Former Boston City Councilor Andrea Campbell has declared victory in the race for Massachusetts Attorney General over Bourne attorney Jay McMahon.At the time Campbell declared victory at 10:25 p.m., The Associated Press had yet to call the race in the Democrat's favor but the AP did project that she would defeat McMahon at 11:12 p.m.Campbell will become the first Black woman to be elected as the state's top law enforcement officer."This moment, this win — our win — is a culmination of hard work, purpose driven work. And I am so ready to get to work on behalf of the Commonwealth and on behalf of all of you as the next attorney general," Campbell told supporters in Boston.The projected win is a bounce-back for Campbell after she unsuccessfully ran for Boston mayor last year. She finished third in the September 2021 mayoral primary, falling short of reaching the November general election.She would replace outgoing Attorney General Maura Healey, who declared victory in her quest to become the first female and first openly gay candidate to be elected governor of Massachusetts."I am grateful to each and every one of you for the trust — and votes — you put in me as the next attorney general for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts," Campbell said.Campbell, 40, was first elected to the Boston City Council in November 2015. She served District 4 for three terms and became the first Black woman to become the Council’s president. She also previously served as deputy legal counsel to former Gov. Deval Patrick.She has spoken openly about her father's and brothers’ involvement in the criminal justice system. When she was just a child, Campbell's father was sent to prison for eight years. Her mother died in a car accident on the way to visit him, forcing Campbell and her brothers to live with relatives and in foster care. Much later, her twin brother, Andre, would die in police custody, and her older brother, Alvin, would face charges in a string of alleged rapes.Despite the trauma and dislocation, Campbell — who grew up in the Roxbury and South End neighborhoods of Boston, the city's traditional center of Black life — was able to find a very different path, fueled by success at school, the help of family members and teachers, and her skill at jumping rope.“One thing I do frequently is share my story because I think there are so many who carry their story with a sense of shame and don’t want to talk about it, including the criminal aspects of my family," she said in an interview with The Associated Press. “But there is no shame in one sharing their story. There is power in it."McMahon, 68, is seeking to become the first Republican elected Massachusetts Attorney General in 56 years. He also pointed to a personal tragedy as motivation for running for office. He said his son, Joel, an Army veteran, died in 2008 as the result of an opioid overdose and that he wanted to ensure other families would not have to suffer a similar tragedy."We are not going to make a comment on this election until Mount Washington's vote is counted!" McMahon told supporters. "The long and the short of it is, every vote is going to be counted."The last GOP candidate to be elected Massachusetts Attorney General was Elliott Richardson in 1966. Richardson later served as U.S. Attorney General until he resigned in 1973 rather than follow President Richard Nixon's order to fire special prosecutor Archibald Cox during the Watergate scandal.FIND ELECTION RESULTS BY CATEGORY: Top Results | Mass. Governor | Mass. Statewide offices | Mass. Ballot Questions | Mass. U.S. Representatives | NH Governor | NH U.S. House and Senate | Mass. State House | Mass. State Senate | Balance of Power in 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
BOSTON — Former Boston City Councilor Andrea Campbell has declared victory in the race for Massachusetts Attorney General over Bourne attorney Jay McMahon.
At the time Campbell declared victory at 10:25 p.m., The Associated Press had yet to call the race in the Democrat's favor but the AP did project that she would defeat McMahon at 11:12 p.m.
Campbell will become the first Black woman to be elected as the state's top law enforcement officer.
"This moment, this win — our win — is a culmination of hard work, purpose driven work. And I am so ready to get to work on behalf of the Commonwealth and on behalf of all of you as the next attorney general," Campbell told supporters in Boston.
The projected win is a bounce-back for Campbell after she unsuccessfully ran for Boston mayor last year. She finished third in the September 2021 mayoral primary, falling short of reaching the November general election.
She would replace outgoing Attorney General Maura Healey, who declared victory in her quest to become the first female and first openly gay candidate to be elected governor of Massachusetts.
"I am grateful to each and every one of you for the trust — and votes — you put in me as the next attorney general for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts," Campbell said.
Campbell, 40, was first elected to the Boston City Council in November 2015. She served District 4 for three terms and became the first Black woman to become the Council’s president. She also previously served as deputy legal counsel to former Gov. Deval Patrick.
She has spoken openly about her father's and brothers’ involvement in the criminal justice system. When she was just a child, Campbell's father was sent to prison for eight years. Her mother died in a car accident on the way to visit him, forcing Campbell and her brothers to live with relatives and in foster care. Much later, her twin brother, Andre, would die in police custody, and her older brother, Alvin, would face charges in a string of alleged rapes.
Despite the trauma and dislocation, Campbell — who grew up in the Roxbury and South End neighborhoods of Boston, the city's traditional center of Black life — was able to find a very different path, fueled by success at school, the help of family members and teachers, and her skill at jumping rope.
“One thing I do frequently is share my story because I think there are so many who carry their story with a sense of shame and don’t want to talk about it, including the criminal aspects of my family," she said in an interview with The Associated Press. “But there is no shame in one sharing their story. There is power in it."
McMahon, 68, is seeking to become the first Republican elected Massachusetts Attorney General in 56 years. He also pointed to a personal tragedy as motivation for running for office. He said his son, Joel, an Army veteran, died in 2008 as the result of an opioid overdose and that he wanted to ensure other families would not have to suffer a similar tragedy.
"We are not going to make a comment on this election until Mount Washington's vote is counted!" McMahon told supporters. "The long and the short of it is, every vote is going to be counted."
The last GOP candidate to be elected Massachusetts Attorney General was Elliott Richardson in 1966. Richardson later served as U.S. Attorney General until he resigned in 1973 rather than follow President Richard Nixon's order to fire special prosecutor Archibald Cox during the Watergate scandal.
FIND ELECTION RESULTS BY CATEGORY: Top Results | Mass. Governor | Mass. Statewide offices | Mass. Ballot Questions | Mass. U.S. Representatives | NH Governor | NH U.S. House and Senate | Mass. State House | Mass. State Senate | Balance of Power in Congress
