Kim Driscoll: From Salem Mayor To Beacon Hill As MA's New Lt. Governor

SALEM, MA — Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll drew parallels from her improbable rise to the top office in the Witch City 16 years ago to becoming part of the first all-women ticket to win the top offices in the state Tuesday night after she was elected as lieutenant governor along with Governor-elect Maura Healey.

"Years ago when I first ran for mayor I was a long shot," Driscoll said during the pair's victory speech at Boston's Copley Plaza Hotel Tuesday night. "I was told to wait my turn. That Salem wasn't ready for a woman mayor. I see some nodding heads from women in the audience. It still happens.

"As you can see, I didn't wait my turn. In fact, I was elected as the first woman to lead Salem in its nearly 400-year history. We built a strong team and have been working hard every day since then."

Driscoll beat out a crowded primary field for the Democratic nomination in September to be on the ticket with Healey. The Associated Press called the victory for Healey and Driscoll shortly after 8 p.m. based on exit polls.

The Healey-Driscoll ticket topped Republican challengers former State Rep. Geoff Diehl and Leah Allen, a former Peabody state representative who now lives in Danvers. While the Diehl-Allen campaign protested the early call of the race, as of 10 p.m. the Healey-Driscoll campaign had 61.8 percent of the vote to 36.6 percent for Diehl-Allen with 15 percent of the precincts reporting statewide.

Diehl called Healey and conceded at about 11 p.m. — roughly 90 minutes after Driscoll and Healey delivered their victory speeches.

"This evening is 242 years in the making," Driscoll said of the ticket's triumph as the state's all-female executive team. "Today, Massachusetts voters stood proud, spoke with one powerful, clear voice and said: 'It's her time!'"

Driscoll's victory will necessitate a special election to fill the Salem mayoral opening. Elected as the city's first woman mayor in 2006, Driscoll is now also the first Salem mayor to leave office while service since the city went to a four-year mayor's term.

Dominick Pangallo, Driscoll's Chief of Staff, said last month he would seek to succeed Driscoll as mayor should she win the statewide race. Other candidates are expected to announce their bids for the office in the days and weeks ahead.

Driscoll announced she intended to run for the state's No. 2 post two months after she defeated former City Councilor Steve Dibble for a fifth term as mayor in November 2021.

"We need leaders who understand and can empower our communities," Driscoll said, "who have been there in the trenches, making the tough decision, leading the fights, achieving the results, and, yes, who have the battle scars to show for it. We need to be a Commonwealth that works for, and welcomes, all. It's what drives me and it's what drives Maura.

"It's not enough for some of our communities to be doing well. Or a fracture of constituents to have stable housing. Or only some of our kids to have access to quality childcare. We want to bring the get-stuff-done approach to Beacon Hill so all of our hometowns have a brighter future."

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)