Linda Dorcena Forry Stepping Down From State Senate

BOSTON, MA — Linda Dorceny Forry, the only black member of the state Senate, is stepping down to take an executive position with a construction firm. Forry, who represents Boston's First Suffolk District, is stepping down effective Friday. She is the highest-ranking black elected official in Massachusetts.

The Boston Globe was the first to report Forry's decision.

"The foundation of my public service career has revolved around creating opportunity and access and giving a voice to those who have none and this work will continue for the rest of my life," Forry said in a statement.

Forry will join Suffolk Construction, one of the major developers in the city of Boston led by powerbroker John Fish, as vice president of Northeast region, diversity, inclusion and community relations. Suffolk Construction is working on Everett's Wynn Casino, among other major projects.

Forry, 43, served in the House for eight years prior to entering the Senate in 2013 after a closely contested race with Rep. Nick Collins of South Boston. She quickly rose to become assistant majority whip, and has been an outspoken voice for the Haitian community and all communities of color in the Senate.

It was only weeks ago that Forry was first considered as a candidate for the Senate presidency after Stan Rosenberg stepped down amid controversy.

Forry, whose parents are from Haiti, recently made headlines for a strong condemnation of President Donald Trump's reported vulgar comments referencing African nations and El Salvador. Trump also reportedly made derogatory comments about Haiti.

"I am really getting tired of having to do this. I have to express first how demoralizing and upsetting it is to have to register my outrage about hateful remarks made by my own president," she wrote. "And then to have to do it again. And again. The president's words are ignorant and repulsive and an affront to decency and to history."

Collins, according to someone close to the lawmaker, is very interested in running for the Senate seat, and Rep. Russell Holmes of Mattapan said he will take the next few weeks to decide whether he will run for the Senate seat.

Photo credit: Sam Doran/File/State House News Service

Materials from State House News Service were used in this report