Kimberley Lord Driscoll (born August 12, 1966) is an American politician and lawyer who has served as the 73rd lieutenant governor of Massachusetts since 2023. A member of the Democratic Party, Driscoll previously served as the 50th mayor of Salem from 2006 to 2023.[1][2] Before becoming mayor, Driscoll served as an elected member of the Salem City Council and worked as the deputy city manager and chief legal counsel for the city of Chelsea.
After interning in Salem's planning department during college, Driscoll became Beverly's community development director. After graduating from law school, she spent three years as a real estate and commercial development attorney.[6] Driscoll went on to serve as chief legal counsel and then as deputy city manager of Chelsea, Massachusetts, for five years.[7] She was a city councilor for the fifth ward in Salem before running for mayor in 2005.
As a result of her leadership, Salem became one of 110 cities and towns in the state of Massachusetts designated as Commonwealth "Green Communities." This status made the city eligible for municipal renewable power and energy efficiency grants from the state. In 2013, Salem received eight stations where drivers can charge their electric vehicles;[15][16] four are located at the Museum Place Mall, near the Peabody Essex Museum, and the other four are located inside the South Harbor parking garage across the street from the Salem Waterfront Hotel.[17] Also in 2013, under the leadership of Driscoll, the city moved to a mandatory[18]recycling program for trash pick up in Salem.[19][20][21]
Driscoll obtained a federal grant to cover 90% of the cost of Nathaniel Bowditch, a $2.1 million 92-foot high-speed catamaran that travels from Salem to Boston annually from May to October.[22] The maiden voyage took place on June 22, 2006.[23] The ferry is named after Nathaniel Bowditch, who was from Salem and wrote the American Practical Navigator.[24][25][26][27][28] In 2016, Driscoll set up for the Salem acquisition and redevelopment of the parcel at 289 Derby St. into a gateway park along the waterfront.[29][30]
As of 2017, a $1 billion transformation of the Salem waterfront is underway. The project was originally proposed in 2006, and involved dredging to make the waters deeper for larger boats. In 2016, the city acquired the vacant parcel at 289 Derby Street for redevelopment as gateway park along the waterfront. The Salem Harbor Power Station, an old 1940s coal-powered facility, was replaced with a smaller and cleaner natural gas powered plant, occupying one-half of the original footprint, allowing for additional waterfront redevelopment in the future.[31] 40-acres of prime waterfront land is up for sale, the largest deal in the city's modern history.[32][33]
In January 2022, Driscoll declared her candidacy for lieutenant governor of Massachusetts in the 2022 election.[34] At the Massachusetts Democratic Party State convention in June 2022, Driscoll topped the field with support from 41.4 percent of the delegates, winning the endorsement of the Massachusetts Democratic Party.[35][36] Since announcing her candidacy, Driscoll consistently led the field in the polls.[37][38] She won the Democratic primary and faced Republican Leah Cole Allen in the November general election.[39] Driscoll defeated Cole Allen.[40]
On January 5, 2023, Driscoll was inaugurated as the 73rd lieutenant governor of Massachusetts.
Italics indicate next-in-line of succession for states and territories without a directly elected lieutenant governor or whose lieutenant governor office is vacant:
