Marie St. Fleur
Encyclopedia
Marie P. St. Fleur is a former Massachusetts State Representative
who represented the Fifth Suffolk
district from 1999-2011. Her district consists of parts of the Boston neighborhoods Dorchester
and Roxbury
. She is the first Haitian-American
to hold public office in Massachusetts. Representative St. Fleur was one of the most active supporters of John Kerry's presidential bid, often traveling to Florida to do outreach on his behalf. Representative St. Fleur was appointed Vice-Chair of the powerful Ways and Means Committee by House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi
, a leadership position that has tremendous influence in the budget process. On January 30, 2006 Thomas F. Reilly, candidate for the Democratic
nomination for governor
, selected St. Fleur to as his running mate. Candidates for governor and lieutenant governor
run separately through the primary, then are joined as a single ticket for the election. The following day she withdrew after The Boston Globe
reported that she was delinquent in tax debts and owed over $40,000 in student loans.
. She began practicing law in 1987. In 1999, she became the first Haitian immigrant to hold public office in Massachusetts by winning a special election to succeed Charlotte Golar Richie
. She is currently the vice chair of the House Ways and Means committee. She has three children.
and Chris Gabrieli
during the gubernatorial debate
on September 7, 2006. Reilly accused Gabrieli of having leaked a secret report about St. Fleur's finances to the Boston Globe. Later in the debate he asked Patrick, who has confessed to tax problems of his own: “If Marie St. Fleur can’t be lieutenant governor, how can you be governor?”
She supports charter schools and in-state tuition for illegal immigrants (for Undocumented Aliens). She is a practicing Catholic and supports same-sex marriage, despite the church's pronouncements on the issue.
During the 2008 presidential primary campaign, St. Fleur initially supported Hillary Clinton for president.
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...
who represented the Fifth Suffolk
Suffolk County, Massachusetts
Suffolk County has no land border with Plymouth County to its southeast, but the two counties share a water boundary in the middle of Massachusetts Bay.-National protected areas:*Boston African American National Historic Site...
district from 1999-2011. Her district consists of parts of the Boston neighborhoods Dorchester
Dorchester, Massachusetts
Dorchester is a dissolved municipality and current neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It is named after the town of Dorchester in the English county of Dorset, from which Puritans emigrated and is today endearingly nicknamed "Dot" by its residents. Dorchester, including a large...
and Roxbury
Roxbury, Massachusetts
Roxbury is a dissolved municipality and current neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It was one of the first towns founded in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1630, and became a city in 1846 until annexed to Boston on January 5, 1868...
. She is the first Haitian-American
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
to hold public office in Massachusetts. Representative St. Fleur was one of the most active supporters of John Kerry's presidential bid, often traveling to Florida to do outreach on his behalf. Representative St. Fleur was appointed Vice-Chair of the powerful Ways and Means Committee by House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi
Salvatore DiMasi
Salvatore F. "Sal" DiMasi is a former Democratic state representative in Massachusetts. The former Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives originally joined the state legislature in 1979, as a member of the Democratic Party...
, a leadership position that has tremendous influence in the budget process. On January 30, 2006 Thomas F. Reilly, candidate for the Democratic
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...
nomination for governor
Governor of Massachusetts
The Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the executive magistrate of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States. The current governor is Democrat Deval Patrick.-Constitutional role:...
, selected St. Fleur to as his running mate. Candidates for governor and lieutenant governor
Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts
The Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts is the first in the line to discharge the powers and duties of the office of governor following the incapacitation of the Governor of Massachusetts...
run separately through the primary, then are joined as a single ticket for the election. The following day she withdrew after The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
reported that she was delinquent in tax debts and owed over $40,000 in student loans.
Personal life and education
St. Fleur emigrated from Haiti as a child and attended the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and Boston College Law SchoolBoston College Law School
Boston College Law School is one of the six professional graduate schools at Boston College. Located approximately 1.5 miles from the main Boston College campus in Chestnut Hill, Boston College Law School is situated on a wooded campus in Newton, Massachusetts.With approximately 800 students and...
. She began practicing law in 1987. In 1999, she became the first Haitian immigrant to hold public office in Massachusetts by winning a special election to succeed Charlotte Golar Richie
Charlotte Golar Richie
Charlotte Golar Richie is a former American politician who currently serves as the senior vice president for public policy, advocacy and government relations for YouthBuild USA....
. She is currently the vice chair of the House Ways and Means committee. She has three children.
Political career
The issue of St. Fleur's withdrawal received additional media attention when it was mentioned in an exchange between Reilly and rivals for the Democratic nomination Deval PatrickDeval Patrick
Deval Laurdine Patrick is the 71st and current Governor of Massachusetts. A member of the Democratic Party, Patrick served as an Assistant United States Attorney General under President Bill Clinton...
and Chris Gabrieli
Chris Gabrieli
Chris Gabrieli is an American businessman and a leading national education reformer. He is currently driving the movement to reform the school calendar.-Biography:...
during the gubernatorial debate
Debate
Debate or debating is a method of interactive and representational argument. Debate is a broader form of argument than logical argument, which only examines consistency from axiom, and factual argument, which only examines what is or isn't the case or rhetoric which is a technique of persuasion...
on September 7, 2006. Reilly accused Gabrieli of having leaked a secret report about St. Fleur's finances to the Boston Globe. Later in the debate he asked Patrick, who has confessed to tax problems of his own: “If Marie St. Fleur can’t be lieutenant governor, how can you be governor?”
She supports charter schools and in-state tuition for illegal immigrants (for Undocumented Aliens). She is a practicing Catholic and supports same-sex marriage, despite the church's pronouncements on the issue.
During the 2008 presidential primary campaign, St. Fleur initially supported Hillary Clinton for president.