Kirsten Hughes (politician)

Kirsten L. Hughes[1] is an American political figure, singer, and attorney who was the Chair of the Massachusetts Republican Party from 2013 to 2019 and a member of the Quincy, Massachusetts City Council from 2012 to 2020.

Kirsten Hughes
Chair of the Massachusetts Republican Party
In office
January 10, 2013 – January 17, 2019
Preceded byRobert Maginn
Succeeded byJim Lyons
Member of the Quincy City Council
from the 5th ward
In office
January 3, 2012 – January 6, 2020
Preceded byDouglas Gutro
Succeeded byCharles J. Phelan, Jr.
Personal details
BornQuincy, Massachusetts, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
EducationNew York University (BFA)
New England School of Law
(JD)

Early life

Hughes was born and raised in Quincy.[2] She began her political involvement at the age of twelve as a volunteer for William Weld's gubernatorial campaign.[3] She graduated from Notre Dame Academy in 1995.[2]

Singing

Hughes earned a degree in theater arts from New York University.[2] For over eighteen years, she worked as a singing waitress at West Quincy’s Common Market Café.[3] She also sang professionally in New York City, participated in community musicals, performed around Boston with a cover band called Velvet Krush, and played Ariel for a year in the Walt Disney World show Voyage of the Little Mermaid.[2][3]

Hughes earned a law degree from New England School of Law. She was admitted to the Massachusetts Bar in 2008 and worked for the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office.[4]

Politics

Early work

Hughes was a political field director for the Massachusetts Republican Party and ran the party’s state convention in 2010.[5] She then served as deputy finance director for Scott Brown's 2012 Senate campaign. In this role she helped Brown raise $42 million.[6]

Quincy City Council

In 2011, Hughes was elected to the Quincy City Council in Ward 5. She defeated Neil McCole 1,804 votes to 1,288.[7] From 2016 to 2018 she was council president.[8][9]

Massachusetts Republican Party Chair

On December 6, 2012, Hughes declared her candidacy for Chair of the Massachusetts Republican Party.[10] She faced Richard Green, a state committeeman, businessman, and founder of the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance.[5] Hughes was seen as the establishment candidate while Green was seen as anti-establishment.[6]

On January 31, 2013, Hughes was elected Chair by a vote of 41 to 39. She was elected on the second ballot, as the result of the first ballot was contested and then set aside.[6][11] She was unopposed in 2015 and defeated conservative activist Steve Aylward 46 to 30 in 2017.[8] She did not run for reelection in 2019 and was succeeded by James J. Lyons Jr.[12]

Personal life

Hughes married Philip Doherty, a software engineer, in 2010. The couple had a son in 2012.[2][4]

References
  1. "City Councilor Information". City of Quincy. City of Quincy. Retrieved February 4, 2013.
  2. "Quincy attorney Kirsten Hughes to run for Ward 5 city councilor". Patriot Ledger. May 11, 2011. Retrieved February 4, 2013.
  3. Pai, Tanya (September 2011). "Person of Interest: Kirsten Hughes". Boston Magazine. Retrieved February 4, 2013.
  4. Ebbert, Stephanie (February 2, 2013). "Hughes takes her presence to Mass. GOP stage". The Boston Globe. Retrieved February 4, 2013.
  5. Ebbert, Stephanie (December 8, 2012). "Some in state GOP bristle at Brown's suggestion for leader". The Boston Globe. Retrieved February 4, 2013.
  6. Ebbert, Stephanie (February 1, 2013). "Former Brown aide wins top post for Mass. Republicans". The Boston Globe. Retrieved February 4, 2013.
  7. Bartlett, Jessica (November 9, 2011). "Incumbents welcome results in Quincy vote". The Boston Globe. Retrieved February 4, 2013.
  8. Cotter, Sean Philip (January 26, 2017). "Quincy city council president holds on to state GOP chair". The Patriot Ledger.
  9. Ramos, Jill Terreri (January 12, 2018). "Brad Croall to lead Quincy City Council". The Boston Globe.
  10. Johnson, Glen (December 6, 2012). "Scott Brown finance aide declares candidacy". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on January 29, 2013. Retrieved February 4, 2013.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  11. Rizzuto, Robert (January 31, 2013). "Kirsten Hughes elected new chair of Massachusetts Republican Party". The Republican. Retrieved February 4, 2013.
  12. Cotter, Sean Philip (January 17, 2019). "Conservative ex-state Rep. Jim Lyons wins Mass GOP chair". Boston Herald.
Party political offices
Preceded by
Robert Maginn		 Chair of the Massachusetts Republican Party
2013–2019		 Succeeded by
Jim Lyons
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