Steven D. Pierce (born October 10, 1949) is a retired Massachusetts jurist and politician who most recently served as chief justice of the Massachusetts Housing Court. He retired from the Housing Court September 2015. A graduate of

Union College Union College is a Private university, private liberal arts college in Schenectady, New York, United States. Founded in 1795, it was the first institution of higher learning chartered by the New York State Board of Regents, and second in the s ...

and the Duke University School of Law, Pierce worked as an attorney before being elected to the

Massachusetts House of Representatives The Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the State legislature (United States), state legislature of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from 14 counties each divided into ...

in 1978. He was the House Minority Whip (1983–1987) and the House Minority Leader (1987-1991). Pierce sought the Republican nomination for Governor in 1990. Pierce was considered the favorite to win the nomination. He won the vote at the State Convention and led his opponent William Weld in opinion polls by as much as 25%. However, on September 18, he lost the Republican Primary to Weld 61%-39%. Weld later appointed Pierce to the position of Secretary of Communities and Development. In 1991, Pierce ran in a special election for the Massachusetts's 1st congressional seat. He won the Republican nomination, but lost in the general election to Democrat John Olver. Pierce rejoined the Weld administration in 1993 as a senior adviser to the governor. In 1994, he was appointed Executive Director of the Massachusetts Housing Finance Agency (later known as MassHousing). He left MassHousing in 2001 to serve as chief legal counsel to acting governor Jane M. Swift. Shortly before her term expired, Swift nominated Pierce to be the chief justice of the Massachusetts Housing Court. He was confirmed by the

Massachusetts Governor's Council The Massachusetts Governor's Council (also known as the Executive Council) is a governmental body that provides advice and consent in certain matterssuch as judicial nominations, pardons, and commutationsto the Governor of Massachusetts. Council ...

6-2.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pierce, Steven 1949 births Duke University Trinity College of Arts and Sciences alumni Judges of the Massachusetts Housing Court Republican Party members of the Massachusetts House of Representatives People from Johnstown, New York People from Westfield, Massachusetts State cabinet secretaries of Massachusetts Living people 20th-century members of the Massachusetts General Court