Marian Walsh

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Marian Walsh was born in Roslindale, Boston, Massachusetts. She is a State Senator representing several cities and towns in Suffolk and Norfolk counties. She has served six terms in the Massachusetts State Senate and was promoted to the position of Assistant Majority Leader in early 2003. She was the first woman from her district to serve in both the House of Representatives and in the State Senate.

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[edit] Education

Walsh graduated from Ursuline Academy and Newton College of the Sacred Heart with a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy and American Studies, and went on to earn a Master’s degree in Theological Studies from the Harvard Divinity School. She also achieved a Juris Doctor from Suffolk University Law School. She has been a guest lecturer at Suffolk Law, Tufts University, Boston College, Boston College Law School, and Salem State College.

[edit] Career

Whilst working as Chief Administrator at the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, she established the Victim/Witness Assistance Program; the Homicide Response Team; and the first full-time, permanent Organized Crime Division. Later, she was appointed Assistant Director of Governmental Relations for the Massachusetts Medical Society. Walsh served the 10th Suffolk District in the House of Representatives between 1988–1992.

Before she became Assistant Majority Leader, she served as Senate Chair of the Joint Legislative Committees on Taxation; Banks and Banking; Public Service; Criminal Justice; Ways and Means; Education; and the Committee on Housing and Urban Development.

In 2004, Walsh was opposed by independent Bob Joyce in the general election. Walsh won every precinct in the district.

Walsh's Republican opponent during the 2006 elections was Douglas E. Obey of Westwood. Walsh won every town in the district; the final vote margin was 69-31%, with a spread of over 20,000 votes.

[edit] Awards

She has been named Legislator of the Year by a variety of groups, including the Environmental League of Massachusetts, the State Police Association, the YMCA, the Alzheimer’s Association of Eastern Massachusetts, and the ALS Society of Massachusetts. In 2003, she was included in the list of "Boston's 100 Most Powerful Women" by Boston Magazine.

[edit] Issues

On August 2, 2006, Walsh called for an independent review of Big Dig.[citation needed]

[edit] External links