Massachusetts voters elect a governor, state legislators and other familiar public officials every two or four years. But tucked farther down the ballot is an office that many residents may struggle to explain, despite its considerable influence over who becomes a judge in the Commonwealth.
It’s called the Governor’s Council, and on Nov. 3, voters in Worcester and much of Central Massachusetts choose between incumbent Democrat Paul DePalo and Republican challenger Margaret Abboud to represent the 7th District.
The race centers on a relatively obscure but consequential responsibility: deciding whether the governor’s nominees for judgeships and several other positions should be confirmed. Unlike state lawmakers, Governor’s Council members do not write legislation or determine the state budget. Instead, they examine nominees to the judiciary, review appointments to boards involved in parole, workers’ compensation and tax appeals, and vote on pardons and commutations.
The eight elected councilors serve two-year terms, with the lieutenant governor presiding over the body. The council also takes care of other constitutional duties, including approving certain state treasury warrants.
In a state where judges are appointed rather than elected, the council provides a final layer of scrutiny before nominees take the bench. Its decisions can affect the people who preside over criminal trials, child custody disputes, domestic violence cases and other matters that directly affect Massachusetts residents.
For DePalo and Abboud, the question is not whether that oversight matters, but what qualities councilors should prioritize when exercising it.
Different approaches to judicial appointments
DePalo, an attorney and former special education teacher, is focusing his campaign message on judicial temperament, professional experience and an understanding of the circumstances that bring people into the court system.
“Judges of course need to be qualified and experienced, and it’s extremely rare that a nominee makes it to the council without meeting that threshold,” DePalo told the Worcester Guardian.
He said that allows him to concentrate on how nominees approach the people and problems they will encounter in court.
“So, as councilor, I am able to focus more on a potential judge’s temperament, judicial philosophy, and direct experience with the populations and challenges that permeate our courts,” he said.
DePalo pointed to addiction and mental illness as persistent challenges in district courts, arguing that judges should recognize opportunities for treatment and rehabilitation when appropriate. He also said understanding trauma in important, particularly in juvenile and probate and family court proceedings.
Abboud, whose professional background includes handling litigated insurance claims and working with the workers’ compensation system, places greater emphasis on adherence to the law, public safety and limiting the influence of personal or political beliefs on judicial decisions.
“Temperament and a loyalty to the application of the law rather than decision-making based on personal beliefs or identity politics,” Abboud told the Worcester Guardian when asked what she considers essential in judicial nominees.
She also cited education, experience and familiarity with the subject matter judges encounter, including specialized areas such as workers’ compensation.
Her professional experience includes appearances before the Department of Industrial Accidents and involvement in District Court matters concerning construction defects and general liability claims.
“My priorities are eliminating biases in judges, keeping neighborhoods safe, and attaining balance with settlements in workers compensation and general liability claims,” Abboud said.
Experience versus a different perspective
DePalo is seeking another term on the council, pointing to his record on judicial appointments and changes involving the Massachusetts Parole Board. He said Worcester County’s juvenile court lacked sufficient judges when he first took office, despite having the state’s highest rate of care and protection cases, which involve concerns about children’s safety.
“I’ve succeeded in having three outstanding judges from Worcester County appointed,” he said.
DePalo also cited appointments that increased Central Massachusetts representation on the parole board and expanded representation on the judiciary, including the appointment of a woman from Worcester County to Superior Court and a Black judge from Worcester County to probate and family court.
He described himself as an independent councilor, pointing to his record of voting against nominees.
Abboud, meanwhile, argues that the council would benefit from a different political perspective and from her experience in the legal and insurance fields.
“One party rule prohibits the free flow of exchanging viewpoints and perspectives in the nomination process,” she said.
She described the public’s trust in the courts as central to her candidacy and connected that concern to public safety, economic opportunity and the well-being of neighborhoods.
“Without judges willing to prosecute criminals (if the facts prove guilt), we cannot have safe communities,” Abboud told the Worcester Guardian.
Judges, however, do not prosecute criminal cases. That responsibility belongs to prosecutors, who represent the government in criminal proceedings. Judges preside over cases, rule on legal questions and, in certain circumstances, determine guilt or impose sentences.
Abboud also drew a distinction between her approach and DePalo’s, characterizing his judicial philosophy as progressive and her own as grounded in practical experience.
“I will support nominees who are fair with the law but tough on criminals,” she said. “I support law enforcement and judges who follow the law, not legislate from the bench.”
Abboud criticized DePalo’s record and accused him of being too closely aligned with Gov. Maura Healey. She also challenged positions she attributed to him on judicial authority and public safety. Those allegations were presented in her responses to the Worcester Guardian, but weren’t accompanied by documentation establishing the circumstances of the statements she referenced.
DePalo, for his part, characterized his record as independent and said he has cast more votes against nominees than any other councilor during his tenure. That comparison was not independently verified.
Pardons, commutations and public safety
The candidates also differ in how they discuss another significant council responsibility: reviewing executive clemency.
A pardon can provide relief from the legal consequences of a criminal conviction, while a commutation reduces a sentence. In Massachusetts, the governor’s exercise of those powers requires the Governor’s Council’s approval.
DePalo said he supports targeted use of clemency when it can correct inequities or remove unnecessary barriers to employment and other opportunities.
“I have been a consistent advocate for targeted use of clemency (pardons and commutations) in the interest of justice,” he said.
He pointed to his vote supporting pardons for convictions involving simple marijuana possession, arguing that people should not continue facing obstacles because of convictions for conduct that is now legal under state law.
Abboud emphasized distinctions among offenders, including the seriousness of their crimes, whether they have committed previous offenses and evidence of rehabilitation.
“Those who show genuine remorse and one time offenders are far different that repeat offenders or those who have committed the most heinous crimes,” she said.
She said clemency decisions should also consider treatment for substance use disorders and mental health concerns, particularly when evaluating whether someone is prepared for release.
Why the office matters
Although Governor’s Council elections attract far less attention than races for governor or the legislature, councilors participate in decisions that can shape the state’s judiciary for years.
Judges appointed to Massachusetts courts generally serve until the mandatory retirement age of 70, meaning the council’s votes can have consequences long after a councilor’s own term has ended.
DePalo said his experience teaching students involved with the court system continues to shape his approach to the job.
“Many of my students were court-invovled, and I saw first hand not only the difference a judge can make in a child’s life, but how our system often traps kids on paths of incarceration,” he said.
He said he wants the justice system to identify struggling young people earlier and provide opportunities for support rather than allowing problems to compound into adulthood.
Abboud framed her candidacy around the need for greater political balance and public confidence in judicial decisions.
“I believe in a vibrant two party system,” she said.
The competing perspectives illustrate the choices involved in an office that operates largely outside the public spotlight: how to weigh rehabilitation against public safety, what constitutes judicial independence, and which professional and personal qualities matter most in selecting the people who interpret and enforce Massachusetts law.
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