To the surprise of some political observers, North Adams School Committee member Tara Jacobs is the Democratic Party nominee seeking to represent District 8 on the Governor’s Council. Jacobs, who has never been to law school, bested three accomplished attorneys from the Springfield area to capture the nomination in the Sept. 6 state primary. Her lack of a law degree, she said, may actually have worked to her benefit.
“I never take anything for granted,” Jacobs said in a recent interview. “But going into the primary, when I saw the field, I felt I had a lot of advantages. Not being a lawyer was definitely one. Being the only woman in the race was definitely one. And, actually, being from the Berkshires and not from Hampden County, was one. It didn’t serve me terrifically well in Hampden County, but the rest of the district really responded to my outsider, not-in-the-political-machine understanding that western Mass extends all the way to the (New York) border, and Berkshire County understands that better than most.”
One priority in her general election campaign has remained much the same as it was for the primary.
“Always, always, always, it starts with educating people about what the Governor’s Council is. I still have an uphill battle in spreading awareness; what it is, what it does, why it’s important. That remains job one.”
The Governor’s Council is charged with advising the governor and approving or rejecting the governor’s appointments for judicial and other positions, as well as pardons, commutations and warrants for the state treasury. The 8th District covers 101 cities and towns in western Massachusetts, including all of Berkshire, Franklin and Hampshire counties with the exception of Ware, as well as towns in Worcester County.
Jacobs, 51, and her Republican opponent, John Comerford, 78, are running to succeed incumbent Mary Hurley who, after three terms, chose not to seek reelection.
Should she carry the day on Nov. 8, Jacobs said it’s her hope to amplify the voice of western Massachusetts residents on the council.
“I have heard the same thing so many times,” she said, “from tiny little towns to large cities in the district. A big part of the message is that in western Mass, we have more in common and more that unites us than divides us.
“Not just in terms of the work on the Governor’s Council in serving all of western Mass well and being a voice that represents the people in doing the work to bring us the best judiciary that we can have,” she continued, “but there’s also an advocacy component. That we have so much in common just underscores how important it is to have one more voice added to amplify our problems, our concerns, our need for resources in Boston.”
Jacobs said that solutions meant to address problems statewide need to take into account western Massachusetts “just as well as the eastern part of the state.” She explained she wants to do more, however, than simply bringing the region’s concerns to Boston; she also wants to bring the Governor’s Council to western Massachusetts.
“I want to be very present, active and engaged across western Mass,” she continued. “I intend to have a variety of actions, including community forums to share what the Governor’s Council is all about, what is currently on the agenda, the positions that are being filled, the decisions that are being made. I want to involve and engage community members across District 8 in sharing their views and opinions and insights.”
She also said she wants to hold hearings when there are positions in the judiciary being filled in western Massachusetts so that people who have personal experience with the nominees can weigh in and share their opinions and experiences and viewpoints.
“I want my constituents to be actively engaged in that process,” Jacobs said.
Not surprisingly, Jacobs, with her School Committee background, sees education as an important part of her duties.
“I would love to interact with our youth,” she explained, “and go to schools and share what Governor’s Council is all about and inspire, especially our marginalized youth of color and other marginalized groups, to consider careers in the legal system; become a lawyer, become one of our next judges, go to law school. I’d also like to marry the work of motivation with some funding sources, like scholarships or grants and other things that can really help make it attainable as a career goal.”
Familiarizing herself with the state’s correctional system is also among Jacobs’ goals.
“I want to visit all the jails and prisons across the state, but starting with the ones in western Mass, to really see what programs and what’s going on in each of our jails and prisons, and start to get a sense of best practices across the state and where opportunities are for us to do a better job statewide.
“There’s so much I want to do,” she continued. “Normally, the Governor’s Council work is 20 to 30 hours a week. I intend to basically double that with community outreach and the interactions I hope to continue to do. I want to be someone who, when people think about Governor’s Council, they can say, ‘I’ve actually met our Governor’s Council member and have had experiences that were meaningful.’”
Greg Vine can be reached at gvineadn@gmail.com.