Martha M. Walz
Encyclopedia
Martha M. "Marty" Walz has been a Democratic
member of the Massachusetts
House of Representatives
since January 2005. Walz represents the Eighth Suffolk
district, which is made up out of Back Bay, Beacon Hill, and the West End in Boston
and Cambridgeport
, Area 4
and MIT
in Cambridge
.
and went to college at Colgate University
in Madison County, New York
where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in History in 1983. In the fall of 1984, Walz started law school at New York University School of Law
where she obtained her Juris Doctor
in 1987.
until 1992. Later that year, Walz worked for Harcourt General, Inc.
, where she managed the company’s global labor and employment law practice for a period of seven years. Walz became Assistant Director of Human Resources for the Boston Public Schools
in 2000 and continued to work in this position until 2003. Prior to her run for office, Walz was the Vice President of Development at Jumpstart for Young Children, a national nonprofit
based in Boston that pairs college students with preschool children who are at risk of entering school unprepared for success.
In 2000, Walz graduated from the John F. Kennedy School of Government
with a Master of Public Administration
(MPA).
On November, 2nd of 2004, Walz was elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives defeating her opponent, Republican Richard L. Babson. Walz garnered 12,156 votes to 3,724 for Babson.
nominee, Brad Marston and won with approximately 77% of the vote. She declaired her victory by updating her Facebook
status fifty minutes after the polls closed.
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
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
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...
since January 2005. Walz represents the Eighth 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, which is made up out of Back Bay, Beacon Hill, and the West End in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
and Cambridgeport
Cambridgeport
Cambridgeport is one of the neighborhoods of Cambridge, Massachusetts. It is bounded by Massachusetts Avenue, the Charles River, the Grand Junction Railroad, and River Street. The neighborhood contains predominantly residential homes, many of the triple decker style common in New England...
, Area 4
Area 4, Cambridge
Area 4 is one of the neighborhoods of Cambridge, Massachusetts, roughly between Central Square, Inman Square, and MIT. It is bounded on the south by Massachusetts Avenue and Main Street, on the west by Prospect Street, on the north by Hampshire Street, and on the east by the Grand Junction...
and MIT
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
in Cambridge
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
.
Early life and education
Waltz was born in Rochester, New YorkRochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
and went to college at Colgate University
Colgate University
Colgate University is a private liberal arts college in Hamilton, New York, USA. The school was founded in 1819 as a Baptist seminary and later became non-denominational. It is named for the Colgate family who greatly contributed to the university's endowment in the 19th century.Colgate has 52...
in Madison County, New York
Madison County, New York
Madison County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 73,442. It is named after James Madison, fourth President of the United States of America...
where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in History in 1983. In the fall of 1984, Walz started law school at New York University School of Law
New York University School of Law
The New York University School of Law is the law school of New York University. Established in 1835, the school offers the J.D., LL.M., and J.S.D. degrees in law, and is located in Greenwich Village, in the New York City borough of Manhattan....
where she obtained her 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...
in 1987.
Career before politics
After her graduation from New York University of Law, Walz moved to Boston, Massachusetts where she worked at the law firm of Palmer & DodgeEdwards Angell Palmer & Dodge
Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge LLP is an AmLaw 100 law firm based in Boston, Massachusetts. The firm was formed by the 2005 merger of Edwards & Angell LLP and Palmer & Dodge LLP...
until 1992. Later that year, Walz worked for Harcourt General, Inc.
Harcourt (publisher)
Harcourt was a United States publishing firm with a long history of publishing fiction and nonfiction for children and adults. The company was based in San Diego, California, with an Editorial / Sales / Marketing / Rights offices in New York City and Orlando, Florida.In 2007, the U.S...
, where she managed the company’s global labor and employment law practice for a period of seven years. Walz became Assistant Director of Human Resources for the Boston Public Schools
Boston Public Schools
Boston Public Schools is a school district serving the city of Boston, Massachusetts, United States.-Leadership:The district is led by a Superintendent, hired by the Boston School Committee, a seven-member school board appointed by the Mayor after approval by a nominating committee of specified...
in 2000 and continued to work in this position until 2003. Prior to her run for office, Walz was the Vice President of Development at Jumpstart for Young Children, a national nonprofit
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
based in Boston that pairs college students with preschool children who are at risk of entering school unprepared for success.
In 2000, Walz graduated from the John F. Kennedy School of Government
John F. Kennedy School of Government
The John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University is a public policy and public administration school, and one of Harvard's graduate and professional schools...
with a Master of Public Administration
Master of Public Administration
The Master of Public Administration is a professional post-graduate degree in Public Administration. The MPA program prepares individuals to serve as managers in the executive arm of local, state/provincial, and federal/national government, and increasingly in nongovernmental organization and...
(MPA).
Election to the Massachusetts House of Representatives
In 2004 Walz announced that she was running in the Democratic State Primary to be a candidate for election to the Eighth Suffolk District of the Massachusetts House of Representatives. On September 14, 2004, in her first bid for elective office, Walz won the Democratic nomination for the Massachusetts House of Representatives, winning every precinct in the district. Walz won the nomination over Kristine Glynn by 1,383 votes. In that primary 2,211 votes were cast for Walz vs. 828 for Glynn.On November, 2nd of 2004, Walz was elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives defeating her opponent, Republican Richard L. Babson. Walz garnered 12,156 votes to 3,724 for Babson.
Electoral history
Walz ran for a fourth term against the Republican PartyRepublican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
nominee, Brad Marston and won with approximately 77% of the vote. She declaired her victory by updating her Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
status fifty minutes after the polls closed.