1992 and quietly worked her way up through the ranks of committees, all the while earning the respect of her fellow lawmakers. In March 2007 she was elected by her peers to the Presidency of the state senate. She has been described as “playing it close to the vest” and being “apolitical” (“not a gladhander or backslapper”) but earned a reputation for her tough stance on issues and her candidness.
Born in the middle of five children in an Irish Catholic family, she remembers that her mother worked outside the home, unusual for the times. She credits her mother for teaching her and her siblings self sufficiency. She was interested in politics at an early age and at age 12 spent her summer on the phones to get Ted Kennedy elected to his first term in the US Senate. As she grew older she continued working in the political sphere. A staunch Democrat, she worked on Michael Dukakis’ gubernatorial campaign.
After college she held jobs in the private and not-for-profit sector and then landed a job with the state Highway Department. When a Republican administration was elected, she was released. By now, in the mid-1970s she had married and divorced and had one daughter. Forced to find work, she sold real estate until her decision to run for office in 1992, a decision that led her to her present position. She was elected to the State senate that year.
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