POST-GAZETTE - Res Publica

Mayor Menino Appoints Ellen Rooney as Republican Election Commissioner

by David Trumbull

May 8, 2009


Mayor Thomas M. Menino has appointed Ellen Rooney, former Republican State Committee member for the Second Suffolk District, to the city’s Board of Election Commissioners. In making the announcement Mr. Menino said—

“Ellen brings a strong and distinguished background in politics and I am certain that she will provide an objective voice to the board,” said Mayor Menino. “Ellen will be a great asset to the Election Department and I am extremely happy she decided to take this very important post to help ensure fairness in our city’s elections system.”

As a member of the Republican State Committee, Ms. Rooney, recruited fellow Republicans to run for local and state elections and worked on many local campaigns. Indeed, one of her last acts as a GOP Committeewoman was to recruit me to run in the special election to fill the vacancy in the Third Suffolk District of the Massachusetts House of Representatives – the vacancy caused by the resignation of Sal DiMasi. The election will be June 16th.

As a City Election Commissioner Ms. Rooney will no longer get actively engaged in Republican politics, which is a loss to the Republican City Committee and State Committee. However, she will be fulfilling an important role overseeing elections to ensure that they are conducted impartially and with protection for the rights of the minority party.

Prior to her role as a State Committee member, Ms. Rooney held various positions including chair of the Boston Licensing Board, Executive Director of the Access Scholarship program and the Executive Director of the Beacon Hill Business Association.

“I am very happy to be joining this strong Board of Election Commissioners and I have a deep respect for the responsibility I now have to help ensure a smooth elections process for the City of Boston,” said Ms. Rooney in an official City of Boston release. “As a strong believer in exercising the right to vote I am deeply honored to be appointed to the Board and thank Mayor Menino for the opportunity.”

[David Trumbull is the chairman of the Boston Ward Three Republican Committee. Boston's Ward Three includes the North End, West End, part of Beacon Hill, downtown, waterfront, Chinatown, and part of the South End.]

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