Jane Swift facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jane Swift
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Swift in 2001
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| Acting Governor of Massachusetts | |
| In office April 10, 2001 – January 2, 2003 |
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| Preceded by | Paul Cellucci |
| Succeeded by | Mitt Romney |
| 69th Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts | |
| In office January 7, 1999 – January 2, 2003 |
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| Governor | Paul Cellucci |
| Preceded by | Paul Cellucci |
| Succeeded by | Kerry Healey |
| Secretary of Consumer Affairs of Massachusetts | |
| In office July 29, 1997 – February 5, 1998 |
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| Governor | Paul Cellucci |
| Preceded by | Michael T. Duffy |
| Succeeded by | Daniel Grabauskas |
| Member of the Massachusetts Senate from the Berkshire, Hampden, Hampshire and Franklin district |
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| In office January 3, 1991 – January 3, 1997 |
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| Preceded by | Peter C. Webber |
| Succeeded by | Andrea Nuciforo |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Jane Maria Swift
February 24, 1965 North Adams, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Chuck Hunt
(m. 1994; died 2021) |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | Trinity College (BA) |
Jane Maria Swift (born February 24, 1965) is an American politician. She served as the 69th lieutenant governor of Massachusetts from 1999 to 2003. During this time, she also became the acting governor from April 2001 to January 2003. She was the first woman to perform the duties of governor of Massachusetts. When she became acting governor, Swift was 36 years old. This made her the youngest female governor in U.S. history at that time.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Swift grew up in a big family in North Adams, Massachusetts. Her grandmother came to the United States from northern Italy after World War I. Her grandfather had roots in Ireland and on the Mayflower. Jane learned about politics from her father, Jack Swift. He ran a family business and was active in the Republican Party.
Swift's mother was a teacher. Jane went to public schools in North Adams. In 1987, she graduated from Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut. She studied American studies. During college, Swift worked jobs, played on the women's rugby team, and was part of a sorority.
Political Career
In 1990, at age 25, Swift became the youngest woman ever elected to the Massachusetts Senate. She represented her district from 1991 to 1997. She worked hard on education reform. She helped pass the Education Reform Act of 1993. This law created the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System. It was one of the first statewide programs to measure how well students were learning.
People thought she was a very good senator. She focused on making government more responsible. She also worked on managing money wisely and improving education and social services.
In 1996, Swift ran for the United States Congress. She was the Republican candidate. She lost to a popular Democratic Congressman, John Olver.
After that, Swift worked for the Massachusetts Port Authority. Then, in 1997, Governor Bill Weld appointed her as Massachusetts' consumer affairs secretary. She held this job until she was elected lieutenant governor in 1998. Her campaign was special because she was young and pregnant with her first child. She gave birth to her daughter, Elizabeth, just weeks before election day.
As lieutenant governor, Swift faced challenges as a working mother in a high-profile job. She was criticized for using staff to help with her daughter. However, a reporter later noted that she faced unfair treatment because she was a woman in power.
Serving as Governor
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Swift became acting governor of Massachusetts in April 2001. This happened when Governor Paul Cellucci was appointed United States Ambassador to Canada. In Massachusetts, if the governor's office becomes empty, the lieutenant governor takes over as acting governor.
Swift was pregnant with twins at the time. She became the first sitting governor in U.S. history to give birth while in office. Her twin daughters, Lauren and Sarah Hunt, were born one month into her term. She made national news because she continued to lead the state even during her maternity leave. She even chaired a meeting by phone while on bed rest.
Swift received praise for her actions after the September 11 attacks in 2001. She also managed the state's money problems well. On the day of the attacks, Swift made sure that voting places stayed open for an election. She then led a statewide effort to prevent more attacks. Swift also urged Congress to create the Department of Homeland Security. The Boston Herald newspaper said she was "steady, stable, calming, decisive." After it was found that some hijackers used Boston's airport, Swift pushed for changes there.
The state faced a large budget problem after the attacks. Swift cut nearly $300 million in programs. She also stopped nearly $600 million in planned spending. She was praised for handling the budget crisis without raising taxes a lot.
2002 Governor Campaign
In October 2001, Swift announced she would run for a full term as governor. In January 2002, she chose Patrick Guerriero as her running mate. He was the first openly gay candidate for lieutenant governor in the nation.
Even though she was praised for her response to the September 11 attacks, Swift's popularity had been hurt. Many Republicans thought she could not win against a Democrat. They wanted businessman Mitt Romney to run instead. In March 2002, a poll showed Romney was much more popular than Swift among Republicans. On March 19, 2002, Swift decided not to run for governor. She said it was for her family and for the good of the state. Three hours later, Romney announced his candidacy. He later won the election.
Swift's official portrait was shown in the Massachusetts State House in 2005.
After Politics
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After leaving public office, Swift moved back to the Berkshires. She continued to work in Boston and across the U.S. She became an education executive and consultant. She also worked as a partner in a company that invests in education technology.
She has received six special degrees from universities. She was also a fellow at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government. Swift often speaks about the role of women in public service. She also talks about the challenges of balancing work and family. She wrote for Working Mother Magazine. Swift and her husband owned a horse farm in Williamstown, Massachusetts. They lived there with their three daughters before moving to Vermont.
From 2011 to 2017, Swift was the CEO of Middlebury Interactive Languages. In 2019, she became the president of LearnLaunch. This is a nonprofit group that helps with education innovation.
Swift also does charity work, especially for women and girls. She has been on the boards of many organizations. These include Sally Ride Science and Oxfam America. In 2008, Swift ran the Boston Marathon to raise money for Boston Children's Hospital. In 2015, she supported legalizing same-sex marriage in the United States Supreme Court.
Personal Life
In 1994, Jane Swift married Charles T. Hunt III. He was a dairy farmer and a physical education teacher. Swift and Hunt have three daughters. Two of their daughters were born while Swift was acting governor. This made her the first sitting governor to give birth in office. Her oldest daughter, Elizabeth, graduated from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Her other two daughters, Lauren and Sarah, graduated from Burr & Burton Academy in Vermont. Swift's husband, who was the first First Gentleman in Massachusetts history, passed away on December 21, 2021, from kidney disease.
Electoral History
- 1990 race for Massachusetts Senate, Berkshire District
- Jane Swift (R), 52%
- Sherwood Guernsey (D), 48%
- 1992 race for Massachusetts Senate, Berkshire, Hampden, Hampshire, and Franklin District
- Jane Swift (R), 61%
- Thomas Stokes (D), 39%
- 1994 race for Massachusetts Senate, Berkshire, Hampden, Hampshire, and Franklin District
- Jane Swift (R), 100%
- 1996 race for United States House of Representatives, Massachusetts District 1
- John Olver (D, incumbent), 53%
- Jane Swift (R), 47%
- 1998 race for Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts
- Paul Cellucci (incumbent)/Jane Swift (R), 51%
- Scott Harshbarger/Warren Tolman (D), 47%
See also
In Spanish: Jane Swift para niños
- List of female governors in the United States
- List of female lieutenant governors in the United States
Images for kids
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Swift (left) with Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao in October 2001
