SPRINGFIELD — A Springfield attorney who has served his city as a Ward 2 councilor since 2009 and an East Longmeadow resident who is the former president of the Hampden County Bar Association are the first candidates to announce bids to fill the Governor’s Council seat being vacated by Mary Hurley.
Michael A. Fenton of Springfield and Jeffrey Morneau of East Longmeadow issued statements Wednesday that they intend to run as Democrats for the 8th District councilor position. The council confirms judges and clerks nominated by the governor, and also votes on nominations for Parole Board members, Department of Industrial Accident judges and other administrative quasi-judicial positions.
“I am seeking this position to help shape the future of the bench,” Fenton said in a statement released after taking out nomination papers. “Impartiality and good judgment are the qualities we all want in a judge, and I would like to bring those same qualities to the Governor’s Council.”
“When we are talking about long-term appointments to the judiciary, it is critical that we get it right, and my experience as a lawyer and with the judicial nominating process makes me uniquely qualified to serve as Governor’s Councilor,” said Morneau, pointing to his role on the statewide Joint Bar Committee, which is charged with reporting to the governor on the qualifications of individuals being considered for judicial nominations.
The 8th District encompasses the four westernmost counties in Massachusetts, and all of Hampshire County, except Ware. Hurley has served in the role since 2017, or for three two-year terms. She announced her intention not to seek reelection on Tuesday. Council terms run for two years, and the position pays $36,025 yearly.
Morneau, a founding partner at Connor & Morneau, LLP, ran for the seat in 2016, choosing to pursue the position again when Hurley made her plans known.
“Mary has been serving our community well as Governor’s councilor and she had earned the right to continue doing so if she so chose,” he said.
Morneau has also served on the Board of Directors for Lawyers for Justice, a nonprofit dedicated to providing legal representation to the indigent.
“I understand the importance of maintaining the integrity and transparency of the judicial selection process. I have helped to organize seminars and informational meeting for potential judicial applicants and participated in public testimony hearings for judicial nominees in western Massachusetts,” Morneau said. “As Governor’s councilor, I will continue those proactive efforts so that judicial vacancies in western Massachusetts are filled quickly with the most competent and qualified lawyers from local communities.”
Fenton is a partner at Shatz, Schwartz and Fentin P.C., a practice with offices in Springfield and Northampton, where he focuses on commercial real estate, business planning, commercial finance and estate planning.
Fenton explained that the Governor’s Council may be the least known elected position in Massachusetts government, but is also one of the most consequential because it helps determine the composition of the judiciary. Fenton said he would be looking for people whose skills include experience and humility and understanding to work with people.
“As a member of the Governor’s Council, I would ensure that appointees have the proper temperament and background,” Fenton said.
Fenton also said he would fight for representation of people of diverse backgrounds, including race and gender, and push for a better pipeline for those in the pool of candidates, with an eye to combating regional inequities.
“I see the Governor’s Council role as an opportunity to fight for equitable treatment here in western Massachusetts,” Fenton said. “That means advocating for the appointment of western Massachusetts residents, and fighting for funding in our region more broadly. ”
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.
