Clare Higgins (politician)

Mary Clare Higgins is an American politician who was a six-term mayor of Northampton, Massachusetts, from 2000 to 2011. A Democrat, she was the second woman to hold the position. Higgins became the executive director of Community Action Pioneer Valley in September 2011.

Clare Higgins
Mayor of Northampton, Massachusetts
In office
January 1, 2000 – September 9, 2011
Preceded byMary Ford
Member of Northampton City Council
At-large
In office
January 1, 1993 – December 31, 1999
Personal details
BornPittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
EducationUniversity Without Walls (University of Massachusetts Amherst)

Education and background

Higgins was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and is one of six siblings. As a adolescent, she moved with her family to Brooklyn, New York, where her father was active in politics.[1][2][3] She earned her bachelor's degree in 2003 through the University Without Walls (University of Massachusetts Amherst).[4][5] Higgins worked in early childhood education.[6]

Career

Higgins became involved in politics in the early 1990s, when she became a commissioner on the board of the Northampton Housing Authority.[2] During the same period, the city drew national media attention for its percentage of lesbians among the population.[7]

Higgins was elected as an at-large City Councilor in 1993 and held the office until 1999; she served as president of the council for the last two years.[8][9]

Higgins was elected to her first term as mayor in November 1999,[10] assuming office in January 2000.[11][9] She was the city's first openly lesbian mayor.[12] Higgins resigned in September 2011 to become executive director of Community Action Pioneer Valley.[13][14][3]

During her tenure, she was able to secure affordable housing for residents who were at risk of losing their homes due to condo conversion.[2][15] The city's capital improvement fund for infrastructure was greatly expanded and used for a new water filtration plant, a senior center, a new police station, and new public works facility.[13]

She is a member of the Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition,[16] an organization formed in 2006 and co-chaired by New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg and Boston mayor Thomas Menino.

Higgins was recognized for her contributions by U.S. House of Representatives in 2012.[1] She campaigned for Barack Obama during 2012 as part of the bus tour "Mayors for Obama".[17][18] She became a monthly columnist for the Daily Hampshire Gazette.[19]

See also

References
  1. Neal, Hon. Richard E. (February 1, 2012). "In Celebration of Mary Clare Higgins" (PDF). Congressional Record – Extension of Remarks. p. E104. Retrieved September 15, 2022.
  2. Contrada, Fred (September 8, 2011). "Northampton Mayor Mary Clare Higgins set to leave office after near-record tenure". MassLive.com. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
  3. Beetle, Janice (March 6, 2012). "International Women's Day Clare Higgins: 'Community in the best sense'". The Republican. MassLive.
  4. "Our Mayors". Savoir Flair Magazine. Vol. 1, no. 1. 2007. pp. 24–27. Retrieved September 15, 2022 – via Issuu.
  5. "Highlights from the 50th Anniversary Celebration". University of Massachusetts Amherst. April 22, 2022. Retrieved September 15, 2022.
  6. O'Connor, Karen (August 18, 2010). Gender and Women's Leadership: A Reference Handbook. SAGE Publications. ISBN 9781412960830 – via Google Books.
  7. Jochem, Greta (May 3, 2019). "The legend of 'Lesbianville': Looking back at a city nickname and claim to fame". Daily Hampshire Gazette. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
  8. Laughlin, Kathleen A.; Castledine, Jacqueline (December 6, 2012). Breaking the Wave: Women, Their Organizations, and Feminism, 1945–1985. Routledge. ISBN 9781136909221 – via Google Books.
  9. Contrada, Fred Contrada (April 20, 2011). "Friends and foes credit departing Northampton Mayor Mary Clare Higgins with a job well done". MassLive.com.
  10. Contrada, Fred (December 23, 2015). "Forum brings together all living Northampton mayors". MassLive.com. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
  11. Ghaziani, Amin (August 10, 2014). There Goes the Gayborhood?. Princeton University Press. ISBN 9781400850174 – via Google Books.
  12. Advocate Staff (October 15, 2008). "Mary Clare Higgins". Valley Advocate. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
  13. Contrada, Fred Contrada (April 13, 2011). "Mary Clare Higgins to resign as mayor of Northampton; City Council President David Narkewicz to become acting mayor". MassLive.com.
  14. Feyre, Ryan (December 15, 2021). "Narkewicz looks back on decade as mayor of Northampton". Reminder Publications.
  15. United States Congress House Committee on Financial Services (September 11, 2007). Household Incomes and Housing Costs: A New Squeeze for American Families : Hearing Before the Committee on Financial Services, U.S. House of Representatives, One Hundred Tenth Congress, First Session, April 4, 2007. Vol. 4. U.S. Government Printing Office. ISBN 9780160791857 – via Google Books.
  16. "Coalition Members". Mayors Against Illegal Guns. Archived from the original on March 27, 2008. Retrieved on June 18, 2007
  17. Rink, Matthew (October 22, 2012). "Mayors fire up Obama faithful". The Independent.
  18. Holan, Mark (October 21, 2012). "Parma hosts 'Mayors for Obama' bus tour, vote initiative". cleveland.com.
  19. "Columnist Clare Higgins: Reflections on the Obama presidency". Daily Hampshire Gazette. December 30, 2016.
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