Herb Connolly

Herbert L. Connolly (1922–1995) was an American auto dealer and politician who was a member of the Massachusetts Governor's Council from 1969 to 1989.

Herb Connolly
Member of the
Massachusetts Governor's Council
In office
1975–1989
Preceded byJohn J. Craven, Jr.
Succeeded byRobert B. Kennedy
Constituency2nd District (1969–75)
3rd District (1975–89)
Personal details
BornFebruary 28, 1922
Brookline, Massachusetts
DiedApril 8, 1995 (aged 75)
Framingham, Massachusetts
Resting placeNewton Cemetery
Newton, Massachusetts
Political partyDemocratic
Alma materBoston University
OccupationAuto dealer
Governor's Councilor

Early life

Connolly was born on February 28, 1922 in Brookline, Massachusetts. He attended Boston Public Schools and graduated from Boston University.[1] After graduation, Connolly worked as an instructor at the Wentworth Institute. During World War II he served in the United States Army in the European theater.[2]

Business career

After the war, Connolly joined his family's auto business in Brighton, then called Herb Connolly Buick. In 1974, the business moved to Framingham. He also established Herb Connolly Acura in Framingham.[2]

Politics

In 1962, Connolly was a candidate for Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts. He lost to Francis X. Belotti 57% to 43% in the Democratic primary.[3] After the loss, Connolly served as a secretary to Governor Endicott Peabody.[2] He ran for Lieutenant Governor a second time in 1966, but once again lost the in primary, this time to Joseph E. McGuire 55% to 45%.[4]

In 1968, Connolly was elected to the Massachusetts Governor's Council.[2] In 1988 he lost the Democratic primary to Lowell City Councilor Robert B. Kennedy by one vote - 14,716 to 14,715. At the time of his defeat, Connolly's residency was being challenged by Republican candidate Jody Dow. The address Connolly used on the ballot was a Newton home that he had sold in May 1981. He insisted that he had kept an apartment at the Newton home and used it as his voting address. He and his family moved to a smaller house in Framingham in the early 1980s when car sales dipped. Framingham was not in Connolly's district.[5] Connolly would later admit that he had not voted for himself because he was busy campaigning and did not get to the polls until after they had closed.[6][7][8][9]

Personal life

Connolly was married to Mary Uhl. They had had three sons.[2]

Connolly was active in many charitable organizations. For 25 years he was president of United Cerebral Palsy of Greater Boston. He also served as a director of the Massachusetts Cancer Control Clinic, the Kennedy Memorial Hospital, the Denver Jewish Hospital, Massachusetts Association of the Blind, the Massachusetts Kidney Foundation, the Children's Asthma Research Institute, and the Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce.[2]

Death

Connolly died on April 8, 1995 at his home in Framingham.[2]

References
  1. Public Officers of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts 1987-1988.
  2. "Herbert L. Connolly, car dealer was executive councilor; at 73". The Boston Globe. April 10, 1995.
  3. Election Statistics: The Commonwealth of Massachusetts. 1962.
  4. Election Statistics.
  5. Phillips, Frank (September 30, 1988). "Governor's Councilor Lost by One Vote, Recount Shows". The Boston Globe.
  6. "Candidate Is Culprit in 1-Vote Loss". The New York Times. October 3, 1988. Retrieved December 19, 2013.
  7. "Candidate Loses by One Vote - His Own". Desert News. October 3, 1988. Retrieved December 19, 2013.
  8. "Man loses election by 1 vote, his own". The Telegraph. October 3, 1988. Retrieved December 19, 2013.
  9. "A Strange Story". Allegheny Times. October 2, 1988. Retrieved December 19, 2013.
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