James A. Kelly, Jr.
| James A. Kelly, Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Massachusetts Senate | |
|
In office 1965–1979 |
|
| Preceded by | Joseph Gibney |
| Succeeded by | Louis Bertonazzi |
| Member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives | |
|
In office 1959–1965 |
|
| Preceded by | John E. Riley |
| Succeeded by | Albert Nash |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 11, 1926 Worcester, Massachusetts |
| Died | August 9, 2013 (aged 87) Aurora, Colorado |
| Resting place | Leicester, Massachusetts |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Alma mater | Clark University |
| Occupation | Accountant State Legislator |
James A. Kelly, Jr. (May 11, 1926 – August 9, 2013) was an American politician who served as a Democrat in the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 1959 to 1965 and the Massachusetts Senate from 1965 to 1979. In 1983, he was convicted of extortion.
Kelly was born on May 11, 1926 in Worcester, Massachusetts to James and Florence Kelly. During World War II he served in the United States Navy. He attended Becker Junior College and in 1950 earned a Bachelor of Applied Arts from Clark University. While at Clark, Kelly met and married Elisabeth Kelly. He became a Certified Public Accountant and established a practice in Leicester, Massachusetts.
Prior to becoming a state legislator, Kelly served one term on the Leicester School Committee and was clerk and treasurer of the Oxford – Rochdale Sewer District.
In 1958, Kelly was elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives by defeating Republican incumbent John E. Riley 6456 votes to 6045. Six years later he ran for the 4th Worcester District Senate seat that was being vacated by Joseph Gibney. He won a five-way Democratic primary with 37% of the vote and won the general election with 66%.
From 1965 to 1971, Kelly chaired the Joint Committee on State Administration. In 1969, he also chaired the Special Committee Special Senate Committee to investigate the activities of the commissioner of administration, John J. McCarthy In this role, Kelly had an opportunity to bring down the administration of popular Republican Governor John A. Volpe. However, Kelly, according to a Volpe aide, assisted the governor's team by keeping them abreast of what was going on behind the scenes and assisting them in planning their strategy. Many, including fellow committee member Beryl Cohen, believed that Kelly leaked a damaging report to the Volpe administration, which gave it time to counterattack. After the investigation, Kelly enjoyed a close relationship with Volpe's Commissioner of Administration and Finance Anthony DeFalco and was able to get patronage from the Volpe's administration. In 1971, Kelly backed Kevin B. Harrington for the Senate Presidency over Ways and Means Committee Chairman James F. Burke. Harrington defeated Burke and chose Kelly to replace Burke as Chairman of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, one of the most powerful positions in the legislature.
...
Wikipedia