Jennifer Nassour
{{short description|American attorney and political figure (born 1971)}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Jennifer Nassour
| image = File:Jennifer Nassour at MIT Comparative Media Studies.jpg
| caption = Nassour in 2021
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1971|10|20}}
| birth_place = Flushing, New York
| death_date =
| death_place =
| nationality = American
| other_names = Jenn Nassour
| alma_mater = Stony Brook University, C.W. Post University, St. John's University School of Law
| occupation = Attorney, Women's political activist
| years_active =
| party = Republican
| known_for = MassGOP chair (2009–2011)
| notable_works =
| website = {{URL|https://pocketbookproject.org}}
}}
Jennifer Ann Nassour (born 1971) is an American attorney and political figure. She served as the chairwoman of the Massachusetts Republican Party from 2009 to 2011. She is also the founder of the Pocketbook Project.
Career
Nassour holds a bachelor's degree in political science from the State University of New York at Stony Brook and a master's degree in political science from C.W. Post University. In 2000, she earned her juris doctor from St. John's University School of Law.{{cite web |url=http://www.massgop.com/site/c.8hJHLTMFKgKWE/b.5817741/k.CD04/Chairman.htm |title=Chairman |website=massgop.com |date=2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100629111228/https://massgop.com/site/c.8hJHLTMFKgKWE/b.5817741/k.CD04/Chairman.htm |archive-date=June 29, 2010 |via=Wayback Machine}}
Nassour served as a legislative aide in the New York State Senate and as an aide, law clerk and chief of staff in the Nassau County Legislature. After moving to Massachusetts, she worked as a family attorney at Consigli & Brucato P.C. in Milford, Massachusetts, and served as a member of the State Republican Committee representing the Middlesex, Suffolk and Essex District. From 2001 to 2002, Nassour worked in the Massachusetts Governor's Office as director of personnel. In 2002, she was the finance director for State Treasurer candidate Daniel Grabauskas.{{cite news|author=Gintautas Dumcius |title=Charlestown's Nassour is GOP's pick to start a party resurgence |url=http://www.wickedlocal.com/manchester/news/x869015004/Charlestowns-Nassour-is-GOPs-pick-to-start-a-party-resurgence |work=State House News Service |date=January 28, 2009 |access-date=2010-11-24 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121109160152/http://www.wickedlocal.com/manchester/news/x869015004/Charlestowns-Nassour-is-GOPs-pick-to-start-a-party-resurgence |archive-date=November 9, 2012 }}
= Massachusetts Republican Party chair =
Nassour was elected chairwoman of the Massachusetts Republican Party on January 28, 2009. She defeated Joseph Manzoli and Michael Franco, receiving 49 votes to Manzoli's 15 and Franco's 2.
During her tenure, the Republicans won the 2010 United States Senate special election and gained 16 seats in the Massachusetts House of Representatives, their first net increase in 20 years. However, the Republicans were unable to win any statewide office or Congressional seat during the 2010 election.{{cite news |author=Kyle Cheney |title=Some in Mass. GOP seek removal of state leader |url=http://www.eagletribune.com/local/x1383437005/Some-in-Mass-GOP-seek-removal-of-state-leader |work=State House News Service |date=November 18, 2010 |access-date=2010-11-24 }} On January 6, 2011, Nassour defeated William J. McCarthy 50 votes to 16 to win a second two-year term as chairman.{{cite news|last=Murphy |first=Matt |title=GOP sticks with Nassour |url=http://www.wickedlocal.com/bridgewaterwest/town_info/government/x1724409385/GOP-sticks-with-Nassour |access-date=14 September 2011 |newspaper=State House News Service |date=January 7, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121111172944/http://www.wickedlocal.com/bridgewaterwest/town_info/government/x1724409385/GOP-sticks-with-Nassour |archive-date=11 November 2012 }} On September 19, 2011, she announced her resignation from the post effective October 28, 2011, citing her pregnancy with her third child.{{cite news |url=https://medfordgop.blogspot.com/2011/09/mass-gop-chairwoman-announces.html?m=0 |title=Mass. GOP Chairwoman announces Resignation |first=Glen |last=Johnson |work=The Boston Globe |date=September 19, 2011 |via=medfordgop.blogspot.com}}
= Boston City Council race =
File:Jennifer Ann Nassour-09-18-2019 Ward 12 All City Council Candidates Night.jpg
In May 2019, Nassour entered the race for the District 8 seat in the 2019 Boston City Council election.{{cite news |url=http://beaconhilltimes.com/2019/05/17/jennifer-nassour-enters-race-for-boston-city-council-district-8/ |title=Jennifer Nassour Enters Race for Boston City Council, District 8 |first=Lauren |last=Bennett |website=Beacon Hill Times |date= May 17, 2019 |access-date=May 17, 2019}} Incumbent councillor Josh Zakim had announced in March 2019 that he would not seek re-election.{{cite news |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2019/05/10/the-former-state-gop-chair-running-for-office-boston/aNrTdPr3pP3CNYVpigsoSK/story.html |title=The former state GOP chair is running for office . . . in Boston |first=Milton J. |last=Valencia |website=The Boston Globe |url-access=limited |date=May 10, 2018 |access-date=June 22, 2019}} Nassour's campaign was run by Maureen McInerney, an experienced political communicator and former MassINC Public Affairs Associate and long-time Nassour colleague.[https://jenn4boston.com Jennifer Nassour campaign website, accessed June 22, 2019] In a five-candidate field in the September 24 preliminary election, Kenzie Bok and Nassour finished first (2,032 votes) and second (740 votes), respectively, qualifying them for the general election ballot.{{cite web |url=https://www.boston.gov/departments/elections/unofficial-election-results |title=UNOFFICIAL ELECTION RESULTS |website=boston.gov |access-date=September 24, 2019}} In the November 5 general election, Bok won the seat, garnering approximately 70% of the vote.{{cite web |url=https://www.boston.gov/departments/elections/unofficial-election-results |title=BOSTON MUNICIPAL ELECTION NOVEMBER 2019 |website=boston.gov |access-date=November 5, 2019}}
Political positions
When Nassour was running for the Boston City Council, she touted herself as being socially progressive and differing from the mainstream of the Republican Party. Nassour has supported abortion rights and same-sex marriage.{{cite web |last1=Valencia |first1=Milton J. |title=Boston's most unusual council race is between a Democrat and a Republican - The Boston Globe |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2019/10/18/boston-most-unusual-council-race-between-democrat-and-republican/qJN2al5HV9dItmY2smQ32I/story.html |website=Boston Globe |access-date=29 July 2023 |date=October 18, 2019}}
Personal life
Nassour previously lived in the Charlestown neighborhood of Boston. She moved to the Back Bay neighborhood in approximately 2011, where she lives with her three daughters.
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
- {{Twitter|JenniferNassour}}
- {{C-SPAN|9265154}}
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{{succession box | before = Peter G. Torkildsen | title = Chairman of the Massachusetts Republican Party | years=2009–2011 | after = Robert Maginn| }}
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Category:Long Island University alumni
Category:Massachusetts Republican Party chairs
Category:Politicians from Boston
Category:People from Nassau County, New York