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To the editor:
As voters across the 6th District prepare to cast their ballots in the upcoming Democratic primary, it is vital to look past campaign rhetoric and evaluate candidates based on actual legal experience, administrative execution and proven dedication to the Commonwealth. While challenger Diann Baylis has framed her campaign around important ideals, her platform and background offer nothing compared to the extensive, hard-won qualifications of incumbent Councilor Terrence Kennedy.
Kennedy brings more than 40 years of practicing criminal defense and trial experience to the Governor’s Council, having successfully litigated thousands of cases. He started his legal career as an assistant district attorney in Norfolk and Middlesex counties; Kennedy possesses an intimate, working familiarity with the entire judicial system, the judges on the bench and the practitioners who appear before them.
In contrast, Baylis highlights her background as an immigration and family law attorney and volunteer. While immigration advocacy is a noble calling, its singular focus is irrelevant to the comprehensive scope of the Governor’s Council. The council is responsible for vetting and confirming judges across all levels of Massachusetts courts—including criminal, civil, appellate and supreme courts, as well as many other executive appointments. Reviewing judicial nominees requires a seasoned legal background that spans criminal prosecution, defense and complex civil litigation, rather than a single practice area.
Furthermore, Kennedy’s tenure is defined by concrete actions protecting civil rights and ensuring balanced representation on the bench. When the late Supreme Judicial Court Justice Barbara Lenk faced intense nationwide backlash for being a member of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community, Kennedy was a vocal, steadfast supporter of her historic nomination. Similarly, when the SJC lost its only African American member following the George Floyd protests, Kennedy successfully held the executive branch accountable to ensure that vacancy was filled by a qualified African American jurist. Baylis speaks vaguely about open-mindedness, but these are principles Kennedy has actively defended and executed under intense political pressure over the last 16 years.
The Governor’s Council is not a place for on-the-job training. Vetting, questioning and confirming judicial nominees requires delicate negotiation, institutional trust and a deep understanding of executive-judicial dynamics. Baylis’s proposals to “better vet and educate” judges read more as aspirational talking points than a realistic methodology.
Besides her assertions of lawyerly compassion, Baylis has established a pattern as something of a perennial candidate — having previously considered a candidacy for the U.S. Congress, but not ultimately running. She appears to be an office seeker in search of any available job rather than a dedicated public servant rooted in the community. Ultimately, I believe Baylis offers nothing other than opposition to a successful, dedicated public servant who has delivered steady, reliable leadership on the Governor’s Council.
Rather than satisfying an office-seeker’s personal ambitions, we should vote for Kennedy in the primary on Sept. 1. He has earned our support and will maintain stability, integrity and experienced leadership on the Governor’s Council.
Yours truly,
Thomas F. Connolly
Gerald Road
