Kerry Healey

lieutenant governor, MA

Healey's political career began in the late 1990s when she unsuccessfully challenged Democratic incumbent Michael Cahill to represent the 6th Essex District in the Massachusetts House of Representatives. She then served briefly as chairperson of the Massachusetts Republican State Committee. She was elected in 2002 as lieutenant governor on the Republican ticket with Mitt Romney. After Governor Mitt Romney's announcement that he would not seek re-election in the 2006 election Healey formally announced on February 8, 2006, that she would seek the Republican nomination for Governor. On November 7, Healey was defeated by Democrat Deval Patrick by 21 percentage points.