Gale D. Candaras
Encyclopedia
Gale D. Candaras is a Democratic
member of the Massachusetts Senate
, representing the First Hampden and Hampshire District. She is an attorney and a former member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives
.
Candaras was born in 1949 in Brooklyn
, New York
and grew up in Teaneck, New Jersey
. She attended Teaneck High School
, Fairleigh Dickinson University
and, in 1983, she graduated from Western New England College School of Law
with a Juris Doctor
. After law school, Senator Candaras worked for the Equity Trading and Arbitrage Division at Goldman Sachs
on Wall Street
in New York City
. She is licensed to practice law in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Massachusetts. In 1987, she moved to Wilbraham, where she held positions on the town planning board and finance committee and served for six years on the Board of Selectmen before being elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives
She was re-elected by defeating Republican challenger Rodney W. Fountain, a Wilbraham town official in 1998 and was re-elected unopposed in 2000, 2002 and 2004. She was elected to the Massachusetts State Senate in 2006, defeating Republican legislative assistant Enrico Villamaino of East Longmeadow. Candaras's district consists of the town of Wilbraham
, a portion of the city of Springfield
, the town of Longmeadow
, the town of East Longmeadow
, the town of Ludlow
, the town of Granby
, the town of Hampden
and a portion of the town of Belchertown
.
Senator Candaras’ first committee appointments in the legislature as a State Representative were to the Committee on Government Regulations, the Committee on the Judiciary and the Committee on Personnel. Eventually, she served on all three simultaneously. During her tenure, Candaras has served as Vice Chair of the Committee on Public Service and was later appointed as Chair of the House Committee on Ethics. In January 2003 she was promoted to a leadership position in the House of Representatives, when she received the post of Third Division Floor Leader. In January 2005, Candaras was appointed First Division Chair.
In June 2007, she was one of the 9 Massachusetts Senators to change their vote on the same-sex marriage amendment, having initially supported the amendment.
She is married to Arthur Wolf, a professor at Western New England University School of Law and former attorney with the Civil Rights Division of the United States Department of Justice
. Candaras has one son.
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
member of the Massachusetts Senate
Massachusetts Senate
The Massachusetts Senate is the upper house of the Massachusetts General Court, the bicameral state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Senate comprises 40 elected members from 40 single-member senatorial districts in the state...
, representing the First Hampden and Hampshire District. She is an attorney and a former member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives
Massachusetts House of Representatives
The Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from single-member electoral districts across the Commonwealth. Representatives serve two-year terms...
.
Candaras was born in 1949 in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and grew up in Teaneck, New Jersey
Teaneck, New Jersey
Teaneck is a township in Bergen County, New Jersey, and a suburb in the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 39,776, making it the second-most populous among the 70 municipalities in Bergen County....
. She attended Teaneck High School
Teaneck High School
Teaneck High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school, which is part of the Teaneck Public Schools district in Teaneck, New Jersey, United States...
, Fairleigh Dickinson University
Fairleigh Dickinson University
Fairleigh Dickinson University is a private university founded as a junior college in 1942. It now has several campuses located in New Jersey, Canada, and the United Kingdom.-Description:...
and, in 1983, she graduated from Western New England College School of Law
Western New England College School of Law
Western New England University School of Law is a private, American Bar Association-accredited law school in Western Massachusetts, the only ABA-accredited law school in Massachusetts outside the greater Boston area....
with a Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
. After law school, Senator Candaras worked for the Equity Trading and Arbitrage Division at Goldman Sachs
Goldman Sachs
The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. is an American multinational bulge bracket investment banking and securities firm that engages in global investment banking, securities, investment management, and other financial services primarily with institutional clients...
on Wall Street
Wall Street
Wall Street refers to the financial district of New York City, named after and centered on the eight-block-long street running from Broadway to South Street on the East River in Lower Manhattan. Over time, the term has become a metonym for the financial markets of the United States as a whole, or...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. She is licensed to practice law in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Massachusetts. In 1987, she moved to Wilbraham, where she held positions on the town planning board and finance committee and served for six years on the Board of Selectmen before being elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives
Massachusetts House of Representatives
The Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from single-member electoral districts across the Commonwealth. Representatives serve two-year terms...
She was re-elected by defeating Republican challenger Rodney W. Fountain, a Wilbraham town official in 1998 and was re-elected unopposed in 2000, 2002 and 2004. She was elected to the Massachusetts State Senate in 2006, defeating Republican legislative assistant Enrico Villamaino of East Longmeadow. Candaras's district consists of the town of Wilbraham
Wilbraham, Massachusetts
Wilbraham is a town in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. It is also a suburb of the City of Springfield, Massachusetts and part of the Springfield Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 14,868 at the 2010 census...
, a portion of the city of Springfield
Springfield, Massachusetts
Springfield is the most populous city in Western New England, and the seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers; the western Westfield River, the eastern Chicopee River, and the eastern...
, the town of Longmeadow
Longmeadow, Massachusetts
As of the census of 2000, there were 15,633 people, 5,734 households, and 4,432 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 5,879 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 95.42% White, 0.69% African American, 0.05% Native American, 2.90%...
, the town of East Longmeadow
East Longmeadow, Massachusetts
As of the census of 2010, there were 16,187 people, 5,248 households, and 3,988 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,087.1 people per square mile . There were 5,363 housing units at an average density of 413.5 per square mile...
, the town of Ludlow
Ludlow, Massachusetts
Ludlow is a town in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 21,103 as of the 2010 census. It is located in western Massachusetts, north of Springfield, east of Chicopee, southeast of Granby, southwest of Belchertown, west of Wilbraham and is considered part of the...
, the town of Granby
Granby, Massachusetts
Granby is a town in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 6,420 at the 2010 census.It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area.Part of the town is comprised in the census-designated place of Granby....
, the town of Hampden
Hampden, Massachusetts
-Transportation:Hampden is one of sixteen towns in Massachusetts that has no numbered highways or state routes. Of these, half are on the islands, and one is the North Shore town of Nahant. Of the rest, Hampden is the easternmost town to have this distinction. In fact, the town does not even have...
and a portion of the town of Belchertown
Belchertown, Massachusetts
As of the census of 2000, there were 12,968 people, 4,886 households, and 3,517 families residing in the town. The population density was 245.9 people per square mile . There were 5,050 housing units at an average density of 95.8 per square mile...
.
Senator Candaras’ first committee appointments in the legislature as a State Representative were to the Committee on Government Regulations, the Committee on the Judiciary and the Committee on Personnel. Eventually, she served on all three simultaneously. During her tenure, Candaras has served as Vice Chair of the Committee on Public Service and was later appointed as Chair of the House Committee on Ethics. In January 2003 she was promoted to a leadership position in the House of Representatives, when she received the post of Third Division Floor Leader. In January 2005, Candaras was appointed First Division Chair.
In June 2007, she was one of the 9 Massachusetts Senators to change their vote on the same-sex marriage amendment, having initially supported the amendment.
She is married to Arthur Wolf, a professor at Western New England University School of Law and former attorney with the Civil Rights Division of the United States Department of Justice
United States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...
. Candaras has one son.