Mara Dolan, a Democrat and the incumbent District 3 member of the Massachusetts Governor’s Council, is seeking reelection in the Nov. 3, 2026, election.
The official general-election candidate list lists Dolan for the seat. Governor’s Council districts are separate from congressional districts.
Background and confirmation standards
In a 2026 Progressive Massachusetts questionnaire, Dolan describes herself as a public defender with more than 20 years of experience in the courts.
She says equal treatment under the law guides her assessment of nominees. She would oppose judicial nominees with anti-abortion records and examine Parole Board nominees’ approach to people who no longer pose a public-safety danger.
Criminal justice priorities
Dolan supports ending mandatory minimum sentences for drug offenses, raising the age of criminal majority to 21, eliminating life-without-parole sentences and expanding automatic sealing of records. She also supports a pause on new prison and jail construction and more education and vocational opportunities for incarcerated people.
These are policy preferences. The council does not pass criminal statutes or appropriate funding for prison programs, and the questionnaire does not provide cost estimates for those changes.
What the council controls
The council’s responsibilities include advice and consent on gubernatorial appointments, including judges and Parole Board members, as well as pardons and commutations. A member can question nominees and vote on confirmations.
Those decisions can affect the courts and parole system serving local residents. They do not give an individual councilor authority to decide cases or grant parole.
The Brookline Record did not receive a direct questionnaire response from the candidate and does not endorse candidates.
