BOSTON (AP) — Democrat Andrea Campbell was sworn in on Wednesday as the first black woman to serve as Massachusetts attorney general.
Campbell, 40, was sworn in at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center surrounded by family and supporters.
As she did during her campaign, Campbell was not shy about telling her life story, including her father being sent to prison for eight years and her twin brother Andre Campbell dying in police custody. A second brother is in custody and faces rape charges.
“Some want us to feel shame in our stories or even try to weaponize them against us,” she said. She then quoted a passage from the Bible saying “no weapon formed against me shall prosper”.
Campbell, who was also the first black woman to serve as Boston City Council president, went over a handful of her priorities.
Campbell said she will work to create economic prosperity and stability for families, prioritize the mental health and well-being of young people, and make the office more accessible to everyone in the state.
The new attorney general also said she will work to combat wage theft, protect residents from predatory practices, ensure families have the tools they need to buy or stay in their homes, and punish unfair or discriminatory practices that hinder upward mobility.
Campbell said one of his first actions will be to form an Elder Justice Unit to protect elderly residents from unequal access to health care, deceptive marketing practices and fraud.
She said she would also create an Office of Gun Safety Enforcement to defend state gun laws and a Reproductive Justice Unit to protect the right to a safe and legal abortion. and reproductive care.
Campell said she would also review the state’s criminal justice system.
“We can tackle corruption and hold those who abuse positions of trust or taxpayers’ money accountable for their actions, including by addressing the lack of transparency and accountability behind the walls of our prisons and in our criminal and juvenile justice systems,” she said.
Campbell was among four other state officials elected in November to officially take office on Wednesday.
Democrat William Galvin, 72, was sworn in for an eighth term as secretary of state, becoming the longest-serving person in office. He was first sworn into office in 1995.
Democratic State Treasurer Deborah Goldberg, 68, who was elected to a third term, was also sworn in. Goldberg and Galvin are the only two statewide elected officials who have sought re-election.
Democrat Diana DiZoglio, 39, a former state senator elected to the post of state auditor, was also scheduled to be sworn in on Wednesday.
All state officers serve four-year terms.
The 2022 election marked the first time women were elected to five of Massachusetts’ six constitutional offices.
It was also the first time a woman and member of the LGBTQ community – former attorney general and Democrat Maura Healey, 51 – was elected governor. Former Salem Democratic mayor Kim Discoll, 56, was elected lieutenant governor.
Former Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito — both Republicans — chose not to seek re-election to a third term.
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