When Timothy Murray steps down next month as Massachusetts lieutenant governor it will mean the state’s top elected officials will all reside in the greater Boston area.
It is rare for a politician who lives west of the Boston suburbs to win election to statewide office. Jane Swift of North Adams was elected lieutenant governor in 1998 and later served two years as acting governor. Murray, who is from Worcester, forged a bond with western Massachusetts. State Representative Angelo Puppolo of Springfield does not believe the region will suffer when Murray leaves office.
The lieutenant governor’s post will remain vacant until a new one is elected in 2014 and sworn into office in January 2015. Murray is resigning to become president of the Worcester Chamber of Commerce.
