By
The Associated Press
BOSTON - An expectant mother will become Massachusetts' first woman governor this week and the state's second lieutenant governor in a row to take the helm in midterm.
Jane Swift, 35, who is expecting twins in June, will take over tomorrow after Gov. Paul Cellucci resigns to become U.S. ambassador to Canada. Cellucci, then a lieutenant governor himself, took charge in 1997 when Gov. William Weld resigned to pursue an unsuccessful nomination as ambassador to Mexico.
Even her allies concede Swift faces considerable challenges beyond juggling her job, childbirth and parenting three small children.
As a Republican in a Democratic state, she must fend off potential candidates from both parties for the gubernatorial election 20 months away. And she must try to win back voters disillusioned with her because of widely publicized scandals.
"I'm not sure the public is ready for Jane Swift because of the way she's used public money," said Grant Ritter, 17, a Hadley high school student visiting the Statehouse on Friday for Student Government Day. "Where I'm from, there's a lot of dislike for her."
An October poll showed only 20 percent of the 400 likely voters surveyed held a favorable view of her, while 46 percent viewed her unfavorably.
Swift, an obscure former state senator and unsuccessful Congressional candidate, won wide attention in 1998 when she announced she was pregnant while campaigning for lieutenant governor as Cellucci's running mate.
Once in office, she became embroiled in controversy for using her staff to baby-sit her daughter for free and for having a state helicopter take her across Massachusetts to her home in North Adams for Thanksgiving.
The ethics commission later ruled she had created an appearance of impropriety with the baby-sitting incident and fined her $1,250. She was criticized for what some saw as her arrogant response when she initially refused to apologize, saying she didn't do anything wrong. She later did apologize.
Backers say she has assets that could help her win back voters. Cellucci calls her "bright, articulate and passionate." She'll also have the powers and perks of incumbency and a reservoir of goodwill from women who want to see another woman succeed, political analysts say.
All 49 women state lawmakers, mostly Democratic, signed a letter last month expressing enthusiasm at the prospect of having a woman in the governor's office and wishing her well.
"She'll do far better than her critics have suggested," said state Sen. Mark Montigny, a Democrat. "She's up to it."
But Swift created fresh ill-will on Friday when she tried to dismiss several Cellucci holdovers, relenting after the governor intervened to save the jobs of Transportation Secretary Kevin Sullivan and Labor Director Angelo R. Buonopane, The Boston Globe reported, citing administration sources.
Tensions were heightened when several middle managers were told they had to leave, and when a memorandum from Swift's offices ordered the removal of Cellucci's name from official stationery before he had left, the Globe said.
