Martha Coakley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Martha Coakley
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Coakley in 2014
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| 43rd Attorney General of Massachusetts | |
| In office January 17, 2007 – January 21, 2015 |
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| Governor | Deval Patrick Charlie Baker |
| Preceded by | Thomas Reilly |
| Succeeded by | Maura Healey |
| Massachusetts District Attorney for the Northern District | |
| In office January 3, 1999 – January 17, 2007 |
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| Preceded by | Thomas Reilly |
| Succeeded by | Gerard Leone |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Martha Mary Coakley
July 14, 1953 Pittsfield, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Thomas O'Connor |
| Education | Williams College (BA) Boston University (JD) |
Martha Mary Coakley (born July 14, 1953) is an American lawyer and former politician. She served as the top lawyer for the state of Massachusetts, called the Attorney General, from 2007 to 2015. Before that, she was the District Attorney for Middlesex County from 1999 to 2007.
Coakley was elected as Attorney General of Massachusetts in 2006. She later ran for a seat in the United States Senate in 2010 but lost. She was re-elected as Attorney General in 2010. Coakley also ran for Governor of Massachusetts in 2014 but was not elected. After leaving public office, she worked as a lobbyist, which means she tried to influence government decisions for certain companies.
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Early Life and Education
Martha Coakley was born in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Her father was a veteran of World War II and the Korean War, and he owned a small business. Her mother was a homemaker. When Martha was one year old, her family moved to North Adams. She went to St. Joseph's School and Drury High School, graduating in 1971.
Coakley went to Williams College and earned a degree in 1975. She then studied law at Boston University School of Law, graduating in 1979. While in law school, she worked at a law firm. After finishing law school, she worked as a lawyer in Boston, Massachusetts.
Becoming a District Attorney
In 1986, Martha Coakley joined the District Attorney's office in Lowell, Massachusetts. A year later, she was invited to work for the U.S. Justice Department as a Special Attorney. She returned to the District Attorney's office in 1989. In 1991, she became the head of the Child Abuse Prosecution Unit.
In 1997, Coakley decided to run for District Attorney in Middlesex County. She won the election and became the District Attorney in 1999. She served in this role until 2007.
Attorney General of Massachusetts
In 2006, Martha Coakley was elected as the Massachusetts Attorney General. She won with 73 percent of the votes. She officially started her job on January 17, 2007. She was the first woman to ever serve as Attorney General in Massachusetts.
As Attorney General, Coakley worked to help people in Massachusetts.
Helping Consumers and the Environment
In 2007, she created a guide to help people understand credit and set up a hotline for consumer complaints. This helped people who were having financial problems.
In 2008, Coakley worked with Apple Inc. and the National Federation of the Blind. They made sure that Apple's iTunes software could be used by people with disabilities. This followed laws like the federal Americans with Disabilities Act.
In 2009, she led a group of 18 states to ask the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to take action on greenhouse gases. The Supreme Court had ruled that the EPA could regulate these gases, which cause climate change.
Coakley also handled lawsuits related to the 2006 Big Dig ceiling collapse. Her office recovered over $610 million for the state of Massachusetts from these lawsuits. She also won settlements from companies like Goldman Sachs for their unfair lending practices.
Running for Office
Martha Coakley ran for several important political offices during her career.
U.S. Senate Campaign
In 2009, Martha Coakley decided to run for a seat in the United States Senate. This special election was to fill the seat that had been held by Senator Ted Kennedy for a long time. She won the Democratic primary election.
However, in the main election on January 19, 2010, she was defeated by Republican Scott Brown. This was a surprise to many people.
Governor Campaign
After her Senate campaign, Coakley successfully ran for re-election as Attorney General in 2010.
In 2013, she announced that she would run for Governor of Massachusetts in 2014. She won the Democratic nomination. However, on November 4, 2014, she was narrowly defeated by Republican Charlie Baker.
Life After Politics
From 2015 to 2019, Martha Coakley worked for a law firm called Foley Hoag in Boston. She worked as a lawyer and a lobbyist. As a lobbyist, she represented companies like the fantasy sports website DraftKings and the student-loan firm Navient. She also worked as a lobbyist for the e-cigarette company Juul until June 2022.
Personal Life
Martha Coakley lives in Medford, Massachusetts. She is married to Thomas F. O'Connor Jr., who was a police Deputy Superintendent before he retired.
See also
- List of female state attorneys general in the United States
