Who is Maura Healey, Massachusetts’ first female chief executive and the nation’s first openly lesbian governor : NPR

The NPR Network will be reporting live from Chicago throughout the week bringing you the latest on the Democratic National Convention.

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey, one of the first Democratic governors to suggest that President Joe Biden should end his reelection bid, will address the DNC Thursday night in Chicago.

Healey is scheduled to speak shortly before Vice President Kamala Harris accepts the party’s presidential nomination.

Healey was elected governor in 2022, becoming Massachusetts’ first female chief executive and the nation’s first openly lesbian governor. Like Harris, she is a former two-term attorney general. Her office initiated or joined dozens of legal challenges against the Trump administration.

Healey is expected to highlight her experience working with Harris and talk about “the stark choice in this election between a convicted felon and a dedicated prosecutor for the people,” according to her office.

In July, shortly after President Biden’s disastrous debate performance, Healey, a campaign surrogate for Biden, released a statement urging the president “to listen to the American people and carefully evaluate whether he remains our best hope to defeat Donald Trump.” Soon after that, Healey joined fellow Democratic governors on a call to the White House, telling chief of staff Jeff Zients that Biden’s political position was “irretrievable,” according to the New York Times.

Healey, 53, grew up on the New Hampshire coast, and found success in sports. At Harvard University, she co-captained the women’s basketball team, and went on to play professionally in Austria. Healey, a 5’- 4” point guard, said despite her height, she was always comfortable competing on the court.

“I never even realized how short I was,” Healey told WBUR. “Being that small and playing that game, I think you learn a little bit about toughness. You learn about taking on bigger people and bigger interests.”

After two years playing in Austria, Healey returned to Massachusetts to attend law school at Northeastern University.