Dorothy Kelly Gay facts for kids

Dorothy "Dot" A. Kelly Gay is an American politician who was born in Ireland. She served as the mayor of Somerville, Massachusetts. She also served on the Massachusetts Governor's Council, which is a group that advises the governor.

Early Life and Moving to America

Dorothy Kelly Gay was born on April 26, 1943, in Ballinasloe, a town in County Galway, Ireland. Her father was involved in politics, worked as a nurse, and was active in unions. Dorothy went to Newtown National School, Convent of Mercy Secondary School, and Ballinasloe Technical School.

In 1961, she moved to England to become a nurse. She finished her nursing studies in 1964 at the Mayday Hospital School of Nursing in Surrey. While in London in the early 1960s, she met Bertram Gay. They later got married.

In 1968, Dorothy and Bertram moved to the United States. They came because their child needed a special surgery that was only available at Boston Children's Hospital. They made their home in Somerville, Massachusetts. Dorothy soon found a job as a nurse at Somerville's Heritage Hospital. She continued working as a nurse until 1999.

Political Career

Dorothy Kelly Gay started her political journey in 1986. She was first appointed to the Somerville School Committee, which helps manage the city's schools. Ten months later, she was elected to serve a full term on the committee.

In 1992, she was elected to the Massachusetts Governor's Council for the 6th District. This council works with the governor on important decisions. In 1998, she decided to run for Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts. She competed in the Democratic primary election but lost to State Senator Warren Tolman.

Becoming Mayor of Somerville

In 1999, Dorothy Kelly Gay was elected Mayor of Somerville. This happened in a special election because the previous mayor, Michael Capuano, had been elected to the United States House of Representatives. She won against John Buonomo, who was an alderman, with 6,878 votes to his 6,473.

Later that same year, she ran for a full term as mayor and was elected without anyone running against her. In 2003, when she ran for re-election, she finished third in the first round of voting. Joseph Curtatone and Tony Lafuente moved on to the next round. Her loss was partly due to challenges like a rise in community safety concerns and a slowdown in the local economy. Also, cuts in state funding meant she had to reduce public services and let go of about 200 city workers.