Jane M. Swift

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Jane Maria Swift
Jane M. Swift
In office
April 10, 2001 – January 2, 2003
Preceded by Paul Cellucci (resigned)
Succeeded by Mitt Romney (elected)
In office
1999 – 2003
Governor Paul Cellucci
Preceded by Paul Cellucci (1997)
Succeeded by Kerry Healey (2003)
Born February 24, 1965 ( 1965-02-24) (age 44)
North Adams, Massachusetts
Political party Republican
Spouse Chuck Hunt
Residence Williamstown, Massachusetts
Profession Politician
Religion Roman Catholic

Jane Maria Swift (born February 24, 1965) is an American politician and the former Republican Governor of Massachusetts. She is the only woman to hold that position, serving from 2001 to 2003. At the time she became governor, Swift was the youngest person in the country to hold the position.[1] She had previously served as Lieutenant Governor. In 1990, at the age of 25, she became the youngest woman ever elected to the Massachusetts Senate. She currently resides in Williamstown, Massachusetts.[2]

Contents

[edit] Early life

Descended from an Irish-Italian political family in North Adams, Massachusetts, Swift learned politics from her father who was active in the Massachusetts Republican Party. In 1987, she graduated from Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut with a degree in American studies and political science. During her college years, Swift was a member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority.[2]

[edit] Massachusetts Governor

Swift was elected Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts in 1998 and became Governor in 2001 when Governor Argeo Paul Cellucci resigned to became the United States Ambassador to Canada. (Note: The Massachusetts constitution has used the term "acting governor" since the eighteenth century, although the powers and responsibilities of the office are fully vested in the designated successor when the office becomes vacant.)

She was the first governor from western Massachusetts for half a century.[1] Swift was the first sitting Governor in United States history to give birth when her twin daughters were born one month into her term of office. She continued to exercise executive authority during her maternity leave, including chairing a meeting of the Massachusetts Governor's Council by teleconference from her hospital bed.

Swift's tenure as governor was largely dominated by responding to the attacks of September 11, 2001, and managing the fiscal crisis that followed in Massachusetts. Swift insisted that polls remain open for a special congressional election scheduled for that day, and led a comprehensive, statewide response to prevent terrorism. In addition, Swift led 45 fellow governors in urging Congress to create the Department of Homeland Security. The Boston Herald summarized her response to the crisis as, “Gov. Jane Swift has had her finest hour during this crisis…she has been steady, stable, calming, decisive.”[3]

Faced with a widening budget deficit as a result of the terrorist attacks, Swift cut nearly $300 million in programs and vetoed nearly $600 million in proposed spending.[4] She received high praise for her response to the budget crisis without resulting to massive tax increases. Her popularity diminished, however, due in part to the resistance to defunding of some of her detractor’s pet programs.[5]

As the first woman to govern Massachusetts, and the first governor of any state to give birth in office, she was constantly attacked by political foes as ill-suited for the job.[6] National television reporters would ask her about breast-feeding in the governor’s office,[1] and she faced criticism from the media for the use of a state helicopter and for two aides volunteering to babysit her daughter. The Boston Globe reported, "The Ethics Commission looked closely and concluded that Swift did not use her official office to secure 'unwarranted privileges' of any kind,” although there was "the appearance of impropriety ..." which was considered a very minor infraction.[7] In 2001, she was criticized by political opponents when she vetoed a ruling by the Board of Appeals for the commutation of the sentence of Gerald Amirault, who was serving a prison sentence for molesting children at a pre-school. Amirault's case had previously been upheld by the Massachusetts Supreme Court and no exculpatory evidence had been provided.[8]

In spite of the need to slash government spending, Swift maintained a priority on education and health issues.[9] As a result, educational indicators in Massachusetts increased significantly during her term in office.[10] Per State Police policy regarding the security for Massachusetts governors and lieutenant governors, Swift was driven by a security detail while on official business. As a busy working mother, she often noted the time riding in the car allowed her to catch up on reading memos and briefing, as well as return telephone calls as profiled on CBS's 60 Minutes. She declined to run in the 2002 gubernatorial primary making way for Mitt Romney, who went on to win the Republican nomination and the election.

[edit] Massachusetts politics

Prior to her tenure as lieutenant governor and governor, Swift served as a state senator, an executive with the Massachusetts Port Authority, and as the commonwealth's consumer affairs secretary. As a member of the Massachusetts State Senate, Swift was active in education reform issues[11] and was instrumental in the passage of the Education Reform Act of 1993.[12] As the Director of Regional Airport Development for the port authority, Swift was responsible for coordinating all the regional airports in New England to mitigate flight delays into and out of Boston's Logan Airport.

Swift was considered to be a “policy wonk,” and one of the smartest people at the state capitol. Then Governor William Weld’s chief of staff said, “She was among the best, if not the best of senators.”[1] It was in this capacity that she developed her political themes of increased accountability, down-sizing government, reducing taxes, and reforming education and social services. As a result, Swift gained a reputation for demanding responsiveness in public programs and championing the need for workers to balance work and family demands.[13]

In 1996 she was a Republican candidate for United States Congress in Massachusetts 1st congressional district.

[edit] Post-gubernatorial career

She is considered a “power player” within the Republican Party.[14] She has served as a Fellow at the Institute of Politics[15] at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.[16] Her official portrait was unveiled in the Massachusetts State House in 2005.[17]

Governor Swift is a principal with the consulting firm of WPN Consulting, LLC [1], providing expertise in education services, equity and investments, strategic consultation, and professional presentations.[18] She is a frequent lecturer on leadership and the role of women in public service.

In 2003 she was honored with the Woman’s Professional Achievement Award by Harvard College for being a role model balancing the demands of public service and motherhood. In her acceptance, she quoted Ellen Goodman of the Boston Globe, "(If) success and progress for women means not having children, then that is no progress at all."[19]

After leaving office, Swift returned to Western Massachusetts. She and her husband own and operate a horse farm and riding school in Williamstown, Massachusetts where they live with their three daughters.[20] She maintains the strong focus on her family that she exhibited during her tenure as governor, even willing to sacrifice political opportunities to meet family needs.[21]

On April 21, 2008, Swift ran the Boston Marathon and was included in a special marathon edition of Runner's World. Swift's marathon run raised about $15,000 for Children's Hospital Boston. Since leaving the governor's office, her annual Children's Hospital fundraiser has raised about $100,000 for medical research.[22][2]

[edit] 2008 presidential election

Swift endorsed Senator John McCain for president in February 2007, and campaigned on behalf of McCain in numerous states, including New Hampshire, Connecticut, Florida, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. After the nomination of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as the Republican vice presidential candidate in 2008, Swift became the head of a campaign "truth squad",[23] with the goal of debunking false rumors about Sarah Palin.[24] Swift noted that attacks on Palin’s ability to balance the demands of a vice-president with the obligations as a mother are parallels to her own experience.[25] She noted that, “Nobody asks those questions of the guys.”[26]

Swift appeared on numerous news and political commentary shows, providing point/counter-point discussion on the campaign.[27] On September 14, 2008 in an appearance on the CBS News program Face the Nation, was particularly contentious when Swift debated U.S. Representative Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, a supporter of Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama.[28][29]

[edit] Electoral history

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d "Swift’s Unusual Ride to the Governor’s Office". Boston Globe. April 8, 2001. http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_action=print. Retrieved on 2008-10-03. 
  2. ^ a b "Jane Swift Biography". http://www.swiftcommittee.com/page.php?PageID=110. Retrieved on 2008-09-18. 
  3. ^ "These are times that try an optimist, September 13, 2001". http://www.bostonherald.com/news/opinion/editorials/. Retrieved on 2008-09-23. 
  4. ^ "Boston Magazine, January 2003". http://www.bostonmagazine.com/articles/in_her_own_words/. Retrieved on 2008-09-18. 
  5. ^ "High Tech Council Support Swift's Balancing of Budget". http://www.mhtc.org/downloads/pressreleases/july29_02.pdf. Retrieved on 2008-09-23. 
  6. ^ "The politics of parenting: Former Gov. Jane Swift on balancing job with family". http://www.thetakeaway.org/archives/2008/09/09/1. Retrieved on 2008-09-18. 
  7. ^ "Boston Globe: Panel Drops Most Charges Against Swift, August 25, 2000". http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_action=print. Retrieved on 2008-09-18. 
  8. ^ "Gerald Amirault's Freedom". http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110005023. Retrieved on 2008-09-16. 
  9. ^ "Boston Magazine: In Her Own Words, January 2003". http://www.bostonmagazine.com/articles/in_her_own_words/. Retrieved on 2008-09-18. 
  10. ^ "Editorial, January 2, 2003". http://www.patriotledger.com/opinions. Retrieved on 2008-09-23. 
  11. ^ "Sally Ride Science board of directors". http://www.sallyridescience.com/bios/swift.html/. Retrieved on 2008-09-18. 
  12. ^ "Ed Reform Timeline". http://edreform.eyeoneducation.tv/reform_basics/historical_timeline/1978_to_1993. Retrieved on 2008-09-18. 
  13. ^ "Jane Swift: Former Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts". http://www.greatertalent.com/JaneSwift. Retrieved on 2008-10-03. 
  14. ^ "Boston Herald.com, September 5, 2008". http://www.bostonherald.com/news/2008/view/2008_09_05_Jane_Swift-ly_returns_to_the_GOP_spotlight/. Retrieved on 2008-09-18. 
  15. ^ "Rising to the Occasion: Public Leadership in Challenging Times". http://www.iop.harvard.edu/Multimedia-Center/All-Videos/Rising-to-the-Occasion-Public-Leadership-in-Challenging-Times2. Retrieved on 2008-09-18. 
  16. ^ Marks, Stephen M. (2003-01-17). "Shaheen, Swift Lead Spring IOP Fellows". The Harvard Crimson. http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=257975. Retrieved on 2008-09-14. 
  17. ^ "Boston Globe: Capturing the legacy of a governor". http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2005/10/25/capturing_the_legacy_of_a_governor/. Retrieved on 2008-09-18. 
  18. ^ "WPN Consulting". http://www.wnpconsulting.com/. Retrieved on 2008-09-18. 
  19. ^ "HARVARD GAZETTE ARCHIVES". http://www.hno.harvard.edu/gazette/2003/04.17/03-swift.html. Retrieved on 2008-09-18. 
  20. ^ "New Faculty 2008-2009". http://wiki.williams.edu/display/facom/New+Faculty+2008-09;jsessionid=E58F54BA045C78A865E80FEAED1A336D. Retrieved on 2008-09-18. 
  21. ^ "In Her Own Words". http://www.bostonmagazine.com/articles/in_her_own_words/. Retrieved on 2008-10-03. 
  22. ^ "Boston Real Runners". http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-239-379--12548-0,00.html. Retrieved on 2008-10-01. 
  23. ^ O'Keefe, Ed (2008-09-12). "The Return of Jane Swift". The Washington Post. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/09/12/the_return_of_jane_swift.html. Retrieved on 2008-09-14. 
  24. ^ The Republican Newsroom (2008-09-09). "Former Mass. Gov. Jane Swift headlines pro-Palin 'truth squad' for McCain". masslive.com. http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2008/09/former_mass_gov_jane_swift_hea.html?category=Politicse. Retrieved on 2008-09-14. 
  25. ^ "The politics of parenting: Former Gov. Jane Swift on balancing job with family". http://www.thetakeaway.org/archives/2008/09/09/1. Retrieved on 2008-09-18. 
  26. ^ "“Nobody Asks Those Questions of the Guys”". http://blogs.abcnews.com/liveblogging/2008/09/jane-swift-no-1.html. Retrieved on 2008-09-18. 
  27. ^ http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Chuck_Todd_Obama_lipstick_gaffe_faux_0910.html
  28. ^ "Gender Politics Discussed on CBS’ “Face the Nation”". Congressional Quarterly. 2008-09-14. http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?parm1=5&docID=news-000002950391. Retrieved on 2008-09-14. 
  29. ^ "Palin never in Iraq, campaign now says". CNN.com. 2008-09-13. http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/09/13/palin.iraq/?iref=hpmostpop. Retrieved on 2008-09-14. 

[edit] External links

Political offices
Preceded by
Paul Cellucci		 Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts
January 7, 1999 – January 2, 2003		 Succeeded by
Kerry Healey
Acting Governor of Massachusetts
April 10, 2001 – January 2, 2003		 Succeeded by
Mitt Romney
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