Massachusetts Gets First Woman Gov
Republican Jane Swift became Massachusetts' first female governor on Tuesday, replacing Paul Cellucci, who resigned to become U.S. ambassador to Canada.
Swift, who until Tuesday was the lieutenant governor, is expecting twins in June and will be the nation's first governor to give birth in office. She also has a 2 1/2-year-old daughter.
In a brief Statehouse ceremony, Cellucci handed over several time-honored symbols of Massachusetts' highest office: a pewter key to the governor's office, a Bible left by Gov. Benjamin Butler in 1884, a set of the 1860 Massachusetts General Statutes, and a gavel that is a relic of the battleship USS Constitution.
In the two-volume General Statutes, Cellucci inscribed a message to his successor, as has every governor since 1860.
"Transmitted to her excellency Jane Maria Swift on the 10th day of April 2001. Thank you for being at my side and good luck leading our great commonwealth," Cellucci said. When he got to the word "her," he was interrupted by a round of cheers and applause.
Swift said nothing during the ceremony, other than, "Thank you."
Cellucci submitted a letter of resignation earlier Tuesday. The text consisted of one sentence in which he said "I hereby resign the office of the governor of Massachusetts, effective today."
Cellucci was to fly to Washington for his swearing-in as U.S. ambassador to Canada. His nomination was confirmed last week.
Swift, now 36, was just another bright-eyed Statehouse aide when she launched a long-shot bid for the state Senate and, at 25, became the youngest women ever in the Senate.
After an unsuccessful run for Congress in 1996, Swift was tapped by Cellucci as his running mate in 1998.
During her campaign for lieutenant governor, Swift made national news when she announced she was pregnant with her first child.
In office, controversy surrounded her when she used her staff to baby-sit for her daughter for free and for having a state helicopter take her to her home in North Adams for Thanksgiving.
The ethics commission ruled she had created an appearance of impropriety with the baby-sitting incident and fined her $1,250. Initially, she refused to apologize, saying she did nothing wrong, and was criticized for what some saw as her arrogant response. She later apologized.
She has not yet said whether she will run for a full term as governor in 2002. A Republican in a Democratic state, Swift would have to contend with potential candidates from both parties. An October poll showed only 20 percent of 400 likely voters surveyed held a favorable view of her, while 46 percent viewed her unfavorably.